11.February 2026
Yesterday, I finally landed in Germany again. After almost three weeks of airports, time zones, and foreign beds, my own hallway suddenly feels like a luxury. The smell of the apartment, the creaking of the floorboards in exactly the same spot, the fridge that always hums a bit too loudly... when I came in, I actually said out loud 'Hello home.' Alone in the hallway. Embarrassing? Maybe. But honestly: I was really glad.
The past few days were beautiful, but also exhausting. Constantly on the go, constantly new faces, constantly 'oh, you have to try/see/do this.' At some point, you just long for your own stupid little routine: in the morning, the same coffee cup, in the evening, watching the same series, on Sundays, doing laundry while listening to podcasts. These small, boring things that suddenly seem like a gift when you haven't had them for a few weeks.
Today was the first real 'back home day.' I sat at my laptop a bit and went through emails. Nothing exciting. And that was so satisfying. I even turned on my old 2023 playlist again, the one with the songs I used to listen to back then when I was alone and didn't have to do anything. It felt like hitting a small reset button.
I'm still a bit in jetlag mode (go to bed at 9 PM and wake up at 4 AM), but I enjoy it anyway. My own blanket smells like me again, the tea tastes right again, and I can finally wear my socks with holes again without anyone looking stupid.
Sometimes you need the whole circus out there to realize how good your own little chaos actually is.
