Monday to Thursdays in Berlin, Fridays to Sundays in Brandenburg. Only 70km separates Neukölln from Fröhden, yet they are worlds apart.
I work my tech job during the week then put my gumboots on and play a farmer over the weekend. I see the difference in the way I dress – black and fitted in Berlin, baggy and ‘dirty’ in Fröhden. I remember the first few times I wore tracksuit pants or paint stained clothing to do shopping in Brandenburg – I felt so ashamed. Now it feels almost natural. Socialising in Berlin revolves around (normally too much) alcohol, whereas in Fröhden, we speak with our neighbours, Brandenburgers that are middle aged or older. Time spent with friends is more meaningful as we are in a closer proximity for a longer amount of time, often working on shared goals, whether it be painting or planting.
Mondays in the office are always so difficult, my mind is always thinking about what could be done at the house, how I would rather be doing physical work rather than sitting behind a laptop all day. Splitting our weeks like this often feels like we are just rushing through the work days and waiting to get back to Fröhden. Sunday afternoons we are always scrambling to get things done before dashing back to the city. It sometimes feels like we don’t have enough breathing room. Even though we can relax in Brandenburg, there is always something that could be done. We don’t have those days in Berlin to enjoy the city, laze around or clean the apartment.
Tomorrow we will get internet at Fröhden, which means our two lives will begin to mix. We will begin to work remotely from the house every now and then. Hopefully more internet/screen time in Fröhden means less of that in Berlin.
