I had gone to bed at around 3:30am the previous night to catch up on sleep and ended up waking up at 1:30pm on my first full day in Berlin. I needed that ten hours of sleep and felt refreshed in the morning.

After talking about the struggle of carrying around my paper CDC card, someone working at the hostel suggested a place where I could try and get an EU Green Pass. I headed there once I got ready for the day and it was a very quick process. I officially had my QR code and no longer needed to walk around with a piece of paper.

Once I was done at the pharmacy, I headed towards downtown Berlin and visited the Brandenburg Gate. While there, I ran into a small group protesting the Repsol oil spill off the coast of Peru. I observed the group for a bit before continuing on my way to get some sushi.

I walked around the city for a bit after eating, stopping at the Berlin Cathedral. It was getting dark and I hadn’t bought a ticket yet, so I decided I’d come back a different day to go inside.

I noticed that I wasn’t too far from the hostel so I walked back from the city center, stopping at a small natural food cafe called Funk You. After getting a matcha, healthy juice, and banana bread, I went back to the hostel.

I hadn’t gone out to any bars or clubs during my trip yet. I don’t mind visiting places by myself or traveling alone, but one thing that I was a little unsure of was going out.

I first went to the bar at the hostel and used my voucher for a free sample of the beer they brew themselves. The bar closed fairly early though, so after much deliberation, I decided I’d go to a bar across the street that looked popular.

It was absolutely freezing outside and the wind made it feel even colder. I went to the back of the line before quickly getting moved to the front since I was by myself. I made friends right away and we ended up staying out until 4am when the bars closed.

I stopped for some pizza at the 24-hour place nearby and then headed back to the hostel to sleep. Due to my work schedule, I ended up being able to stay awake all night without an issue. One of the good things about my schedule I suppose.

I went to sleep after I got back to the room. So far, I was loving Berlin.