Spring Cleaning
Decluttered apartment and decluttered mind
Posting has been light lately (to put it mildly) due to some real life events and changes. My oldest child graduated from secondary school here in Berlin and is getting ready to head off to university.
My younger child is now entering the ‘high school’ home stretch and also starting to think about what he wants to do with his life.
Interestingly, the kid I once thought would never leave my side has now expressed a wish to move to southern Germany, when he is an adult and can ‘live where he wants.’
Well, then.
Currently, I have been delaying the emotional processing of my rapidly emptying nest by focusing solely on the physical evidence of said phenomenon: a boatload of now-unneeded shoes, clothes, toys and accessories.
My son - on a teenage growth spurt - is going through apparel on what seems like a bi-monthly basis. Shirts and pants that two months ago, definitely don’t now. And, he’s belatedly discovered fashion. So, even the few things that did fit are now deemed unsuitable to be worn in public.
My daughter has recently gone through all of her belongings, with an eye to what won’t make the cut in her new adult life.
My bedroom and hallway now contain bags and boxes of items for sorting and removing from the premises.
Related: Thrifting in Berlin
At least my budding 14-year-old is not a fan of fast fashion and prefers to shop secondhand—just like this vlogger. Maybe I can sell some of his now-too-small stuff to Humana?
Out with the old - and not-so old
Fortunately for me, Berlin is like Mecca for secondhand buying and selling.
On the street
The first, most basic level, is donating unwanted items by putting them out along the street. This is common practice, and I always look in these ‘zu verschenken’ boxes for thing we might want. We got our kettle that way, as well as some nice drink coasters, a set of earthenware bowls, and planters for the balcony.
Periodically, I go through our books and kitchenware to free up space, as well. Wtih most of Berlin’s residents living in apartments - decluttering is kind of a constant, ongoing task of daily living rather than a one-time event.
Altkleidercontainer
But we have a lot of rather nice clothes and shoes that I don’t want to just put on the street or donate in one of the many ‘altkleidercontainer’ (literally, ‘old/used clothing container) that dot the city’s neighborhoods.
These bins are the easiest way to get rid of old, worn-out clothes or shoes. They are even listed on Google Maps, if you want to find your nearest one.
Kleinanzeigen
The next level up is the virtual flea markets of various online platforms—local WhatsApp or Nebenan groups, Facebook Marketplace and perennial German standby—Kleinanzeigen (Classifieds).1
Flea markets
But selling all of this in separate one-off online transactions would take so much time, I am considering going to that extra Berlin mile (er, meter) and renting a table at the Boxi Flohmarkt to just sell it all at once.
That’s going to involve lots more face-to-face public interactions than is normally my style, though. And, thus, my ongoing procrastination.
Clear space, clearer thoughts
After taking such a long break from writing, I also had time to reflect, read other newsletters and websites, and think more about what I want this one to be.
I realized that while the name of this site is Alte Frau, New Life, I don’t really talk that much about my life here. I am going to start writing more personal updates. As a journalist by training, my default setting is to ‘report’ more than reflect.
But I think people read this newsletter for more of a personal perspective and opinion - what the title promises. Future posts are probably (mostly) going to be shorter, faster reads, but with more information. I’m going to save most of the long essay stuff for Medium.
There are a lot of other publications that write about German current events, or offer ‘How To Berlin’ type content, better than I do, anyway. (Though I’m still going to post those kinds of updates when it is something I really care about.)
To that end, I’m also going to bring back posting link roundups to interesting videos, podcasts or posts about Berlin and Germany at the end of each newsletter. There’s so much out there that deserves to be seen.
And with that intro . . . Here’s what I’m into this week.
Read, Watch, Listen
Slow Travel Berlin - Walking Berlin
Slow Travel Berlin’s Editor Paul Sullivan has a goal to walk every street in the city. You can check out where he’s been at the map here and see his photographs and reflections that provide a unique perspective. Like this one:
Sebastian Graus’ Little Feast
Sebastian from Seb’s Crispy Club on Instagram has now launched a newsletter offering recipes for “simple meals that feel a bit more special.”
Little Feast is great for finding new recipes that are healthy and tasty, but not overwhelming. Plus some new cooking techniques to give your food that little extra ‘zhuzh'.’
Check it out:
That’s it from me, this week! Do you have an idea for a story or a question about Berlin? Leave a comment or send a message and let me know.
This site, with its own app, used to be owned by eBay and known as ‘eBay Kleinanzeigen.’ Now, it has been sold off and is just known as Kleinanzeigen. I didn’t even know until writing this article.