Looking East

Bryan Roemelt is an American from Saratoga Upstate New York. He graduated from American University in Washington DC in May, where he majored in International Relations and German Studies. Since then, Bryan has moved to Berlin on a 6-month visa while searching for a job. A well traveled man and photographer, Bryan has spent a lot of time in Europe. I sat down with him to chat about his life.

So why did you move to Berlin?

The main reason of why I moved to Germany is that I want to study cognitive science for a master’s degree in the future.  I want to gain some job experience for one or two years in-between now and then to take a break after undergrad.

And then the plan would be for you to go to University in Germany?

Yes.

Which we both know would be cheaper than getting your masters in the United States.

(Laughter) Yes. That’s maybe the top reason. But also, the programs offered at the universities of Berlin, Osnabrueck, and Vienna really stand out unlike anything in the United States.

So how do you like Berlin? What’s it like to live there?

Definitely unlike anywhere I have ever lived. I have passed through the city as a tourist, maybe twice before, but never lived there before until now. , “Berlin ist kein Deutscher Stadt, es ist ein Internationalle Stadt”. Berlin is not a German city it’s an international city. I heard that before I arrived and it’s true. You see people from all walks of life. Like it’s hard to really decide on a Berlin accent because what does that even mean? Everyone is from all over and most people in Berlin aren’t there permanently.

Why do you think that?

I guess it’s just the feeling I get. Maybe its just, like, the group that I hang out with. It’s like an ecosystem of everybody kindof living in their own world and it somehow all ends up working together. I’m being a bit romantic about it but.

Well it’s what you think of. You mentioned your friend group, are they Germans?

Well no I haven’t made any German friends in Berlin yet. My friend group is mostly Australians, Kiwis, Brits and a couple of Americans. We all speak English to each other despite us wanting to improve our German.

Lets talk about your travels. You’ve visited a lot of places.

Mostly western and central Europe. I studied in Munich a couple years back and I took the opportunity to travel east often. Prague I think is my favorite city that I have ever been to if I had to pick one. But I have been to a lot of cities. Some notable ones are Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest. The cities have a more rustic, old world, feel to me that isn’t really found as much in Western Europe.

I’ll have to check some of those places out myself instead of going out to the big name touristy places.

Yeah, I’m kindof over the famous touristy cities now.

And you travel alone mostly correct?

That’s right. I do a lot of solo travel. That’s what I’m used to. Just buying a ticket and going somewhere with only a backpack. I like going on walks when I travel, I mean I still visit museums and touristy sites. But my favorite thing is to walk the city and stop at a cafe somewhere or a place with some local food. That’s just how I like to travel.

And you’re a photographer.  

Yeah, photography is my most consistent hobby in life. When I go walk through the city I’ll find interesting things and take photos of what I see.  I really enjoy urban photography and am a big fan of architecture. I always say it was my first time going to Germany that steered me towards what I studied. History and then later international relations which I saw as the applied form of learning history. But I always say that my alternate path in life would have been architecture.

Thank you for sitting down with me Bryan. You’re an interesting guy.

My pleasure. Anytime.