Final Update from Berlin

By Lucas Gonzalez, Florida State University

Hey y’all, it’s Lucas again with what will likely be my final update from Berlin. I’m in my last week here, and I’ve spent these final weeks diving into the city’s history. Berlin does something I found foreign coming from the US, it memorializes the past with a lot of intention. Sometimes in America, our history doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Here in Berlin, every corner seems to hold onto the stories that built this city. It made sense to spend my remaining time on free tours and events, learning about a place that has welcomed immigrants for hundreds of years.

One Venezuelan told me something that stuck and made me want to focus more on the city’s history. They said that Berlin has this special way of reminding immigrants that they’re part of this city’s history as well. While many strong ethnic communities have carved out spaces in this city, Venezuelans don’t yet have that defined place. They’re still writing their story here.

Famous Venezuelan food truck in Treptower Park, Berlin

I’m also trying to wrap up my interviews. I’m not fully satisfied with how many I’ve completed. My conversations with the immigrant community have been invaluable, but I keep feeling like there’s more to capture. I’m reaching out to contacts this week hoping to squeeze in a few more before I leave.

To be completely honest, my favorite part of this entire journey has been the interviews themselves. Just talking to someone, without anything else cluttering my mind. I used to overthink like crazy before each interview, but I leave each conversation feeling so motivated. I always end my interviews by asking what advice participants would give to future generations of Venezuelans moving to Berlin. I think that’s where this research matters most. Other Venezuelans knowing that people have made it here and are celebrating their culture can give them hope when they’re thinking about making that move.

New Installation near Unter Der Linden exploring the colonial history of Germany. It was added recently in efforts to begin to address colonial history in Berlin.

I was recently told a story by a young Venezuelan woman about her father, who came to Berlin five years ago in his mid-60s. He was a civil engineer back home, but here he’d have to do all these language courses just to work in his field again. People here doubted him. One person straight up told him he might be better off working at a supermarket. But instead of giving up, he spent months grinding through German classes and eventually got back to working as an engineer. Stories like this will stick with me for the rest of my life.

I’ve learned so much about myself through this process, especially when it comes to work anxiety. I’m someone who constantly feels like I’m not reaching what I’m capable of. In the beginning, I struggled with creating structure and getting things done. Everything felt massive, and I kept trying to capture every moment and squeeze meaning from every encounter. I remember freezing at a Venezuelan food truck weeks ago, feeling ashamed that I wasn’t turning that moment into research. The pressure I put on myself to make everything productive actually created anxiety that limited my ability to explore naturally.

A recent conversation with my mentor helped me realize I was falling into what he called the “exhaustive trap.” I believed I needed to learn literally everything about my topic. He shared advice his own mentor had given him decades ago. Good research isn’t about being exhaustive, but about clearly defining your own playing field. Instead of trying to be everywhere and capture everything, I learned to be more focused while still leaving room for the unexpected.

This research experience has taught me that anxiety often comes from unclear boundaries rather than lack of ability. Moving forward at FSU, I’m excited to apply this lesson to my academic work. I want to set clearer limits while staying open to surprising connections. I’m also eager to share what I’ve learned about the Venezuelan community in Berlin, knowing that these stories of resilience can offer hope to future generations facing similar challenges.

I’m grateful for this opportunity that focused on my growth rather than just producing a final product. It’s given me a much clearer picture of how I want to live and what I need to work on. More than anything, it’s taught me about my relationship with work and myself.

Back at FSU, our program had monthly meetings throughout the summer. It was the first time I got to hear from and see all these people who work at the school to support us, and it’s made me feel more comfortable and eager to start using these resources this semester. Resources that might have intimidated me originally now feel approachable. My roommates and I are planning to visit the career center at least once every two weeks.

Thanks for following along on this journey. It’s been real, y’all.