From Berlin

Hi Friends!

Apologies again for missing my day. As long as I'm in Europe, or at least as long as I'm bumming around outside of Paris, we should probably assume that I will post as regularly as I can, but not necessarily on Fridays.

Monty and I are still on a roll, having a great time wherever we end up. We're getting along despite constant 24-hours a day, 7-days a week contact. In fact, Monty has turned out to be a great travel buddy -- he's good at making me laugh even when things go awry.

So we decided to 'hop' into Germany and somehow made it all the way out to Berlin. But I'm really glad we did because Berlin is amazing! It's been the best time. The city has the most fascinating 20th century history, great modern and restored architecture, and fabulous museums and nightlife. (Damn, I sound like I'm writing for a travel guide, but seriously, I love it.)

Nerd that I am, I've been most excited by the history. I feel like I'm learning history lessons just by standing in this city. The Berlin Wall -- that stuff is crazy. And Rachel, we spent about five hours in the Jewish History Museum, and I was thinking of you the whole way through. Literally, from the Middle Ages exhibit right through to Zionism I was asking out loud, 'And what would Rachel think of THIS?'

Maybe the best part is that we're sharing an apartment with a great couple from Wisconsin. The past few days have felt a bit like a Berlin four-person version of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset (if you haven't seen these movies, you should probably stop reading this and go watch them now). We all hit it off, and the four of us have been walking around the city, not always with a definite destination in mind, wandering into cafes and bars, and having great conversations. They are good both for a laugh and for intellectual stimulation, and they remind me of you guys.

I have to go apply for a job (yuck), but I wanted to let you guys know that all is well. I have so much more I could write but always feel overwhelmed when it comes time to post.

Oh, and I guess I should chart where we've been and where we're going (maybe should have done this first?): We jumped from Paris to St Emilion and Sarlat (little wine towns in central South France); then to Nice; then up to Geneva, Bern and Luzern, Switzerland; and here to Berlin. After this I think we will likely head across Germany to Hamburg, and then into the Netherlands for Amsterdam, and down to Brussels and/or Antwerp in Belgium, and back to Paris.

Loooove and tchuss (my one of three German words, which really doesn't even sound right as used like this, which I'm sure Hannah and Julian will tell you).

OH! and Megan: I really gave myself the worst bangs-trim ever. I needed you or Selena or Rose or my grandma or someone else so badly. Way too short and fairly crooked. I tried to tell myself that I looked like Audrey Hepburn, but really it was quite bad. I think it's grown a bit now, but I was definitely lamenting your absence for a few days there.