American Freunds!

Once upon a time at one of my college friend's weddings last summer, I met a girl who seemed to be BFFs with all of my friends. Um, why was I not alerted to the fact that since I've been in NYC you've all gone ahead and made other friends without me.


Fast forward to last week when my pal Mere sent out an introductory email to the two of us (with various mutual friends cc'd for good measure). No joke, 70 emails later (easiest way to communicate since she has a US phone), that "Berlin love" subject line has been brought me into the special group known as "Amber's friends."

She was in town for a law school program that not only introduced her to a bunch of cool kids from around the world, it also organized and suggested various "evening activities." Yes please. (This is what I need to do every week. Latch onto a group that will show me different places to go out in the city and provide me with the requisite group of people to do it with.)

We met up on Wednesday after I got horribly lost. (Being the most stubborn person ever, I refused to ask for directions, per usual. I also refuse to do things like own real maps. Gah. What is wrong with me?)

Watching other people shiver getting out of the water
was plenty fun for us. 

The luckily not-rainy evening led us to Arena, a "beach bar" on the Spree that included a pool housed in the river. I didn't bring a bathing suit because it wasn't warm and no really needs to see me in one at this point of my "Oh sorry I live in a foreign country so I just gave up on working out" non-gym regiment.

I had a great time hanging out with Amber as I did meeting all of her friends. It made me a little sad that they couldn't be permanent, but luckily I saw them twice more before they packed their bags and left.

Friday night I met them out at Week End Club. I got carded. On the heels of my 26 birthday, it made me feel pretty good that some moron thought I might not be 18. Victory! Take that facialist who lectured me on sun damage!

Once inside, I took advantage of having a few wingmen with me to try and meet myself a nice German boyfriend. How'd that turn out? Eh.

One guy I thought was cute either didn't speak German (when one of the German guys in the program tried to talk to him for me) or flat out rejected me. Let's go with the former for the sake of my self-esteem. Then there was the sloppy guy who just tried to go straight in for the makeout. No. Followed by a guy who said "I think we've met before?" "Where are you from?" "Spain." No. (Had he been a hot Spaniard perhaps I could have feigned belief in this line. Not the case.)

Some of the gang. Please come back

And then finally I did meet a guy who was from Berlin and beyond excited I was from Texas. "That is so cool" was said about 1,000 times in the first five minutes of talking. Then he proceeded to give me his 1) home phone number 2) cell phone number 3) email address and 4) full name in order for me to get in contact with him. That amount of info can take MONTHS to garner in NYC dating. He was perfectly nice, but boy we all know how I feel about stage five foreigner clingers. (I guess I am technically the foreigner in this case? whatever.)

I have yet to decide if I'm going to take him on his offer to hang out. Although now that my wingman is on her way to France, maybe I should be less picky?

Anyway, so glad Amber and I are now BFF! Take that, Austin friends.

(PS You can read all about her trip on her proper travelog Amber Gets Around.)

PPS Speaking of Texas, this is one of the bouncers at the club. I thought it was hilarious he was wearing a Cowboys shirt. Go Deion! (My favorite former Cowboy who was just inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. Try and keep up.)