Ohio suburban towns are very predictable. The population of these places is relatively small, people come from similar backgrounds, and the inhabitants tend to know each other really well. These quiet, peaceful (albeit boring) environments are where my friends and I grew up. However, after seeing Berlin, it is easy to spot distinct differences and similarities between the two places.
First, the amount of diversity found in Berlin versus back home demonstrates a huge dissimilarity. In my hometown, there were around fifteen minority students in my graduating class. In contrast, Berlin is an amazingly varied city when it comes to its population. When I walk down the street, I never know what languages I might be able to hear. The amount of unique cuisines being offered at all of the different restaurants is also astounding. Back home, it was a huge deal when the Giant Eagle nearby began offering premade sushi. Here, you can see a German, Turkish, Thai, and an Indian restaurant all within the same block. I love being around such a unique array of cultures and it’s something that I definitely wish I had more of in my hometown.
Another massive difference between Berlin and suburban Ohio is people’s general demeanor toward strangers. In Ohio, people are typically over the top friendly. Politeness is something that is ingrained in most Midwest kids from a young age, and it can be clearly seen in their everyday interactions. In Berlin, people have a much more rough exterior. They are very independent and they definitely keep to themselves more than people in Ohio do. Small things such as chatting with a cashier at the grocery store seem completely outlandish here. Privacy seems to be extremely important to Berliners, and they are definitely more wary of newcomers than those in the suburbs of Ohio.
Despite their differences, Berlin and Ohio still have some pretty wonderful similarities. One of the first things I noticed is how the kids in Berlin seem just like any of the other kids from back home. At one point, I saw some kids running down the street by our hotel, and they were acting exactly like my friends and I acted when we were that little. The boys were sprinting ahead and trying to get as far away from their teacher as humanly possible with the girls running right up there with them. When they finally stopped, they immediately started to tease each other. Clearly, at that age, we all have generally the same ideals of simply having fun with your friends. I loved seeing how the differences in culture did not affect their outlooks on life yet. Additionally, another similarity between the two places I noticed is that both my suburb and Berlin are segmented into smaller areas. In my hometown, there was one place that all of my friends always hung out in, along with most of the other younger people. We thought the area was really cool because it had the movie theater, a grungy coffee shop, and a pretty lake nearby that we could go swimming in. Similarly, Berlin also has specific areas where you are more likely to find unique things. At one point during our stay, I felt like I hadn’t seen anyone my age other than the students on the trip. Then, I ventured to Kreuzberg. Like the place in my hometown, Kreuzberg is where I was able to find the more interesting stuff and meet other people in their 20’s. I thought it was extremely interesting how both suburban Ohio and Berlin have their own districts where each subset of the population could find their niche.
Berlin and my hometown are two incredibly different places with stark contrasts existing between them. However, there are still ties between the two that show that no matter where you go, you can still find similarities. Even with two unique, vastly different cultures, people still go about their daily lives in comparable ways. Personally, I think this a very reassuring thought and analyzing the two areas has given me the opportunity to realize just how interconnected everyone is despite their differences.