AlysonWonderland: Hamburger

It has been a very busy month for me and flying did take a toll on me – staying on duty to operate ultra long haul flights and turnarounds. But the month of August this year, after a year of flying, brought me back to where my mom and I began – in Hamburg, Germany. As some may know, Germany is my birthplace, and since we left I had years and years of dreaming and wishing to come back and relive the years I had (or have lost) here. So with a lot of hard work, hard earned money, ID tickets and flight connections, I am grateful for this dream come true! More than a holiday, this was a homecoming.

I did not expect my family and relatives’ ultra warm welcome in (sometimes sunny and sometimes rainy) Hamburg. It’s like nothing’s ever changed. Seeing my cousins again whom I grew up with are now ‘adulting’ too as much as I do! It’s so heartwarming and surprising that my Uncles and Tantes still remember me as that little shy girl who is suddenly all grown-up now! Tante Cora, Tante Ilong, Uncle Edwin (and Tante Tina), I love you. You were among the first people who witnessed my being. The only wish I had while we were there was to visit our old Wohnung, Spielplatz and my Kindergarten. Boy, it was as clear as my childhood memory could hold! Aside from that, we had side trips to Berlin and the Schwerin Schloss tucked away in a beautiful little town in East Germany. Being in Germany, one shouldn’t miss to bring home Wursts, Sauerkraut, Kartoffel and all sorts of Nivea cosmetics – which almost didn’t make it within our baggage allowance. Almost.

It was a wonderful and grateful experience celebrating my Mom’s birthday where she (first) brought life to us. It’s also amazing to wrap my head around a place that is so foreign but at the same time so familiar to me. It did feel like coming home. For the first time, I felt my life has finally come full circle. Going back to my roots brought out the 'Hamburger' in me.

(And to add to that, I recently flew with a German Captain coming from the same city as me! Trying to wrap my head around that either!