No short cuts...

This story gives me goose bumps. It's interesting how things evolve in life. I remember way back when, during my first longer stay again in Germany, I received a letter from the authorities stating I was to leave the country if I wasn't studying or working as I was in possession of an American passport at the time. I was crushed but had a seat at the University within 48 hours. I still didn't feel too much like a welcome Freiburger - that took time.

Change of scenes, leap into the future: Merzouga, south Moroccan Sahara, 50 meters to the finish of the Marathon des Sables. Probably the most thrilling moment of my life - until now. My feet were on fire after these 249 most exhausting kilometers (as the crow flies!) through the desert, but the race, this week-long sports madness would be over in approx 30 seconds.

All of a sudden, someone standing at the Finish screamed "Freiburg! Freiburg! Run, Freiburg, run!!" Whoever that was, I thought in a split second, must have recognized me by the "1844 FT Freiburg" Logo on my shorts. It turned out later that the Freiburg vacationer had driven all the long way from Marakkesch over the Atlas Mountains to Merzouga after hearing that "the Freiburger" had completed the long night stage of the Marathon des Sables. He wanted to experience his compatriot crossing the Finish line in Merzouga live!

I was simmering with excitement here anyway due to the approaching completion of the race of course, but also because of my fellow runners I'd have to be parting from very soon. Nothing brings people closer together than to be thrown into extreme situations. But now euphoria shot through my entire body running over the Finish line - as we all did - directly into the arms of Patrick Bauer, founder of the Marathon des Sables, and having the Finisher medal put around my neck in accompaniment of "Freiburg! Freiburg! Freiburg!" exclamations. I was overwhelmed, found it awesome to be a Freiburger, to represent the city here at this special event.

My experience tells me, thus, that both at the finishes of ultramarathons as well as with everything else that really means something in life:
There are no short cuts to places worth going...