Freiburg’s intricacy unfolded slowly, a stark contrast to the initial warmth of Tante’s apartment. Stepping outside, the winter chill hit me hard, a world away from my tropical motherland. Here, amidst the familiar taste of Indonesian cuisine and the comforting sounds of my native tongue, a pang of longing tugged at me.
Sure, I yearned for the sun-drenched streets of my homeland. Yet, this yearning only intensified my curiosity about Freiburg, this city veiled in a wintry wind. Luckily, my exploration began just steps away. Tante’s apartment was a mere two minutes by foot from a tram stop, which I usually call Geschwister-Scholl Platz, making the trams my most practical way to explore the city.
As a woman, the tram offers me a safe feeling while exploring Freiburg. Sunny or gloomy, warm or freezing, it doesn’t matter as long as the tram works just fine. With a slow pace, Freiburg revealed itself through the immense windows of the trams. The cobbled streets, meticulously rebuilt after the scars of war, held a quiet defiance. Each rattle and clack on the tracks echoed a tale of resilience, a testament that spoke deeply to the occupant. Yet, this defiance wasn’t cold. It was intertwined with a gentleness evident in the lovingly restored half-timbered houses that peeked through the windows, offering a temporary refuge from the icy air.
While the trams weren’t exactly budget-friendly, they were the most efficient way to get around during the harsh winter. Since my apartment is not in the city center, the tram is my go-to vehicle to find a cozy place to do my work. With line 5 to Europa Platz, I hop onto it to find cafes and breweries; these are the best nooks to write and read when Bibliothek is too mundane from the routines. Though I initially imagined that hanging out in some park in Europe would be breathtaking, it is almost impossible to do around December and the new year. Sure, cafes offered steaming cups of coffee or frothy mugs of beer at costly prices, but the occasional indulgence held a different lure.
The city surprised me further. Beyond the initial culture shock, the tram ride takes me to encounter a community of Indonesians. But the trams offered more than just connections; they offered a unique perspective. Beneath the tram’s steady hum, I found the progressive spirit of the city evident in the colorful left-wing scene painted on the walls, echoing the message I would seen in a few protests. Another priceless experience is people watching from inside the tram. However, I have to check the stops every once in a while and stop my imagination before I am startled and stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Leaving Freiburg, I carried a piece of that winter experience within me, a reminder that bliss can be found even amidst the cold. It wasn’t the majesty of Europe that everyone imagined; it was about appreciating the universality of human experience, the resilience that binds us all, and the way cultures, like stitched fabrics in a patchwork, can create warmth even in the coldest of seasons. And within that patchwork, a newfound appreciation for my vibrant Indonesian heritage shone brightly. The journey wouldn’t have been the same without the tram that carried me through Freiburg, revealing its complexities and hidden gems.
By Aqilah Rahmawati