In Berlin: Part I

If there was a single city I could say I felt I didn't explore efficiently, it would definitely be Berlin. I joined a group of friends who had just begun to undertake the incredible task of visiting 11 countries in 13 days. Berlin was their second stop after Munich, and in an effort to add to my country tally I joined them on their German adventure. 

Much of the city's historical structure were destroyed as a result of heavy bombing during WWII, leaving a decent portion of the city's architectural landscape dominated by brutalist and functional modern artchitecture. Brandenburg Gate in Pariser Platz was an obvious and stunning exception. It's no wonder it serves as an essential trademark for the nation.

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Equally as stunning in its design, much more moving in its intent, was the Holocaust Memorial. The systematic rise and fall of the cement monoliths were meant to invoke "an uneasy sense of order," an elegant yet slightly disturbing reference to a tragic past. 

I guess it turned out our self-guided tour of the city was primarily fueled by its architectural landscape. We were supposed to visit the Reichstag dome, but me being me, I booked our tickets for the evening after we were scheduled to leave! And despite being in yet another new and unfamiliar environment, I found the familiar food to be sort of comforting. Growing up with a grandmother with a penchant for German recipes, I realized I've come to associate schnitzels and spaetzle with my childhood, to a certain extent. I'm sure, as I was filling my plate with a heaping spoonful of homemade spaetzle and gravy, I never would have guessed I'd been eating a plate of the same stuff on a sidewalk in Germany. 

Next up: Part II

Dom Streater Pop-up at Knit Wit

Last Tuesday, Knit Wit and Skai Blue Media hosted a pop-up shop featuring the Spring/Summer 2014 collection of Dom Streater. The Season 12 winner of Project Runway hails from Philadelphia, so I knew this event would be perfect for the Style section. 

Dom was kind enough to answer several questions of mine for the article that will be running next week if I get my act together. A number of the attendees shopped the collection, and scarves bearing Dom's trademark prints seemed to be a big hit, as were her rain ponchos, especially considering the dreary weather.

I'm naturally rather introverted, so throwing myself into a small room full of creative people versed in the art of networking was quite the intimidating notion. I went in with the intention of being friendly, sociable, and I was prepared to network my butt off. Within a few minutes I realized that everyone here knew everyone else, and I had to find some way to fit in. What surprised me the most, however, were the number of people I had never met before who pretended to know who I was. I guess that sort of comes with the territory, doesn't it?

I was fortunate enough to speak briefly with a publicist for the event, the owner of the boutique and several other attendees who operated local businesses or agencies. When I mentioned I was a student journalist, they were more than willing to trade information, and I'm hoping to have some cool project in the works before the month is over.

In an Instant

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I know I'm not the only one in the world who has taken on a good amount of responsibility. I'm incredibly fortunate to be doing what I'm doing, although I don't always remember that as I'm pressing snooze on my alarm which goes off at 5 a.m. three times a week.

When I fulfilled the co-op required by my school, where I worked as a full time intern for six months, I chose to stay in Philadelphia for a myriad of reasons. Some of which made sense at the time, and some of which I thoroughly regret. For some reason, I had always assumed that I wasn't nearly privileged enough to work as an unpaid intern for a "big" name in New York. These past four months have proven me seriously wrong. I've somehow managed to make it through a full course of classes while working a part time job, editing the Style section of the newspaper and serving as the editor-in-chief of a student magazine. I managed to sleep a little bit sometimes, too.

I'm not sure how I did it, I'm really not. Now that I have a month left before I graduate, I took the time to reflect on the fact that I've been doing this for four months. For four months I've spent 12 hours a week on a bus. I've learned to hail a cab with 3 runway looks (including shoes) in a garment bag slung over my shoulders. I've (sort of) learned to navigate NYC's subway system and I can tell the difference between Uptown and the Upper East Side. I've also been in the Conde Nast, New York Times and Hearst building more times than I can count on my fingers, which for me was a pretty big deal. I'd just like to remind myself that I'm really freaking lucky, even though I just feel tired most of the time.