I first met Abby at a coffeeshop during an iPhone trade-off, which I borrowed for my trip to the states earlier this year. Our interaction was brief, and I only saw her once after, when I returned it. Suffice to say, we aren’t friends in the true sense of the word, but once I met her I was struck by her energy and her sweet spirit.
Anyway, in a little more than a week, she is moving from Berlin back to the states in an effort to spend time with her grandparents and connect with them on a deeper level, as well as getting to know her past. I can imagine that leaving Berlin would be hard, but what a reason for leaving!
To give her a proper sendoff, Natalie organized a surprise going-away party. I am honored to have been invited, in spite of not knowing anyone else there, but I am always trying to push myself out of my comfort zone anyway, so a party with a dozen strangers is a good idea, no?
It was supposed to be in the park, but because of the weather situation, it got moved last-minute to Natalie’s flat. She is actually subletting from a Swedish guy of Russian ancestry, so the apartment itself is something, filled with things like Russian posters, German vocabulary, and Swedish dictionaries – along with a giant wall of books by the window. This made for an interesting backdrop for the party, an afternoon brunch filled with mimosas and party hats, strawberries and vinyl, bacon and mason jars.
