Straight from The Tortured Poets Department.
It happened. The universes collided. What started in beautiful rooms ends as the most exciting year as a The1975 Swiftie. And just like that, we have arrived at the end of our beloved series Marcus in Budapest. Oh, and Emily? She sailed off to Rome with a new guy. The only good thing about the last season of Emily in Paris was that it ended with a song by Gracie Abrams. I guess all good things come to an end, eventually.
The Intro of Season 6 is again brought to you by the tortured poet Taylor Swift (Taylors Version):
I was supposed to be sent away
But they forgot to come and get me
All of this to say I hope you’re okay
But you’re the reasonBlood’s thick but nothing like a payroll
Bet they never spared a prayer for my soul
You can mark my words that I said it first
In a mourning warning no one heardAnd in plain sight you hid
But you are what you did
And I’ll forget you, but I’ll never forgive
the smallest gIrl who ever liVedI wrote a thousand words that you find uncool
I built a legacy that you can’t undo
But when I count the scars, there’s a moment of truth
That there wouldn’t be this if there hadn’t been you
51. The Tortured Triathletes Department
The year started very quietly. With exactly three and a half months of social media break and focusing on myself. Until April 19. The Tortured Poets Department Release date. Until then I spent my time with preparing for my first triathlon. Running, cycling and for the first time ever – swimming. In March spent a week of training camp on Gran Canaria, the temperatures were perfect for training. But my fitness was not. So it rapidly turned into The Tortured Triathletes Department, instead of a training camp. But it was fun anyway, as I had great company.
Back home, in April – Taylor had just released her new album. I woke up at 6am to listen from the very first second. The night before I already heard rumors from a leaked version. That the whole album is about her relationship with Matty. And quickly I realized that all of the rumors were true. But also that this album is the perfect last chapter of one of my own past relationships (or let`s call it situationship).
I didn`t stop listening for weeks.
No album ever had me in chokehold like TTPD did. I had my own Fortnight. My own girl who breaks all her favorite toys. Was down bad at the gym. Went through the loml. Screamed at the smallest gIrl who ever liVed. Wondered how she doesn`t miss me in the shower and how I can rewrite the prophecy. I said goodbye to my Peter. Cursed the bolter and closed the manuscript forever. This album helped me finally move on and into my So High School chapter with a little help of the Alchemy.
52. The Dream of Spring
Springtime in the Netherlands is my favorite. Cherry Blossom in Westerpark. The colorful pink trees alongside the canals. The tulip fields on the countryside. The weather finally getting warmer and the days getting longer. This year I did not spend the tulip season alone. I went to a flower parade with friends from work and shot selfies in the tulip fields while icy rain was falling from the sky.
It was completely different than the last years, but so much better. I spent time at home in Germany with Asa. I cycled and ran through the Black Forest again. I went back to Budapest for the Ultrabalaton, but without the sad feelings. I spent a holiday on Gran Canaria with a good friend I met in Amsterdam. The first time I did not go on vacation alone for many many years. It felt like I finally arrived in the Netherlands. Finally arrived in life.
53. The Battle of the Beans
Of course I would not end this beautiful series without some new coffee recommendations. Just a few more places that I found over the past couple of months in Amsterdam:
- Kometen Brood & Café – Close to NDSM, my favorite area of Amsterdam. I just discovered it this year, but it has become my go to place whenever I take the ferry across the river.
- Margo`s – completely vegan pastries, that do not taste vegan at all. Count me in. It is very busy and mainly for to go. But if you are ever in Jordaan, skip the St Jean line and come here instead.
- De Laatste Krumel – Next to Oslo, my favorite cinnabon spot, is this little gem. Like an old grandma style café it has a special charm. You can sit down and explore the pastry menu, or just get a cappuccino to go before strolling through the canals.
- Gentle Place Coffee – also on the other side of the river, in a new-built area between the IJ Museum and NDSM. I like the quiet this area still holds. No tourists at all. Heaven.
- De Koffeesalon spui – Coffeeshop and interior store in one? Shopping fancy Scandinavian style furniture and then sitting down for a coffee? What better way to spend your Saturday than this?
54. The Fuji Fumble
Japan was on my list for so many years. The plan was to visit in March 2020. Until COVID hit. So how perfect is it to close this chapter with finally making the trip to Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. After Sri Lanka this was my second journey with TruTravels. One that I will never forget. Not only was I completely in awe with amazing cities and landscape of Japan, but I also met some of the coolest people ever.
Our little group of Four, which we called Bitches in the Corner, was inseparable after only a few days together. We did spend days exploring and nights drinking together. We did run through Tokyo and Kyoto. We sang Karaoke. We raided Starbucks wherever we could. And we had the time of our lives. Japan was just a side actor on this trip. Again, I felt like finally finding the people I always wanted to meet throughout life. People I could just be myself with.
We almost didn`t get the chance to see Fuji, because it was covered in clouds. But then, just for a brief moment the clouds disappeared and we got to spot the snow covered peak of Fuji-san on the horizon. And at last, he knew what the agony has been for. The goodbye on the last night of our Japan trip was pretty tough for me. I usually don`t cry at goodbyes, but I did shed a couple of tears on that day. Luckily, we had arranged another trip already for November. To India.
55. The Soccer Summer
Back in Europe it was time for the EURO 2024. I was lucky at the ticket draw and got tickets for the Semifinal in Munich. How perfect can fate be? I did never see a game in the Allianz Arena. Not even after being fan of Bayern Munich for 25 years. And now I got to see a EURO semifinal at home, in the most beautiful stadium of Germany. And there was even a chance to see Germany playing.
Flashforward to the quarterfinal – Germany vs Spain. A hand game and a bad referee destroyed my dream of seeing Germany play the semifinal at home. Even though Germany was the best team of the tournament, the final stage of our dream was this quarterfinal. I almost sold my semifinal ticket. But then I found myself sitting in the Allianz Arena, with my FC Bayern scarf around my neck, booing at every ball contact of the player that caused this hand game. And I, again, had the time of my life.
The game was shit, but a least having the ambience of the whole stadium hating one player was an amazing feeling. What people don`t understand is, we don`t hate him because of the hand game. But because a fair player would have called out the referee for his mistake. He obviously is not a fair player, and Karma will get to him sooner or later as well. We just wait and don`t judge.
56. The City of Lights
This chapter is about the most magical summer of my life. Five Eras Tour concerts, the Olympics and Tomorrowland. All withing two months. In May I made one of my mad overnight decisions to buy tickets to the Eras Tour in Edinburgh, even though I already had tickets for Amsterdam and Munich. Two weeks later I was sitting on the plane to Scotland, not knowing if my tickets bought on stubhub will even work.
My second trip to Edinburgh, one of the most magnificent sites I have ever seen. The whole city was filled Swifties. Everyone was wearing merch. The sun was shining. I have never felt so energized before. And then I was inside the stadium – seeing Taylor for the first time live. With the panorama over Edinburg castle in the background. Singing my manifested surprise song mashup of The Bolter / Getaway Car. If it would not have happened in reality, I would never believe this story.
I got last minute tickets for Amsterdam N1 too, but the best show ever was Amsterdam N3. Waiting in the pouring rain outside for hours, to get in and stand there for a 5 hours show without going to the restroom or eating/drinking was epic in itself. And then again Taylor played my manifested surprise song Sweeter than fiction. A song I just discovered few months earlier and was my soundtrack of the year. Standing around 10 meters from Taylor, after everything that happened in the weeks, months and years before was a full circle moment for me. One that helped me close the chapter. Thank you Taylor.
Right before Tomorrowland I got more last minute tickets to Gelsenkirchen. A place which would become more important to me than I ever would have dreamed of. Because one of the most important person in my life would also be there for a Taylor show. At that moment I just didn`t know yet, that she would become one of the most important persons of my life. And then I was sitting on the grass hill tribune of Tomorrowland watching the fireworks and the tangerine sunset over Belgium. One more dream come true during that epic summer.
The last Eras Tour show in Munich was just to say goodbye. But how perfect for it to be in this city. My city. Munich. The one I always wanted to arrive but never did. To say goodbye to the best summer of my life in Munich, just felt right. To finish off the summer I spent a day in the city of lights aka Paris to watch the Olympics cycling race and saw Lando win the F1 grand prix in Zandvoort.
57. The Down Under
Next tick of my bucket list. South Africa. It was planned as a group trip, but the company organizing it went bankrupt. So I found myself in Cape Town alone, organizing day trips. And as you may know, Cape Town is not the safest city in the world. The taxi driver at the airport told me not to go outside when it`s dark. And that`s what I did. Just like The Purge. When the sun did go down, I did stay inside.
It wasn`t really spring yet. Most days were cold and windy. Long story short, I did not get warm with South Africa. Even though it had some of the most beautiful landscapes I ever saw and Cape Town as a city looked amazing. I just never felt safe. Most of the time I ordered food and stayed inside. Which meant I had more time for texting with my new friends at home. There was just this one person I became really close with during that trip. I will always remember South Africa for that.
58. The Winds of Freedom
Back to FireXplorer. I traveled again a lot this year. London, Gran Canaria, Budapest, Japan, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Paris, Copenhagen, South Africa and India. I went to 12 concerts and visited 12 different countries. And at the end of the year my net value increase by 30k EUR. In summation, the concept of getting rich while travelling the world is still working quite well. It was a pretty good year at the markets, even for cryptos. This helped as well. I did not fully reach my financial goal in December, but I definitely came closer to my early retirement. And I ticked off so many points from my travel bucket list, that I might run out of travel destinations before I even will retire. Which is not that bad too be honest.
Two more years left to my initial FI number – what I will do when I reach it? I have no idea. How exciting.
59. The Reigns of Karma
India – the land of Karma. „Karma is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences.[1] In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called the principle of karma, wherein individuals‘ intent and actions (cause) influence their future (effect):[2] Good intent and good deeds contribute to good karma and happier rebirths, while bad intent and bad deeds contribute to bad karma and worse rebirths.“
The concept of karma is closely associated with the idea of rebirth in many schools of Indian religions (particularly in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism),[6] as well as Taoism.[7] In these schools, karma in the present affects one’s future in the current life as well as the nature and quality of future lives—one’s saṃsāra.[8][9] This concept has also been adopted in Western popular culture, in which the events that happen after a person’s actions may be considered natural consequences of those actions.
How beautiful that my last trip of Marcus in Budapest did lead me to the land of Karma. Which is also the last song of the Eras Tour setlist. Everything ends with Karma. It is a relaxing thought. Knowing that the people who did me wrong will one day have to face Karma and get what they deserve. I just have to lay back and enjoy the show once it hits.
Unfortunately two of our Bitches in the Corner group could not make the trip to India. So we found ourselves only with two Bitches left. Luckily we found some new friends in India quickly. And the threated trip turned out to be way less scary and dangerous than expected. Actually India did surprise me in many ways. Of course it has it`s not so nice corners, but most of the days were enjoyable and fun.
60. The Manuscript
And now we have arrived at the ultimate chapter of Marcus in Budapest. Every story has an ending. And even the best writers will run out of plot eventually. Where the last chapter was usually reserved for work, this one does not have anything new to tell. It has been awfully, deadly quiet on this end. So much that it might actually be time to close the chapter soon. In my head I might have closed it already once Marcus in Budapest started, many years ago.
So, what`s next?
The comfortable answer is my Ironman journey and early retirement. This will take a couple of years, starting with my first 70.3 race next year in June. And ending hopefully with taking part on a world championship in Nice or Hawaii. But this is a long way ahead.
The less comfortable answer is. I don`t know. There are many variables at play, some have just completely turned in the past months. You never can predict the future, and I also will not do it. I have a dream vision of my life in the next years and decades. But I will keep that to myself. Well, at least you have my vision board for 2025 below. The board that was made by that very special person that I met this year and that will hopefully stay with me for many more years to come. But that`s for another series to tell.
There is one more chapter to close before saying goodbye. About the main character of this series. Which is not me, in case you have not figured that out yet. I let Taylor tell the story:
As you might all unfortunately recall
I had been struck with a case of a restricted humanity
Which explains my plea here today of temporary i n s a n i t y
(I once met a beautiful soul. At least I thought. But the only thing she was beautiful at, was hiding her monstrous smile. It took me years to figure her out. It almost drove me into insanity. Until her real face one day showed. And I ran for my life. This story is about this beautiful soul)
You see, the pendulum swings
Oh, the chaos it brings
Leads the caged beast to do the most curious things
(I wrote stories about her. My beautiful little narcissist. In hoped that people will read the stories and find out about her evil crimes. Or, in my insane moments, hoped for fate to reunite us as Bonny & Clyde)
Tried wishing on comets.
Tried dimming the shine.
Tried to orbit her planet.
Some stars never align.
(One day I realized, some stars never align. And maybe it is for the best. To stay away from the evil as far as possible. And cherish the good people I met on the way. Trying to forget the monster I once knew)
And in one conversation, I tore down the whole sky
(Because the winds of Karma will reach everyone. No matter how far away they sailed or how well they hide. Karma will find you and take away what deserves to be taken away. It will find you too, my dear.)
A smirk creeps onto this poet’s face
Because it’s the worst persons that I write best.
All’s fair in love and poetry
Sincerely,
Marcus in Budapest
_______________________________________________
The only thing that’s left is the manuscript.
One last souvenir from my trip to your shores.
Now and then I reread the manuscript.
But the story isn`t mine
Anymore
