GROWING UP IN BERLIN COMPARED TO THE BAVARIAN FOREST
You will always hear some stereotypes about the place where you’ve grown up at. If you’re from a small village, others may see you as boring, because “there is nothing to do, except annoying the local farmer by scaring their cows” to give just one example. People will say that you’re isolated from social life and your mindset is from the last century. On the other hand, people who grew up in a city are often pictured as arrogant. Cities are “stinky, dirty and full of cars” and their inhabitants “mostly socialistic and disconnected from their culture”.
Is there really such a big difference between growing up in the city or on the countryside? Probably the best way of answering this question is by actually trying out, just like I did, by living in Berlin and subsequently moving to the Bavarian Forest.
When looking back at my time in Berlin, I often find myself missing the feeling of freedom that the multicultural surroundings provided. When talking about freedom, I mean the possibility of moving around the city – without a car – no matter what time of day it is. Freedom is also linked to a liberal mindset, which refers to people doing anything they want, as long as others aren’t harmed by them. You won’t feel any judging eyes on you, no matter what you look like or what you happen to be doing. Obviously, there are also negative aspects about growing up in a city like Berlin for example high crime rates.
On the other hand, living in the Bavarian Forest has also some positive aspects to it. Better air quality for example: For the first time in my life, I smelt air pollution coming out of cars, because I was no longer used to it. Additionally, living in a small town is safer compared to a metropole. But for what price? The inability to visit friends if your parents can’t take you, the time you lose whenever you’re going on vacation. Everyone has different preferences about how their environment is supposed to be like and for me, after trying out two completely different places, I prefer living in a city, at least for the next few years of my life.