Class here in Germany has begun and I am now — officially — studying abroad.
I currently live in Berlin, a city that has more bridges than Venice, Italy. Now how is that a relevant fact? It is just the start to explaining how huge of a city Berlin is, and my challenge to explore all of it.
I chose to live in student housing and it is in the very southeast corner of the city. For me to get to school takes close to 45 minutes, a journey that involves two buses and a train. Despite the long commute, I am happy that I chose student accommodation over getting my own flat because of all the international students who live near me. I instantly made friends from all over the world, who will be with me in Germany for the year.
That was very comforting for me in the first few days here. Being so far away from home and in a place so much different than San Diego, the quick relationships helped me settle down and feel like this one day could feel like a home.
So far the weather has been great by Berlin standards; it’s even close to San Diego weather some days, which has allowed me to spend a lot of time outside. I have had the opportunity to go to parks, lakes and fully enjoy Berlin in the sunshine. The city is filled with parks and beer gardens, which are both great places to spend time with friends.
The beer gardens have been one of my favorite destinations so far, being just as advertised: massive gardens where beer flows plentifully. Beer is a huge part of the culture here; at restaurants, it is literally cheaper than water, and it is an acceptable beverage at any time of the day.
So far I have had fun, and I wish I could speak about every beautiful detail. However, trying to capture all my feelings on Berlin in such a short piece is difficult. Luckily I will have many more blog posts in my attempt to describe this very cool city.
Chase Knowles is a business administration major studying in Berlin Germany for a full academic year. He is an aspiring sports business professional who’s backup career plan is to be a travel blogger.
The global experience, as told by SDSU students 
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