14th-15th February 2018: A Farewell Forever?

Today is the day. The last breakfast, the last car ride, the last time refueling. At 9:30 am, I park the Toyota in the Apex parking lot, note the mileage, and drop off the key at the office. There will be no proper farewell like last year with my Nissan Tiida or a review of our journey together this time. As soon as the handover is done, I manage to grab the last seat on the airport shuttle just before departure. The ride lasts only five minutes, and when the driver asks how we're doing today, all I can muster is a pained 'Bad, I have to go back to Germany.' The Singapore Airlines counter is deserted, so I quickly get rid of my suitcase and can wander around the airport a bit. Our plane takes off to Singapore at 12:00 pm. The flight lasts nearly 10.5 hours, during which I don't even try to sleep but rather kill time watching movies and series. Occasionally, I stretch my legs and look down at the barren red continent of Australia, over which we glide, living up to its name.

We land in Singapore in the early evening. Maybe this time I'll be able to join the free city sightseeing tour offered by Singapore Changi Airport, which has been awarded the best airport in the world multiple times, to its transit passengers. But once again, luck is not on my side. Registration for the 6:30 pm City Sights Tour is only accepted until 5:00 pm. I missed that by a good 30 minutes, and to be able to join the next city tour, my connecting flight would have had to depart at the earliest at 12:30 am. Unfortunately, mine is scheduled for 11:55 pm. There are strict minute-by-minute guidelines to ensure that everyone returns to the airport on time - the employees don't budge on this. So I have 6.5 hours of layover ahead of me. I already know the extensive yet impressive airport grounds almost by heart, but I'm too tired for exploring the city on my own using public transportation. So I wander around aimlessly, ride the Air Trains from terminal to terminal, treat myself to a foot massage on one of the freely provided massage chairs, and work on my online blog. When I go outside to one of the countless gardens at 9:00 pm, I'm surprised that the warm and humid air still hits you like a wall despite the late hour and at the same time reminds me of the end of my long vacation. Finally, check-in for my connecting flight opens. This time, the TV stays off. Instead, I try to sleep, which fails miserably because I've never been able to do it while sitting. But at least it offers me a little rest.

After 13.5 hours, we land in Frankfurt at 6:20 am. This time, I have to wait a long time for my suitcase at the baggage carousel, but luckily, I'm not in a hurry. As usual, the immigration officers at the passport control have no smiles for any traveler. When I think about the always friendly-looking staff at New Zealand airports, be it in Auckland or Christchurch, who take time for small talk with every newcomer and finally wish them a nice vacation... On the way to the platform, I buy a pretzel and am shocked to see that it's still dawn outside and get greeted by the unfriendly and unusually cold German winter - brrrr. On top of that, it feels like every second train is delayed by 10 to 30 minutes - welcome back to Germany. We have to change platforms as a result and arrive at Frankfurt Central Station with a slight delay. But that's enough to make me start stressing because my transfer time is tight. I sprint along the endlessly long platform and run towards my connecting train. The conductor calls out to me from a distance whether I still want to board and holds the door open for me. Otherwise, the train would have left right in front of my nose. In Erfurt, I have to change trains once again and struggle to keep my shivering limbs under control while waiting. Finally, we roll into Leipzig Central Station, where I am joyfully received by Eric, my parents (who wave a large New Zealand flag), and Eric's parents.

So here it ends, my three-month journey. I'm back home at the wrong end of the world, as I like to say. Because one thing is certain, I've lost my heart to New Zealand long before my first visit and once again left a piece of it behind. Will there be a fourth travel blog someday? Definitely, after all, they say you always meet four times in life (or something like that). New Zealand still has plenty of destinations to offer...