Chapter 1: Off to New Zealand

I am off to New Zealand! At least, that is, if I manage to pack all my stuff in time. I might overdo it a tiny bit, but tall dudes need appropriate clothing and I was always bad in packing lightly anyway! Only 3 hours before leaving to Zaventem, so I get out the apartment and buy the final important stuff: some shizzle with 40% Deet, sufficient amount of chocolate to make Sinterklaas jealous and last but not least, “Den dag allemaal”. And so it starts. When trying to enter the apartment my key breaks off. Fuck, my, life. Shout out to the key/lock changing door dude, I think this really qualified as an emergency! A new set of keys, my backpack waaaaay overloaded and I am ready to go. Hop Hop, the plane will not be waiting so I start my adventure.

Yet here I am, sitting in the airport of Zaventem. Enough time to take a last look at how Leffe is being promoted as the best beer of Belgium (say what?). Not for me. No, I am scared sitting here all

alone. Feeling like a tiny person, fixed in time, surrounded by my thoughts. Adventures like this are meant to be shared. Oh 2019, what a year you have been. Mister De Gieter & Misses Van Bedts made it beautifully far, yet after June the 17th I needed to accept to continue alone. Well, not completely alone. Remember remember the 5 of November, one sound trauma of 160 dB later, and Mister Tinnitus and Misses Insomnia are here to stay. The constant sound of an airplane stuck in my head. Yet the lack of sleep is currently proven to be more challenging. What was supposed to be a journey to understand what I was going to do with life is suddenly transitioned into how am I going to do it. Showing myself that it is possible to overcome these permanent changes and continue to be positive like a fucking proton. Or as Xavier would say, follow the sun (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E1bNmyPWww).

Well, I am not leaving anytime soon. My flight to Frankfurt is delayed by 30 minuntes. The crackling voice of the lady shouting through the microphone informs us that it has something to do with bad weather in Franfkurt. Well, that is one thing I am happily leaving behind. It doesn’t help soothing the crowd though. Since the flight is complete,

the gathering crowd is rather large, eagerly waiting to hop on board. The disadvantage of this is that all large hand-luggage’s will be checked-in. Fuck my life… I should have listened to the Reddit review on my new backpack suggesting that it’s too large when using as a hand luggage but you might squeeze it in if no one notices. Straight to the gate we go. Avoid any eye contact, scan in the boarding pass and smile when presenting the passport. Yes, we got through, just one more corner and I am on the on the plane. In the background, I hear a small voice. ‘Sir, Sir’, would you please come back. Your luggage seems to be too big. And there it was, it that moment I know I screwed up. No argument seemed to be valid enough to get it on the plane. Well, Tinnitus doesn’t give you any rewards that is for sure. Fill up a dry-bag with my medication and electronics, yet I forgot to take ‘De Dag Allemaal' with me on the plane. Only 36 hours to New Zealand and no proper hand luggage. Well-played Steven. Fucking well played…

No time to waste though, the plane is already late. The flight makes it to Frankfurt eventually but 45 min to get to the gate seems to be tight! Especially when gate B48 is rather a long distance away from the Terminal A, where those funny accordion busses will drop me off.

With its typical sound, the doors open and I run straight to terminal B. My doctors would be slightly disappointed. Avoid stress at all cause! Your Tinnitus and insomnia will only get worse! Thanks doc, but I need to get to Bangkok! Sorry for disappointing you on day 1, only 35 more to go! The coaches of the Touch Rugby maybe slightly more happy though. Keeping up the cardio by running with my hiking boots from terminal 1 all the way to terminal 3, a good day for fitness!

Apparently I made it! My name was spoken through the microphone, so that’s a first for mister De Gieter. Nevertheless, boarding I am. Got myself a nice seat behind the priority seating’s. Sooo much space yet so far away =’(. Although I am trained by the best empty airplane seat spotter in the world, these are off limit for me. Nope, 9 seats belong to one priority dude, which can choose whatever seats he wants since no one else payed more. We are stuck here in economy class, but the garlic Thai fried pork is rather nice! Well, time for me to get some sleep. After this, one more plane, 11 hours later and Auckland will be my first stop on this epic journey I am undertaking! Kiwi country, here I come! (At least, if the goddamn slow wifi allows me to show it to you guyzzzz).

Greetings,

Mister Wateringcan