The last key

Friday, four days before departure. Next week it's time for South Africa. Yesterday I moved out of my flat officially, back to Mom and Dad. Today I sold my car. Now here I am, with only one key left.

Four months ago I decided to change my life completely - to quit my job, cancel the contract for my flat and to sell everything, that doesn't fit in the one room and a few cupboards at my parents. Four months ago I was laughing about every potential fear. Quitting my job? A lot of people do it these days. Moving out of my flat? It's just four walls. Selling my things? I wanted to start living a minimalist life either way! When people asked me questions like "So, how does it work - do you have a container to ship all your stuff to South Africa?" my answer always was the same: "No, I'm only taking two suitcases with." Only two suitcases - that is not a lot of space. Two suitcases don't hold a lot. I can't put my car in two suitcases, my family doesn't fit in two suitcases, my friends can't travel with me in these suitcases, I can't even fit all my clothes in two suitcases. And that was okay for me.

Today, on this sunny Friday, after all that I've been through, after giving up my flat, after saying goodbye to so many people, I watched my car being transported to it's new owner. My Elisabeth, a silver VW Fox, was loaded on a trailer, going around the bend, where I used to wave goodbye one last time to my parents, when I would be on my way back to Hanover. And what can I say - now it hits me. I got back into my room and now, looking at my key ring that now only consists of one single key. A key ring that suddenly seems so empty and lost, that used to have so many different keys. The last key that is now left is the one to my parents place. My job, my apartment, my cellar, my bicycle, my car - everything that I had to leave behind is suddenly running through my mind.

Sometimes you have to let go of something, to receive something else. When both hands are full you can't reach for anything new, after all. Just before this new chapter begins, it might feel as though you find yourself with empty hands. You only see what you are leaving behind but not what the future will hold. Then all that's left is trust - trust in yourself and in the decision that you made.

I'm looking back on everything that I had to let go of, that used to be so important to me and I realize: Even though I do not own these things anymore they are still a part of me - a part of my story, a chapter in my life. I am so grateful for everything that I had, even though they are not mine any longer. In a way, all these things helped me to come to this point. It might just be a single key, that I am taking with me on my way to South Africa but to me it is the most important one. The future will hold new doors for me to open and I am pretty sure that they will lead me to incredible experiences and moments. Until then the certainty that this one special key will never be taken away from me, is more than enough for me. That one key, that will stay with me forever - the key to my home.