I was nervous to come to Germany at first. I had never left the country before and didn’t even know where to start when it came to packing, so it’s fair to say I didn’t know what to expect. There were two main surprises for me, though. The first was the amount of graffiti. It’s everywhere. It seems like anywhere there’s a blank wall, graffiti extends as far as possible within arm’s reach. I think it’s really sad to see all of these beautiful buildings covered in paint. On a more positive note, I’ve really been impressed by the public transit system. We can use the busses to get pretty much anywhere we need to, and we were able to learn how to figure out where to go way faster than I expected. As weird as it sounds, though, I miss the American crosswalks. After some time I’ve gotten used to them, but I still panic a little bit when it suddenly turns red without warning as I cross the street. I’ve never really been someone to like living in a big city, but I’ve found that the longer I’m here in Berlin and learn my way around, the more I enjoy being here. I’m definitely looking forward to spending more time in the city in the coming weeks.