Jeez. Has ist already been 18 months? It has.

Probably this would be around the time where I’d say, I’ve really arrived. Settled down, got to know everything, and planned next steps.

This all applies, and the latter especially: My time in Dublin is getting to an end. Soon. In about 2 weeks, I’ll finish up my little “living abroad” experiment and transfer back home to Germany, to work as an Agency Product Consultant in the Google Hamburg office. When I was offered this role, I couldn’t quite resist, although it hasn’t been an easy decision. I’ve got my life here, my work, friends and colleagues that I’ve really well connected with.

I’m however not completely new to that new place – as my girlfriend lives in “The most beautiful city in the world” (as it unhumbly claims) – and I’ve visited her quite often during the past 18 months. I’ve also worked together with colleagues from Hamburg such as the Marketing department on several projects, so the transition is expectedly going to be smooth.

My new role involves quite a bit of traveling, so apart from the north of Germany, I’m going to come around a little. Maybe this offers opportunities of visiting friends that I haven’t seen in a long time.

I’m not sure yet what’s going to happen to this blog. I’m probably going to keep it up and update it with my Hamburg experiences for a while. So, stay tuned for some stories from the German side of my life.

Photo credit: King of Monks.

And for one day, I felt myself thought back to when I was fifteen. Being forced to rely on the bus time table (as Altenberge is located about 14 km from Münster) reminded me of pretty annoying times as an adolescent.

Anyway, this will be over again tomorrow: After a very last Mensa meal with the old colleagues from Radio Q, I’ll take my train and will finally leave my hometown. One week in Hamburg with Cristina lies ahead of me – before really plunging into the unknown.

Notably, my contact with this international relocation specialist – let’s call them “I.” here – assured me the team would visit me in the afternoon, and call at least one hour before they arrived.

Well – reality hit me, when shortly after 8 this morning the bell rang and one (!) relocation guy stood at the door. Luckily, I spent some time preparing most of my stuff yesterday, otherwise this encounter would have been even more awkward. But I have to admit, he was a professional (”I’ve been in this business for 20 years now!”), and packed all of my material existance in boxes in less than one hour. Not bad.

But of course, my former plan were crossed as my bike which was to be repaired before being moved to Dublin wasn’t ready yet this morning. So I have to think about either leaving it in Germany or taking it on the plane by myself. 30 Euros for the transfer with Aer Lingus sound fair to me, though.

Now my room is very empty, as I said, and already shows signs of this objectionable reverb when speaking out loudly. Tomorrow, I’ll disassemble the furniture I’m leaving at my dad’s home, and then this place will look as if I never had lived here. Strange feeling.

I’m counting the hours to leave Münster.

Lots of old and new friends said goodbye to me last Saturday, even some of the guys living a far cry from Münster visited their old home town, or at least the place they studied at.

Famous German brewery Beck’s kept her promise and equipped me with no less than 10 free crates of beer. Only one of them was left at the end of the party – so much for that.

Thanks to our obviously hearing impaired neighbours who did not complain at all (not even at seven in the morning!), self-proclaimed DJ Jörg could put the PA to the extreme, using a well-working combination of YouTube and MacBook Pro as an inexhaustable source of fine house music. I take people dancing in the pouring rain as a reliable indicator of good entertainment. Even people passing by on the street joined us spontaneously!

Tim and Dütti, colleagues from the local college radio station, surprised me with a pre-produced radio show dedicated to… – me, of course. “The Hazel Show” runs over 80 minutes and features interviews with lots of fellow colleagues and friends, and even one of my former teachers (who obviously didn’t remember me too well). Thanks again for that, guys!

Also, I have to thank my dad for his moving speech and my sister for the great and offhanded interpretation of Oasis’ Wonderwall, courageously singing live in front of everybody.

The party’s aftermath was actually pretty nasty, and cleaning a whole garden while recovering from a nice little hangover definitely won’t make it on my favourite occupation list…

Get some further impression with this flickr gallery.

But as much as I liked this final chapter of my personal Münster story, I really need to focus on my forthcoming move to Dublin now. I’ve started to try to separate the good things from the bad, the useful from the obsolete, and so on – beginning with my bookshelf. On Friday, a bunch of guys from the relocation company come by and pack my stuff. The week after, I’ll be in Hamburg with Cristina, and my final flight to Dublin goes on Monday, August 18.

Whew. There’s no turning back now…

But before actually moving over and experience the feeling of insecurity adapting to a new country, there’s lots of stuff to complete here in Germany. I have to give notice of departure to the authorities, pack all of my property, find a next tenant, and get rid of unbelievably huge amounts of unnecessary trash that’s been pent-up over the years.

Oh, and of course there’s a goodbye-party to celebrate this Saturday. Did I mention to have taken part in a sweepstake of a major German brewery…? Anyway, I’ve won – not less than a whole stannous bathtub full of Beck’s Gold. On the rocks. So, anyone reading this in time, come along. Photos of that event will follow.