Off to Sydney

The journey starts from Frankfurt on December 18th, 2023. I'm there with my sister Birgit on December 17th. drove to Frankfurt so as not to risk missing the plane the next day due to a traffic jam. We stayed in a hotel at the airport, everything was very relaxed. After a farewell coffee an hour before check-in we head towards passport control.

Then things got hectic, as the latter was closed due to a forgotten piece of luggage. Half an hour later the poor guy was apparently found because the business continued. Hurry up now. One last squeeze and say goodbye to Birgit. There was no point in leisurely strolling towards the gate and checking out the duty free. Running to the security check.

How many batteries, power banks, cameras and laptops do I actually have with me? Pack everything back up and get to the gate as quickly as possible. No, I shouldn't have worn the jacket. Frankfurt is spacious. And well heated. Grabbed a seat and nothing happened. 2 hours in a completely overheated plane waiting for takeoff. Reason: unknown.

With a corresponding delay after 6 hours arrival in Abu Dhabi. The planned stopover of 3 hours had shrunk to one. Again rushing through long corridors, another security check, no time to organize snacks for the upcoming 13 hour flight. Get in the machine, wait. Departure is delayed by an hour.

Approach Sydney with a corresponding hour delay. Planned arrival December 19th at 7:15 p.m. The pilot announces that we still have to do two more laps over Sydney. Then suddenly we say we turn around and fly to Melbourne. Bad weather over Sydney. An hour later landing in Melbourne. Elena, who came to pick me up in Sydney, knows about it. That probably won't happen today.

Waiting on the tarmac for an hour, nothing happened. Then an announcement that we are flying back to Sydney. Until I have internet again on the plane, Elena will sleep, assuming I won't arrive until tomorrow.

Landing in Sydney at 12:57 a.m. despite the ban on night flights. Immigration, collecting luggage and waiting. I can't even make a phone call to the airport internet to inform Elena. Everything in the airport itself is closed. At least I can doze off in a seating area. At 5 a.m. Elena asks where I am. She read my message that we had landed. Cheers to daughters who are early risers. At 6 a.m. she is there and the day begins.

Oh, I should also mention that it is raining heavily. But what am I upset about, I'm here.

The Kithara too. She has been lying on a buoy in Manly Harbor since yesterday. I didn't even see her because she was only allowed to lie there for 24 hours. And because of the weather, a better location in Sydney Harbor Bay was sought.

As Carla so aptly said: "Something has to go wrong on every trip. Be happy. You've got that behind you. It can only get better."