02/08/2018 and 01/12/2018 , Berlin
Rootless and extravagant dreamers, opinionated and unprejudiced, sharply-witted, independent and faintly narcissistic. These are the Berlin kids in all their beautiful contradictions.
#meettheberlinkids
Chapter 9:
LOUISE
I met Louise last year at the beginning of the summer, when Jake, our common friend, organised a picnic at Boxhagenerplatz. I remember telling him I was worried she couldn’t find us. He just answered back “No worries, we’ll find HER!”. Two minutes later a red-haired, tall girl in the most colourful outfit I’ve ever seen (back then), was waving at us with the cutest of smiles. He was right: missing Louise was just like missing a flamingo hiding amongst a flock of crows.
I liked her right away and immediately felt at ease. Impossible not to! Before her, I had never met somebody that could blend such an eccentric and bold look with the most down to earth, relatable and humble attitude.
Louise is the cool kid that doesn’t really seem to be aware of it, or, if she does, she never gives it away or makes you feel any less interesting. The kind of friend that buys you pizza when you’ve been drinking a bit too much on a night out, the one that doesn’t judge you even when you would deserve it, the one that pushes you out of your comfort zone, proving every time that it’s always worth it.
You are a legend, girl!
Name: Louise O’Mahony
Nationality: Irish (But lived in UK for 32 years)
In Berlin since: March 2018
Where did you live before moving to Berlin: Brighton, UK
Profession: Fashion Designer
Dream profession: It was always to be Fashion Designer, but I believe I might find another dream in a new stage of life.
How would you describe yourself: Sociable and shy, self assured and uncertain, a happy colour-loving-rainbow-making fun machine!
Biggest inspirations: Any person who can come out of grief or trauma and remain a positive person, that hasn’t allowed their suffering to ruin and control their lives. I believe it must be one of the hardest things to do, and when I meet people that have conquered their fears I find them so unbelievably inspiring, and it puts your own life into perspective and reminds you to not be hung up on negativity or waste time with thoughts of loathing, jealousy and rage.
Favourite activities in Berlin: Meeting friends for food and coffees, parties, clubbing, cycling in the summer.
The place to be in Berlin: Summer – The daytime outdoor area of any club, or cycling through the best parks or out to a lake. Winter… I can’t say yet, as I am yet to experience it!
Your best Berlin story: I guess I just love that you never know where any day can lead. On one trip here I met up with a girl via Instagram, she took me to this wonderful exhibition of 360 moving art images, we then went to dinner and bonded so well she ended up being a friend that inspired me so much when I moved here. She posted a photo of us that night that ended up been seen by another wonderful human who also lived in Berlin who became very important to me ever since. On my way home I stopped at a bar for a drink before heading back and ended up meeting three strangers who invited me to join them and brought me along with them on a night out to more bars, ending up in a club til the early hours and they spent the evening giving me a list of the reasons I should move to Berlin.. and here I am!
Picture yourself in 10 years: Either running my fashion empire in London, or sacking everything off and living in a small town somewhere in Europe with my friends that also don’t have kids, spending my time painting and hand sewing. With a little house filled with trinkets from all my adventures, and a garden filled with flowers, that I rent out on Futuristic Air B’n’B when I go on more travels.
“I remember when I turned 30 I freaked out. Life is over and I haven’t achieved anything that I thought I was supposed to. A house, kids, a husband, a proper job… it was a few months before I realised that I didn’t actually need any of those things, and more importantly did I want them? I thought that my 30th birthday celebration would be my last until I was 40, because what’s the point of celebrating 30’s? Little did I know my 30’s would be so much better than my 20’s (and my 20’s were great!) you give way less of a shit about what people think of you which is a key player in following your dreams, doing what you want to do, and being who you want to be. And when life is so flipping fantastic it is definitely worth celebrating every year you are alive! I’m getting older and life just keeps getting better. I’m not going to stop dressing like a teenager on acid, I’m not going to stop travelling like the world is going to disappear one day, I’m not going to stop partying like it’s 1999, and I’m going to continue to enjoy this fantastic planet and the wonderful humans it has in it until the day I get hit by an ice cream truck and get buried in a glitter casket. Life could be short – make the most of it, life could be long – make sure you enjoy it, follow your heart and follow your dreams, don’t give a shit what people think about you, don’t be a twat to anyone, EVEN to the dickheads, get out of your comfort zone on a regular basis, give people compliments, hug with your hands open, travel, eat all the weird food and celebrate life whenever you can!
Alright that’s enough, I’m not Baz Lurmahn”
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