For The First Time In Years I Had To Take A Dramamine

Melissa Smith
Aug 28, 2017 · 3 min read

July 27 — I was literally sweating while finishing up the packing today. I’m nervous for anything and everything right now.

The bag weight limit is stressing me out too. I’ve added more clothes this month which means I need to start shedding some. I mistakenly left a few things in Morocco. That was sad because I really liked the items and never even wore them while I was there. I’ve been missing my dressy tank, sports bra, and workout shirt since Barcelona.

Now I’m ready to get rid of clothes. My black, 3/4 quarter length sleeve v-neck sweater has come in handy a lot on this trip. It’s peeling now and had fuzzies all over. Supposedly the bad weather is behind us. I have two jackets and a wrap. If it gets cold again I’m prepared. One of my skirts is also peeling. To the trash it goes. It’s cute but not lined and it rides up when I walk. Not terribly sad to chuck it. I bought a gray t-shirt for the trip before I left and didn’t realize how much I hated wearing it. Happy to see it go. Not necessarily a huge purge but it felt good.

I keep pacing the apartment. Getting ready to catch the van to the airport is really freaking me out. I know the faces who won’t be there and I’m sad about it. Unfortunately, I’m also very anxious. For the first time in years I took a Dramamine to calm my nerves. It helped, thank goodness. Now all I had to do for my final part was not cry.

Berlin was unseasonably cold and rainy this past month. Bogota is always cold and rainy and yet I wasn’t bothered by it there. I’m not sad I came to Berlin or the time I spent here with my family. I learned a lot about the future of technology and past history. I’ve seen beautiful places and things. The experiences I had here, especially with my family, I will keep for a lifetime. However, I found Berlin to be metaphorically cold and robotic. Soulless even.

Once I was talking to a local and told him my thoughts and he completely agreed. There are plenty of Roamers who disagree and absolutely love this place. If not for the Shengen rules they would be staying for sure. Many want to come back and live. I have no plans to ever return. Not to say I wouldn’t, but I can’t imagine what would bring me back.

As I do, if I compared Berlin to a man I dated he would be the guy who is great on paper, but who is cold and robotic. Someone who doesn’t have a warm touch or know how to give a hug. The order of my favorite living and working cities and countries on this trip are:

  1. Barcelona, Spain
  2. Buenos Aires, Argentina
  3. Bogota, Colombia
  4. Berlin, Germany
  5. Prague, Czech Republic
  6. Rabat, Morocco
  7. Florianopolis, Brazil

My end of day gratitude:

  1. Making bag weight.
  2. Having Dramamine to get rid of the anxiety.
  3. An easy flight.

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My Year As A “Roamer”

The daily life of a human while working and living in 12 countries in 12 months in 2017.

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Melissa Smith

Written by

World traveler. Virtual Assistant Matchmaker. Remote Work Consultant. Entrepreneur. Bestselling Author. Mother. Sister. Daughter. Human. Everybody is somebody.

My Year As A “Roamer”

The daily life of a human while working and living in 12 countries in 12 months in 2017.

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