Do I Belong Here?
Do you ever have those days where you question everything? Where you wonder: is this me? Is this my life? What am I doing here? Do I belong here? I think it’s healthy to ask these kinds of questions – not everyday of course, but sometimes a little bit of self-doubt can be helpful.
As you may have noticed from the tone of recent blog posts, the past few months haven’t been the easiest. As Berlin weather changes from summer to autumn, (and with a plane ticket to London on Sunday…just for a holiday—don’t worry!), I find myself wondering yet again—what am I doing here? I came to Berlin just over three years ago during an Eurotrip where I was planning to move to London. In Berlin, though, I met a boy. Well, several boys. As you do. And then I discovered there were lots of other foreigners living in Berlin. And that the German language wasn’t as scary as I first thought. And that Berlin is just so damn cool.
I found it impossible to leave Berlin after having spent just a week here.
But Berlin had never previously been in my sights. And having lived in a handful of foreign cities as a student, an intern or a young adult, today I find myself wondering if this is the city that was actually meant for me. Germany wasn’t my favorite country. German food isn’t my favorite international cuisine. And the language. Well, let’s just say it wasn’t the easiest to learn.
I’ve always imagined myself living in New York City one day, in Bangkok, in London. Maybe even in Tel Aviv again. But I’m approaching 30 in a couple of weeks and I haven’t lived in nearly as many places as I thought I would. Which is the city for me?! Am I spending too much of my time in the city that everyone loves to write about (including myself!)? When I meet new people while traveling and I talk about living in Berlin, it sometimes feels like I’m obsessed. I can’t speak about Berlin enough—about the amazing nightlife, the interesting people. The city oozes with culture, with unique things to do. There’s history everywhere. But what I love most about Berlin is the fact that the city is changing. Fast. There’s an energy here that’s hard to describe. (But god knows I try!)
And yet I still feel so young and so ready to take on more of the world. Berlin has become easy for me. I love my life here, don’t get me wrong. But I sometimes wonder if there are other cities that are meant to have me too. Other places where I could try and do new things, different things.
MoveHub recently posted this quiz (see below) to determine “which country do you actually belong in.” These kinds of silly quizzes pop up on Facebook all the time, but I hardly ever do them. They’re silly and fun and are meant to be shareable. I went ahead and did it because, well, because I’ve been having all these doubts and wonders and thoughts — is this the right place for me?
Of course I took the quiz. Five times. And I ended up with The Netherlands every damn time! Oops. I’m not even sure if Germany is an option, but I’d like to think that the quiz thinks I belong here in Northern Europe. Regardless, I’m happy it gave me a Northern European country. With all the travel I’ve done this year, I find myself repeatedly wanting to visit and to stay in this region. It’s why I revisit places all the time. It’s maybe not the road-less-traveled, but sometimes you just need to take holidays, to visit places that are so “you.” The places you love. Where you can feel relaxed and comfortable. They’re easy destinations for you, maybe, but that’s sometimes all that you need.
Take the quiz below. Let me know which country you get. And then tell me— do you ever wonder if you’re living in the right place?
Let me know in the comments which country you get in the quiz! Also, if anyone gets Germany, can you PLEASE tell me what the correct choices are?! :-D
The post Do I Belong Here? appeared first on the Travels of Adam blog.
Related blogs:
- My Berlin Story: The How, Why & When I Became an Expat
- That Berlin Style
- 5 Reasons I Love Traveling around Germany
