In Hamburg they say goodbye...

Do you know that butterflies in your stomach that starts as soon as a change is announced? That butterflies that causes your mood to fluctuate between elation and sheer panic. One moment you have the biggest grin on your face out of pure anticipation and the next moment you can't eat a bite because you're afraid that something unexpected will happen. That's exactly how I feel right now. Or rather, that's exactly how I've been feeling for the last few weeks and I haven't been able to talk to anyone about it, except of course Felix and my friends and family.

But now I want to tell you about it and let you share in the journey that will soon turn our lives upside down. Let me guess, you're thinking that the next thing I'll tell you is that we're expecting a baby. Right? I'm afraid I have to disappoint you, that's not the journey I'm talking about. Come on. I won't fidget any longer and will just say it briefly and painlessly: We've decided to buy a house. But that's not all. This house isn't in Hamburg... But more on that later.

Shock overcome?

Now I would love to see the look on your face. If you had told me a year ago that Felix and I would buy a house, and in a different city at that, we would certainly have looked just as incredulous and laughed out loud. However, I don't think I need to tell anyone that certain things can change very quickly (especially for us) and so Corona has also made us think about and question many things.

First and foremost, what are the moments when we are really happy? A question that we should ask ourselves from time to time and reflect on honestly. For us, it is the moments when we take Momo for a walk in the forest, are in the garden, or sit on our roof terrace and enjoy the evening peace. To be honest, the topic of peace and quiet has become more and more important to us during the lockdown. Emptier streets, less car noise, and fewer people around have made me more relaxed. This makes me even more aware of the noise level in the city. Something that I have always loved - the hustle and bustle, various cafés and restaurants around the corner, the spontaneous meeting with friends.

What do I really want?

But how often do we actually use the cafés and restaurants around the corner? Or the supermarket? When was the last time we met up with friends spontaneously? The answer was quite sobering, so we became more and more aware that we are not really using the central life that we currently have in Ottensen. In return, however, we pay a decent rent for it. Don't get me wrong: I love this apartment and of course, we could have simply rented something cheaper that is not in this location. But that's not the point now, it's more about the fact that the idea of ​​moving somewhere outside has become more and more important. Coupled with the joy of doing crafts, which has increased immensely during the Corona period due to our garden and the house there, we asked ourselves whether something of our own outside could be exciting for us.

Since "just do it" has always been my motto, I downloaded various real estate apps within a very short time and set the search query to "buy land or houses". Well, we don't have to be under any illusions. Within a very short time we realized that our bank accounts unfortunately do not have the necessary cash to buy a plot of land or a house in Hamburg. And no, we did not look in districts like Ottensen & Co.

How important is it for me to live in Hamburg?

Anyone who knows me knows that I always wanted to live in Hamburg. I love this city. Next February I will complete ten years of my relationship with Hamburg. Ten years in which I discovered and learned to love this city. The nights spent dancing in the Kiez followed by a visit to the fish market, the sunsets on the Elbe beach, the best evenings with friends in the Schanze, my various apartments, the people I met here, the restaurant/café/museum visits, the Kropka and I could think of countless other things why I love Hamburg so much. It's just a feeling. You may know it. But nevertheless, I am ready to no longer enjoy this feeling every day, but only in small doses. Because one thing was clear from the start: Even if we leave Hamburg, we want to keep our jobs and stay close. Otherwise the pain of separation would really be too great.

Well, do you have a place in mind where you think we'll end up?

Village or city? Build a new house or renovate a house? Will we even get financing from the bank? Do I even want to take out such a large sum of money as a loan or would I rather pay rent forever? The desire for something of our own... questions upon questions that have occupied us every day in the last few weeks and cost us one or two sleepless nights. I wouldn't say that fate has guided us a little recently, but it is clear that we are a long way from our original idea when we started our search. But that feels so damn right and good. As the saying goes, "The journey is the destination." Oh yes! I can agree with that.

And now I'm standing here. In Lüneburg. In a townhouse that's waiting to be brought back to life. Sorry. In our townhouse.