It was always clear to me that a job in front of the computer would be my sure downfall. I’m just not good at sitting in front of a screen for too long. More often than not I find myself staring out the window and getting lost in my thoughts instead of concentrating on online meetings and working on my assignments. University life in times of Covid-19 is therefore a real nightmare for me. Being stuck in a virtual space always hurts my heart and makes me fear that real life is passing me by without my being able to participate.
The pandemic has therefore made me very strict about setting daily time limits and rewarding myself with exercise after spending hours petrified in my desk chair. And one dusty treasure that I dug up in my parents’ basement has helped me a lot to stay true to these routines: I found my old inline skaters! I have so many happy old childhood memories related to skating that I wonder how I could have forgotten them for so long. And since I dusted them off, I haven’t wanted to put them away. They became my key to escape my monotonous everyday tasks and literally chase after life.
Unfortunately, Rostock is not primarily known for good bike paths within the city, and it took me some time to find an appropriately paved route for skating. The best trail I have discovered so far starts directly on a traffic-free street next to Calle, a Danish shopping centre for all kinds of drinks outside of Dierkow. You can get there directly by bus, which is immensely practical because even though I love moving in my skaters, I don’t like carrying them for long. The road leads to the left directly onto an evenly paved bike trail, which is not only great to drive on, but also impresses with amazing views of Rostock’s countryside. Now, in summer, I love to pass the delicate beauty of blooming rapeseed and corn fields on my skaters, to listen to twittering of larks across the blue sky, to ride through short sections of largely untouched forest and past fragrant – unguarded – rows of strawberry plants. Nothing helps me better to put the unpleasant online presence time aside than to witness these lively changes in nature as I rush through the area with wind in my ears, completely undisturbed by cars or pedestrians.
After about 5 km, the trail crosses the main road on the way to the beach in Markgrafenheide. Some days it tempts me to ride a little further, but more often I just take a seat on the wooden bench before the crossing and allow myself a break before I turn back. 10 km is basically enough for me to find myself again and to get the feeling that I have brought myself up to date with life and its processes outside my own 4 walls.
