coming full circle

Well our time here in Berlin is winding down. On Saturday we waved goodbye to 20feet solid packed of our stuff enroute to somewhere in Rochester, NY to be defined shortly we hope. We will see if we are able to find ourselves a home before it all arrives somewhere around 4-6 weeks from now.
Moving is always stressful. I don't know if it is all the stuff that you have to do, saying goodbye to friends or the feeling of being not part of a community that is so hard.
We had a little goodbye party at Baltas, our local cafe, Saturday evening. It was really quite nice. Then we have a few packed days to catch up with all of the people who couldn't make it to the party. I hate goodbyes. We will certainly miss the friends and family that we have here and yes also the lifestyle, the city and our little neighborhood of Shoeneberg.
We have really come full circle. With all of our stuff en route to America via ship, we handed over our apartment to the next lovely family to occupy it next and lugged our remaining belongings two blocks over to my sister's place. Just like three years ago when we arrived we will all be sharing a her flat for about a week or so until our flight.
What will I miss most about Berlin? Aside from the people... a good Lattemachiato with lots of 'schaum' to share with the kids , walking out the door onto a street full of life (will not miss the plethora of doggie land mines), the sidewalks packed full of tables of people eating and drinking on a nice night, the beergartens, the Oma on the street telling you your baby is not dressed warm enough, the crowd in the coffee shop who knows all your business, the dog owners scolding their dogs on the street in a long tirade and the kids who they don't say a word to and you don't even notice are there on a 6 hour train trip, those same familiar neighborhood faces that you see picking up their children from Kita and lugging their groceries through the streets day after day, a good beer in a proper glass, the right plate or glass for anything, well made tools and clothes, the children's songs, the high ceilings, the Passover table full of friends and family and food, the Easter egg hunts, biking at night anywhere and everywhere, badminton Mondays, impromptu potlucks at Mel's, the great Gelato stand owned by the man who hates kids, rollerskating on the plaza, a good 'Seilbahn' ride, recognizing the familiar gate of my sister talking on her cell phone walking down the steet, the market on a good day, that puzzled look when you know someone didn't understand what you were saying but is too polite to say so, how fun it is to speak German, sharing a glass of wine on a friends' balcony...