Hate being patient. Love being German.

So I FINALLY got the internet here at my apartment and now have a chance to share with the world life in Germany. (Hi Mom. Sorry this took me so long.)

For starters, this is my #1 favorite building on this whole earth. Meaning the JFSB on BYU campus was bumped down to #2. It wasn't even a tough decision. Look at this thing. INcredible. We actually found it our first day exploring all by accident. We didn't know where to go so we decided to just get on a random train and pick a stop to get off. And we ended up here. Life really likes me.
What we are holding in our hands is called a Döner. They are made by super patronizing Turkish men who make fun of my German while they carve off slices of the sketchy but amazing mystery meat that go in these things. And I don't even care about any of that. Because they are so delicious! It's great when food can do that for you.


For those of you who don't know (everyone), this is a Jewish memorial. Though this looks like nothing more than an excellent album cover, in reality it is a series of blocks that slowly get taller and shorter as the ground rises and falls to make it look like a cement block ocean. So hip and now.


Brandenburger Tor. I looked this up on Wikipedia (pronounced "Vikipedia" here in the motherland) because there wasn't too much information about it at the actual site. Apparently it is the last of a series of gates through which one could formally enter the city of Berlin.

These are my new friends Joslin and Kaitlin. They are sisters. They're cute. Their names rhyme. Lots of good things going on here.

There is some incredible modern architecture here in this city because so many buildings got destroyed in the war and had to be re-built.

The irony of turning 21 while you are in Germany is that you actually could have drank alcohol 5 years ago had you been here all along. Also you're mormon so you can't do it anyways. Ohhh life.

Quite possibly the most incredible part of my trip (I mean life), thus far. I am standing under the actual Gate of Babylon! Some Germans discovered it (rumor has it, it was our good friend Hitler), claimed it, and re-built it right here in Berlin, then proceeded to build a whole museum around it. And then, just for good measure, they brought this authentic Greek temple with them as partially displayed here:

"Go big or go home."
-Germany

Nothing says classy like your mother's name graffitied onto the wall of your nearest U-bahn station. Berlin has incredible amounts of graffiti. It's kind of like how New Zealanders are outnumbered by sheep 70-1. Except dirty german words, usually done in complimentary colors.

Also, today was a holiday of some kind in Germany (nobody here actually KNOWS which holiday it is, they just know there's no work and plenty of alcohol.) And LET ME TELL YOU, the big group standing outside my window wearing bright orange hats that say "Got BEER??" in English ?....tempting. Reeaaalllyyy tempting. So is the guitar hero that has been going on upstairs for close to six hours now. However, for the sake of the fact that tonight is still a school night, I'm going to have to refrain.

Even if I am 21 now.

Loving Deutschland. Missing Americans.

Katie