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Mark Hobbs's avatar

Thank you for this essay. I've had a long relationship with Berlin, getting on for two decades now. When I first travelled to Berlin in 2005 I was recovering from illness and in the middle of a personal crisis, and these two factors profoundly affected how I experienced the city, to the extent that I ended up doing my PhD there. These days I have a long distance relationship with Berlin, getting there physically maybe once every 4 or 5 years, but visiting in my writing and imagination most weeks. How we are feeling, physically, mentally, can have a huge impact on our receptiveness in experiencing new places.

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Dylan's avatar

As much as I love (and prefer) Europe, there is something pretty spectacular about the variety of options here in the States: many large cities with a lot to offer, sprawling countryside with gorgeous views, stunning mountains, roaring rivers.

There is isolation, there are busy streets - and everything in between.

Certainly worth experiencing for a couple of years!

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