💘💸🪩 Blind Dates, Capitalism & Disco Pogo
May recap: a month of first times
Happy Tuesday and happy June! ☀️
May is officially over and it was a good one!!! The sun was out a lot, I spent quality time with family and friends, had a lot of fun at work - and looking back, it was a month full of firsts, in all kinds of ways.
So here we go:
1. I built my first AI workflow
Maybe I’m late to the party, but considering only ~5% of ChatGPT users have a paid subscription (and I assume it’s similar for Claude), it’s never too late to learn.
Last month I was part of the TenMoreIn AI Bootcamp and genuinely loved it - big big recommendation if anyone is interested (sorry, it’s only for women 😉). While building an agent, learning about prompting, and generally getting a better grip on how AI works, I also built my first workflow (and 3 more afterwards wohooooo) using Langdock– a Berlin-based startup, and coincidentally where my best friend just started working, so double recommendation ❤️
It’s the closest I’ve come to coding since being forced to learn SQL and Python during uni and internships - skills that are now largely replaceable by a good prompt, but it was genuinely a lot of fun. My first workflow is now sending me a morning briefing about the mails in my inbox and my calendar for that day - if anyone has more ideas for workflow that are truly useful, let me know!
2. Berlin institutions: Borchardt and Sisyphos
Also late to the party, but I did two things in May that everyone else probably did in their first week of moving to Berlin.
Borchardt: Very posh and expensive restaurant, famous for their Schnitzel. The crowd was an interesting mix: old regulars, older men with much younger dates, B-Promis, 16-year-olds from Charlottenburg with Gucci bags, a lot of Botox. Memorable, but I’m not sure I need to go back - however, It was also the first time anyone asked me how I wanted my asparagus cooked: lightly, medium, or well done. 😅
Sisyphos: I also spent an entire Saturday dancing at one of Berlin’s most iconic clubs and really loved it. Incredible weather, best company, and we randomly ran into people we already knew. The place is basically a playground for adults: You can pick up a telephone and call a club in Hamburg, dial another number and a dragon breathes fire, hidden doors everywhere. The crowd is everything all at once as well (but in a completely different way): a grandpa dancing all day, a guy with an entire palm tree on his hat, people half (or all out) -naked next to people in Ralph Lauren polo shirts, people who had clearly been there since the day before, they take “come as you are” very seriously.
3. My first friend from school got married
Tosca - one of my closest friends and my best friend from school - got married near the Tegernsee, and it was one of the best days of May! Seeing how much we’ve both grown since our Abitur feels strange though! Back then, she had just broken up with her boyfriend and we were both convinced we’d never figure out relationships with boys. Watching her marry a genuinely great guy (& policeman) made me really happy (:
I also sang at the wedding - the first time I’d performed in front of people in about ten years. I used to sing a lot, did classical vocal training, but somewhere along the way I basically lost all my teenage hobbies. When she asked me, we were still six months out and it felt easy to say yes. However, as it got closer, I got really nervous and started regretting my commitment 😂
In the end it went really well, everyone was crying (I believe they didn’t cry because it was so bad) and we ended the night dancing with her 93-year-old grandfather to Disco Pogo. A really wholesome, easy, wonderful day 🕺🏻
4. Capitalism?
In May, I randomly got asked twice two what I think about capitalism - once at the wedding, and another time at Sisyphos (both weird places for that). My honest answer: I like capitalism because it pays my rent and my bills 😀. Beyond that, huge topic. What would be your one sentence take?
5. I had a dog
In the first weekend of May, I dog-sat my boss’s Labrador. I don’t think all parties fully understood that I had never had a dog before, and I’m also not sure the dog was informed.
She was extremely cute and we had a good time - but I quickly realized that I am not ready for the emotional responsibility of another living being. They make you feel guilty for everything: being at home, not being at home, going for a walk, not going for a walk, feeding them, not feeding them immediately enough 😫
This is the look she’d give me all the time:
6. A guy moved in
My boyfriend moved into my place for the next three months. For context: I’ve lived alone for the past seven years and I’m used to protecting my private zone a lot. Due to my history with anorexia, I also built a lot of habits around habits and routines that are now being challenged in new ways - something my therapist and I are definitely working through 😂 But for now, we are managing pretty well!
We also opened a shared bank account for the first time, which feels very adult! I highly recommend the Revolut shared card: 5min to set up, no trip to the bank required, and it just works from minute 1.
7. I organized a blind date
Also a first: I set up a blind date for two friends of mine. My boyfriend’s friend and one of my girlfriends - I just had a feeling they’d get along and both agreed they trusted me enough to organize that. I paid for the wine upfront and they had a great time.
I’ve always believed the best connections come through friends - dating apps work, but social proof is hard to beat. You can consider this the beginning of my side career and you know where to apply 😄
8. I turned into a podcast host
I got the chance to interview my boss in a proper podcast episode and ask her everything I’ve always wanted to know but never really got the chance to ask. Last time the interview was about me - this time I was the driver’s seat.
And I obviously didn’t go for the boring questions, I asked the important stuff: whether she’s ever been to Berghain or KitKat, when she feels most attractive, how much money she’d need to be employed again, her secret to her relationship (and how to find a husband like that), and her top tips for getting over heartbreak.
Spoiler: more episodes to come ;)
Alright, that’s it for today - I’m heading to Portugal for a week of workation and I’m very ready for sunshine, seafood, reading time, and taking many photos. Can’t wait for doing my emails from a place that’s not my desk. More updates soon 🌞
— Constanze
proud and happy for you always always!! <3
Loved your Podcast Episode - Waiting for more 👏😊