People sitting on the concrete ledge. People drinking in the river. People enjoying life.

It was hot on the first day of the trip. Ninety degrees. So people were swimming in the river. Nothing too extreme or unusual. What I found shocking was that some of them had beers and cups of coffee in their hands in the middle of the river. And the only way to get to the river was to hop over a fence or a concrete wall. But that was okay.

Everyone in the river and on the island having a good time.

Something else that blew my mind was the obvious lack of borders and warning signs when near a body of water such as a lake or pond. In a number of places there were picnic benches mere inches from the water but nothing to stop people or warn them of the oh-so-dangerous-body-of-water-that-they-are-clearly-able-to-see. So kids fell in. Nobody yelled at them. Life went on. At one point a woman just stood in the water because of the heat. And that was okay.

Freedom without borders or warning signs.

Then there was the surfing area in Englischer Garten – a place designed specifically for an endless wave to surf. In the middle of such a big city this was incredible to see. And the surfers were so kind and respectful of one another, taking turns and sharing the wave. It was free to anyone who wanted to try, but experience was recommended.

An organized line of surfers and a crowd of encouragement.

So maybe I was just exceptionally jet lagged and amazed by anything and everything (very possible), but I thought these things were different from what would be seen back home in America. Or maybe I had just been living too sheltered a life and never realized how free a person could be here. Either way, it was cool to see.