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Chasing Happiness
Finding joy while living abroad in Berlin
The Challenged writing prompt for August 1: Deanna Bugalski 💋 asks us to post a picture of yourself at your happiest, and tell us about it.
Happiness is a tricky thing.
It’s like a butterfly, fluttering just out of reach. But sometimes, it lands right on your shoulder.
For me, one of those moments was the decision to spend three months in Berlin. The idea of trading our familiar life in Canada for a city I’d visited thirty-five years prior felt like a reckless, exhilarating leap.
It was my dream to once again live in Europe, and the countdown to our departure was a mix of pure joy and nervous excitement. My husband, with his easygoing nature, was as eager as I was, and even our older Viszla dog, with his gentle eyes, seemed to sense the adventure ahead.
Jet lag didn’t stand a chance against the thrill of arriving in Frankfurt. After grabbing our rental car, we hit the Autobahn for our almost five-hour journey to Berlin.
Finally, we stood in front of our rented apartment. The moment we got the keys and crossed the threshold it stopped being a dream and became real. Unpacking wasn’t just about settling in; it was building a new chapter.
Our Viszla wandered through the rooms, his tail thumping a steady rhythm of contentment. In that moment, I realized this wasn’t a holiday. With my husband by my side and our dog at our feet, we’d created a home, no matter the city.
People often ask me what it is about Europe that makes me so happy. It’s a question I struggle to answer.
It’s more than just the old buildings or the delicious food. It’s a feeling, a kind of charm that seeps into your heart. Europe is like an old, well-loved book, filled with rich characters, dramatic plots, and secrets waiting to be discovered. Every city is a new chapter, with its own language, its own pace, its own way of seeing the world.
Back home, our friends and family kept tabs on our adventure through regular Zoom calls. Every face on the screen lit up with genuine joy for us, but it was their comments that truly struck a chord. People hadn’t seen me this happy in a lifetime.
At first, I dismissed it as an exaggeration. But as six months have passed since being home, I realized they were right.
I miss Berlin terribly.
But more than that, I miss the version of myself I discovered there, a woman radiating happiness I struggle to recapture.
Happiness is tricky. It flies away just when you think you’ve caught it. But sometimes, it lands right on you.
My time in Berlin was like that. A perfect moment.
I’m still waiting for that feeling to come back. Until then, I’ll keep dreaming and looking, hoping that someday, that butterfly will find me again.
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