Illustration by Lena Herrmann

 

On the UK (#HappyBirthdayYourMajesty)

Vodka-filled blood bags taped to suit jackets, women in less-is-naked dresses and hats. Countless feathery hats. That’s Twitter today. That’s the English celebrating their Queen’s birthday.

Being German and with that inherently hesitant to take pride in my country, I have always envied the sense of community and tradition the UK conveys. As a child, I ached to wear a uniform. I even collected signatures for their intro-

duction at school. I wanted to be part – not just of a family and a group of friends. I wanted to be belong to something bigger, something like a kingdom, 

a queen.

Although today’s Twitter pictures don’t resemble the clichés I dreamily viewed in my school books, I still get it. I still want to join in. Hand me the scissors. I’m shortening my favourite dress now.

Illustration by Lena Kulla

On Traveling (#TravelTuesday)

Each one of us connects the word “traveling” to a different memory, a different feeling. For me, it’s working at camp. It’s muddy-green Pennsylvania. It’s driving in that blue, rusty van. No air conditioning. No particular destination. Just the mal, sweaty legs sticking to the seat and warmth.

That summer, that bubble floating in-between two lives, is somehow blurring my other travels. It’s what pops up and stays until it stops to cover as it bursts.