Arriving at Berlin, our second-to-last stop on the Europe trip felt extremely bittersweet.

It was starting to hit me that this epic month was almost over. But ‘almost over’ and ‘over’ mean two very different things, and the last two stops still had a lot of adventure in store.

Before we even got to our hostel, our wonderful trip manager and bus driver duo gave us a tour of the city – driving around and pointing out highlights.

As we approached the hostel, we drove past the length of the East Side Gallery, which was awesome. The East Side Gallery is a long stretch of the Berlin wall that is still standing but has been turned into a street art project. So cool.

After we’d dropped our bags at the hostel, a couple of friends and I went for a walk down the East Side Gallery to get a better look at some of the panels. It was so cool to see all of the colourful pieces. By the time we grabbed a hot chocolate and got back to the hostel, I was exhausted and passed out almost immediately after dinner.

*My favourite stretch of the East Side Gallery*

Calling it an early night was probably a good idea, because we had a walking tour of Berlin the next morning – and the tour would be three hours long. I’m so glad it was, because the time flew by with our amazing guide, and we saw and learned so much.

Our Scottish guide, Sam, had come to Berlin to study history and taught us all about the many layers of this city’s specific history – from World War II, to the fall of the Berlin Wall, to the now very bohemian vibes of the city. I’m not typically a person who is interested in history, but I was hanging on his every word. So interesting.

We saw the Brandenburg Gate, and then Sam took us to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe which was the most moving thing I’ve seen on this trip. I can’t even really explain my experience at this memorial, but I’ll try – it looks like a sea of uneven blocks about a foot off the ground, then you start to walk through them, and next thing you know, the blocks are overtaking you. They’re everywhere and you can’t see a way out.

It’s overwhelming. And I’d go back to Berlin with my partner just so he could have this experience too.

At the end of the walking tour, my friends asked our tour guide for a lunch recommendation and ended up at a cozy restaurant eating currywurst and drinking beer.

And if that wasn’t the most German thing I’d eat on this trip.

When we were all satisfied and ready to continue walking, the group of us headed towards the Berlin Cathedral – probably the landmark where I got the most for my admission money.

We were able to see the cathedral itself, then climb to the top of the dome for a gorgeous view of the city, and then finished off the visit seeing the tombs in the basement.

It was barely mid-afternoon, but it had been a long morning of walking, so we got on a train back to the hostel for a nap.

That night, our Contiki group was ready for a night on the town. The hostel bar was poppin’, and then everyone was going to go dancing at the club across the street. I got all showered and ready to go out, but all of a sudden I was hit with a sadness that I couldn’t shake.

Maybe it was anxiety. I wanted to go have a good time with my friends, but I just had hit a mental wall. So instead of clubbing in Berlin, I called up my boyfriend for a bit and then got a good night’s sleep.

Rather than be upset about what I was missing, I just focused on the fact that our last stop on the trip was Amsterdam, and I was for sure not going to miss out on that party.