Can someone pinch me please?
While the preceding months were characterized more by isolated stand-out moments, August was a non-stop fireworks of emotion, moments and memories. I knew from my jam-packed agenda that August was going to be an intense month, but as I write these lines I am still struggling to comprehend how much life can fit in so little time. It really is crazy: you live through these stretches where nothing much seems to happen at all, and then it all comes at once. Life is a mad experience, sometimes.
The next stop after Copenhagen was a major contrast:
Budapest.
I attended the Sziget festival there in 2015, and knew ever since that I wanted to return. I remembered Budapest as one of the pretties cities in all of Europe, and it didn’t let me down this time either. I spent a couple of wonderful days there together with my favorite person, we had a blast at the festival, we explored the city together and found lots of new lovely corners. Incredibly how many faces this city has, and how much fun there is to be had here during Sziget. There’s just a general atmosphere of fun and games, underscored by the vibes of the music.
Sziget is one of my favorite festivals, and it was great to experience it together with my boyfriend, as a couple. Heading back to Berlin was also a memorable experience, as we took the nigh train. It felt like an adventure – one that I hope to repeat.
And I’ll also have to repeat another trip in this lifetime. Madeira, where I was next, is just way to beautiful to not return to. Madeira is a relatively small island in the Atlantic, and belongs to Portugal. I had it on my radar for quite some time, but I didn’t expect HOW MUCH I would love it there. I kind of felt like staying, to be honest. It’s paradise, as you may have seen in my pictures. I’ll write a dedicated post about my trip there soon.
But let’s take it from the top.
Fashion Week Copenhagen.
So that happened.
Of course I was there, loyal readers of this blog will know that I am a huge fan of fashion from the Danish capital. I was surprised and happy to see how much has changed since my first attendance of Fashion Week there: the Copenhagen event has become enormously popular and well established on the international circuit. It was a particularly awesome experience for me this time around, since my friends and me stayed at the most insane apartment of all time. It was stylish to a point that I now feel compelled to overhaul my own flat. That’s one of my projects for rigt now: I’ll throw a bunch of stuff out, and re-evaluate some items. Let’s see if I still like it all as much as when I got it. I find Copenhagen to be more inspiring than any other city, be it in terms of fashion or interior design. Danish design is famous for its precisions, its perfect mix of minimalism, timelessness and love for detail. Ideal for someone like me, who suffers from a mild case of trend fatigue these days.
So, yeah, I was traveling a lot. As so often in times of high activity and mobility, I ended up quite exhausted, and the consequences caught up with me on the journey from Budapest to Madeira. I got a little ill. When the fever hit, and the nose didn’t stop running, I succumbed to the reality of having to stay on my sofa for a few days, which didn’t exactly help my mood. It’s the way it goes – body will claim its due at the first opportunity. Must be why I’m so tired right now as well. It was such a full month.
Dared:
Amidst the sheer joy of being on the road, there was one particular highlight that stands out among all others: I parachuted. I still can’t quite believe it, but I jumped out of a plane, 4000 (!) meters above the earth. It was the most insane feeling. I went in pretty relaxed, I must say, but once we boarded the plane in full attire I started feeling pretty weird about my life choices. I remember asking after a while of ascending how high we were, and the answer was: 300 meters. Jesus. That’s when it slowly started to sink in how high 4000 meters actually are. I mean, that’s outer space territory. Felt like it at least. How the hell did I end up in the hot seat waiting to jump out of a plane? My mild anxiety turned into naked fear. And then the big moment came. The leap itself wasn’t much of a conscious decision, I was more or less pushed out…and then I feel. And fell. And fell. I was in free fall for almost a full minute, before the parachute opened. Do you know how long a minute can be? I never felt so free before in my life, and I never feared for that life as much, either. A weird emotional mix, but one that I – strangely – want to experience again. Next time, though, I’ll do it somewhere with a view on a mountain range or the ocean, instead of the fields of Brandenburg.
What an experience. And what a feeling to cross this lifelong dream off my bucket list.
Heard:
The Hungry and the Fat by Timur Vermes.
I was actually on the lookout for something light, and was looking forward to a satire. It’s been a while since I’d read a novel, you see. And I really enjoyed Vermes’ book “He’s Back”. Well, in case you’re still wondering, let me break it to you: the new novel by the bestselling author is anything but light. Quite on the contrary. Packaged as satire, the plot thickens into an uncomfortably realistic drama, well thought out and very vicious. The author had me thinking what a genious idea the undertaking he describes actually is. Sure, it’s satire, and over-the-top in many ways, but it hits so close to home, totally unlike its predecessor in that respect. The book deals with politics, the media landscape and offers a lot of food for though. It still reverberates, long after I finished it.
Watched:
Free Solo
This is a documentary in which a camera team follows free climber Alex Honnold on his most extreme free solo climb, which means a climb without any equipment like ropes, etc. Honnold climbs up the roughly 1000 m high granite cliff El Capitan in under 4 hours. The film is intense, extreme, and even though you know that he’s ultimately going to make it, the true dimension of his achievement only unfolds as you see it play out in front of you. Gaining insight into the athletes mindset was particularly revealing, and offered fascinating perspectives on why anyone would risk everything to achieve something so seemingly random. In other words, you can’t help but wonder: Is he suicidal? Maybe a little, but much less so than I initially suspected. The film really moved me, even though I have no particular interest in climbing at all.
