It’s day 6 and I have generally no clue what day it is or what date for that matter. Things have been going crazy fast. For the first time I’m actually doing something entirely for myself. I’m constantly running from here to there to organize dinners, transport or activities. If I’m not actually moving, I’m online to look up all the info for my next destination or solving problems and organizing my head. My life consists of checklist and to do lists.
I’ve got a great bunch of people with me and luckily I’ve got plenty of time to enjoy the ride. The beginning is always nerve-wracking. What impression will I make? What is my group like? Will the group have good dynamics? What will they be interested in? During my welcome talk it was absolutely silent. Some people were staring at me, some just at the floor. Only a couple of people occasionally smiled. The rest had a serious look on their face, like I was a lecturer at university.
Later on I had dinner with the majority of them and things loosened up a bit. I felt so much better once I’d gotten to know them a bit better. It seems like a great crew with lots of special interests. It is a little intimidating when you find out how much some people know. It seems like I’ve got a huge lack of general knowledge, but also a lack of about 30 years. I slowly relaxed though and enjoyed my massive German meal.
The next day was my first city walk. A small group joined me on a massive walk through Berlin. It went fantastic. I even managed to tell something new to people who’d been in the city three times already! I love telling stories, no matter how little and pointing things out that people may not have thought of. I hope that by visiting all these places more often and seeing more museums or exhibitions I can build on what I know now.
My first few days also had some difficulties. How about going to a city you know from google maps, getting out of a station being temporarily disoriented or arguing with a taxi driver. Well arguing… I needed a bunch of taxis, but there was more than a bunch lined up. However, the drivers didn’t want to take the group! What? Finally they decided they were going to call some bigger taxis. Problem solved, but it’s a bit of a mystery to me why you wouldn’t want to get the business.
I can’t tell you how much I enjoy it though. Even though at times I seem to worry to much about the details and at times I’m really not sure how I pull it all off, I love learning and I love organizing. Hopefully I get some more time to see things on my next trip though, when I’ve got it all figured out already. I am curious to see what else this trip will bring me. Hopefully a lot of laughter and good food!