Hallo alle! Ich hoffe, dass sie eine schöne Woche bei deinem Praktikum hatten.

This first week at my internship absolutely flew by! I really can’t believe that we are already 1/4 of the way through our time here in Berlin. I have absolutely loved getting closer to everyone in my group. We have been going out to dinner together, discovering hidden gems of the city, attending the Olivia Rodrigo concert (!), taking the U-Bahn together, and overall making new memories. I have definitely laughed and smiled a lot this past week.

Today, my roommate Anna and I travelled to the Museum Insel (Museum Island) to tour some museums for free, as it’s the first Sunday of the month. First, we made the trek to the top of the Berliner Dome, which I’ve set as my featured image. In my head, 267 steps didn’t seem that bad. Surely, I’ve done worse… I could not have been more wrong! However, the view was absolutely worth it and made up for my legs feeling like jelly for the next half an hour.

We then walked over to the Altes Museum to look at some ancient Greek and Roman art. I was stunned, to say the least. I have never experienced the feeling I had looking at all the preserved statues, paintings, and jewelry in the gallery. I wouldn’t even consider myself a big museum girl, but I was just in awe that I was surrounded by objects that have seen so much more than I have. My absolute favorite thing I saw was the statue of Hermaphroditus, child of Hermes and Aphrodite. Hermaphroditus, hence the name, was intersex! Even though Hermaphroditus is intersex, the museum used he/him pronouns when referring to them. I’m unsure as to why this is, as Hermaphroditus is depicted wearing a shroud on their head that women in Greece typically wore. I was a bit disappointed in this, as it suggested that Hermaphroditus’s maleness takes precedence over their femininity. Despite this, I will always love discovering hidden bits of queer representation in Greek myth.

Regarding the actual prompt for my blog, I’ve certainly had a lot to think about regarding my time management. Over these past two weeks, I’ve mostly been attending meetings with other queer organizations in the city. So far, I’ve met with about three different organizations. My favorite was “Du Bist Nicht Allein,” an organization for queer youth in the countryside (or “ländlisch” areas) of Berlin. As a GSWS major, I’ve read several pieces and written several papers about the importance of (urban) physical space in queer expression. It’s incredibly important for queer people in rural areas to have resources available about safe sex and gender/sexual identity.

When I’m done with these meetings, I am free to go! As I’ve stated in an earlier discussion post, I’m someone who is very easily overwhelmed and tired. However, I’ve been making more of an effort to actually do things in my time off from work. Even if it’s just going to Lidl to grocery shop, it’s better for me to go outside and be productive rather than staying inside for the rest of my day. What really helps me is making lists of things that I’d like to get done outside of my internship. This helps me stay on top of mundane tasks, like taking out the trash or doing my laundry.

I also have no work on Fridays, so I have a day completely open to myself. I think it would help me if I developed more of a routine on Fridays. I could use my time doing laundry, grocery shopping, and working on my blog rather than doing all these things sporadically throughout the week when I find the time. This past Friday, I went to a vintage store about half an hour away on the S-Bahn. Afterwards, I ate lunch by myself. I normally don’t feel scared or self conscious when I do things by myself back at home, but I felt very aware of myself at all times and how much space I was taking up. I think I’ll become more used to being by myself in Berlin as time goes on. It’s all a process! However, I have been making an effort to show up for work a few minutes before I’m supposed to be there. I’ve been giving myself plenty of time in the mornings to get ready, eat breakfast, pack my lunch, and walk to the bus stop. I absolutely hate being rushed in the mornings, and this is something I’ve been mindful of.

I hope you’ve all been managing your time well this past week. It’s all a learning experience. Bis später!