Day 1 – The beginning of a journey that expands my heart

Day 1 – The beginning of a journey that expands my heart

1. A farewell that touches deeply

The chauffeur is ready, but my gaze rests on my family. The farewell is profound. It’s this quiet mix of gratitude, closeness, and a hint of pain that makes what truly matters palpable.

The ride to the airport goes perfectly. Almost too perfectly.

2. Checking in like in another world

Business Class is not a comfort zone – it’s another cosmos. Kindness, structure, attentiveness. You are welcomed, not processed.

The Emirates lounge exudes a calm that immediately resonates. People working with genuine warmth. It changes something in you.

3. Quiet waiting – and a familiar face

Mike Krüger – the only passenger I recognize. A moment that brings a smile without disturbing this special calm.

4. The A380 – an experience in the air

The A380 is not just an airplane; it’s a statement.

The bar in the sky – surreal.

The staff – incredibly attentive.

Every second makes me think: My family must experience this.

5. Dubai – a place between luxury and longing

Showering in the middle of the night, alone in the luxury of a perfect lounge – and at the same time, being unable to reach anyone:

Not my friend, who is celebrating his birthday.

Not my family.

A moment that shows how far away you really are.

6. Writing between two worlds

4:00 AM German time.

2:00 PM in Sydney.

A state of suspension where you are not yet arrived, but no longer where you started.

What remains: The continuous kindness of people. A constant that supports me.

7. A conversation that opens doors

I meet someone from the Australian government – deeply involved in international tax issues, comparable to a position at the level of our finance minister.

From him, I learn:

• Rugby is the national sport.

• Tough, primal, more physically demanding than football.

• A piece of Australian identity.

Perhaps a game visit will come up. A must-see, as I learn.

And then this thought:

The man looks exactly as my wife likes. Three-day beard, likable, thoroughly Australian.

Bibo, I thought of you immediately.

8. Exhaustion that is accepted

Start: 16.11., 2:40 PM Hamburg

Arrival: 17.11., 10:30 PM

In between:

Showering, food from every country, the bar in the A380 – and countless impressions.

A crazy journey, supported by Bibo, the kids, family, and my partner/nephew, who makes this trip possible.

9. Passport control – a chapter that never really ends

Then the passport control.

Of course, I answer honestly. My past is not gone. It’s part of me – forever.

You know my story.

So I am treated separately.

A kind of luxury of another kind.

45 minutes of waiting time.

Then the relieving okay.

I have officially arrived.

The advantage?

No waiting time for baggage claim.

No waiting time for chauffeur service.

They are waiting for me.

Emirates: Well done.

10. The countdown is on

4 hours and 25 minutes left until Sydney.

A new chapter is ready.

11. And the photos...

I look different than in the photos by Skade Niquet (NiqMedia). Maybe because these moments are raw. Unstaged. Real.