This is the end...

Easter has been a time of fires, of rejoicing that life has once more survived the winter. Unused to such contrasts between the seasons, last week Jutta and Jurgen, my wonderful hosts, enlightened me on the cold dark depths of the European winter with their photos of the Baltic sea, taken just a few months ago. The sea had frozen in massive waves on the shore, depicting an eerie surf beach stuck in cryogenic stasis. Some people say it was the worst winter in 1000 years, and while we all like to hyperbolise from time to time the point remains that the Osterfeuer has been a highly anticipated celebration this year. With this in mind, the long easter weekend has been both a poetic and appropriate ending point for our trip. To celebrate new life with our hosts is not only about the greenery that has once again filled the countryside of Brandenburg (especially Werder), but a tribute to the friendships that have been begun, tested, and ultimately, strengthened by the descent of 25 Kiwis on a German village on the outskirts of Berlin.

So, with a heavy heart and a heavier stomach, we return to Auckland. All my efforts to avoid cliche are melting away as all I can think to say is that the return is not an ending, but merely the beginning of something much larger. This has been a fantastic experience and I cannot wait to repay the generosity that we have been shown here in Germany. 

auf Wiedersehen Deutschland!