Hello, my name is Marie.

I was born and raised in Berlin, on the western part of the Iron Curtain when Europe was starkly divided into the Warshaw Pact states and the western states.

In my teenage years, I saw how my hometown, lost its wall and how two cities became one. Barcelona and Catalonia then became my home of choice.

For many years, my life moved between the cities of Berlin, Barcelona and Thessaloniki (for family reasons) –  and at the same time between rural Europe and city life, as I had decided to live in a country house at the foot of the Pyrenees, where my two children were born. My professional life brought me back to Berlin in 2016, and since then, I have been working in the field of international relations.

My perspective on parts of Europe is, therefore, from an insider, but at the same time, from an outsider as well, as I´ve learned to see the country where I was born with the eyes of a foreigner. And the countries I’ve decided to live in as an insider.
I speak five European languages and hold a Master´s in Global Diplomacy from SOAS/ University of London.

Let´s see where the journey of this blog leads us. Enjoy the ride!

Best, Marie