Berlin

5 years ago, I started my first mileage run adventure. It was a trip to Germany with a few of my best friends. We started off spending a night in the Sea-Tac Airport, flying out to Chicago at 6am, hopping over to London Heathrow, and then landing in Frankfurt. After a couple of days, we took a train to the country's capital city - Berlin.

Berlin Hauptbahnhof

Berlin is quite an overwhelming city. From the Reichstag to the Brandenburger Tor, to the infamous Berlin Wall and buildings on the streets with gunshots from World War II, the city is marked with scars from her excruciating past. As I listened to our tour guide during the walking tour, I can almost see the Russians marching down the streets during Hitler's final day. I can hear the rifles and guns firing, the wounded screaming for help and dying. I cannot even begin to imagine all the heartbreak as loved ones were taken away, or the fear of people as they struggle to hold onto dear life...

Berlin Wall

... But there was more to the city. There was hope. I remembered a metropolis - one that is modern and vibrant and lively. People who live in the city are upbeat and friendly (just be aware of strangers with fake potato-sack babies). Old buildings were being refurbished to pre-WW2 state to reminisce a glorious past. It was a city just as big and as colourful as any other major city in the world. It boggles my mind how incredible that really is - a city beaten and divided until 20 years ago, this city has recovered and is living better than before.

Reichstag

Maybe this is a reflection of how life should be lived. No matter how your past might have been, you need to look forward and keep moving. You let your scars remind you of the past, but not to hold you back from pursuing your dreams and living life to the fullest, and certainly not to be haunted by it.

Brandenburger Tor

I love Berlin.

Wonderful pictures by Daniel Cheung. Visit him at www.danielduck.com!