Submission of the physics master's thesis

April 7, 2023. It was a sunny April morning. I strolled to the printing shop at Steintor, my USB stick in hand, containing my final key to ultimate freedom: The finished master's thesis. As I entered the shop, a man behind the counter greeted me.

"You look like a student. Are you printing a doctoral thesis?"

"First the master's thesis," I replied with a grin and handed him my USB stick. "I'd like two copies," I continued, pointing at the PDF file on the screen turned towards me.

"That will be 80 euros," he replied and entered something on the keyboard.

I placed two fifty euro bills on the counter, which I had withdrawn earlier, as I wasn't sure if the store accepted card payments.

"Thank you very much. You can pick up the copies in two hours."

"Alright. Thank you. See you later!" I replied and walked to the Conti Mensa, eight hundred meters away.

Once again, a huge line stretched out in the Mensa. Everyone wanted schnitzel with fries. On one hand, good for me because I could bypass the waiting people and go straight to the vegetarian lentil curry. On the other hand, sad because the majority of students at the Conti Campus enjoyed consuming pork schnitzel. Poor pigs.

The cafeteria was crowded. I looked for an available seat.

"Is this seat taken?" I asked a group of guys at a long table.

"Yeah, sure," replied a blond guy with square glasses.

They seemed to be discussing law. Probably law students. I wasn't really listening. Instead, I looked out the window at the line of people entering the cafeteria, at the behinds of the girls waiting in line. Most of them wore tight leggings here at Conti Campus. That was one of the reasons why I liked coming to this cafeteria. The other reason I preferred Conti over the main cafeteria was that there were no physics students hanging around here. In the main cafeteria, I was approached several times by physics students about my website or YouTube channel, getting involuntarily drawn into discussions.

Just before I finished the last spoonfuls of the delicious, yellow cauliflower, I spotted a student with two tall friends talking outside. With her curly, dark red hair and the positive aura she exuded through her cheerful demeanor, she captivated me. I ate slower, wanting to stay there and watch her for a while longer as she walked with her friends towards the library. Only when they marched off together towards the library did I turn my eyes back to my plate.

After the cafeteria, I went to the nearby cafeteria.

"Coffee?" the staff member behind the counter asked me, already knowing what I always got.

"Exactly! And I'd like a chocolate cake too."

I sat at an empty table, took out my laptop, and noted down more possible 1% improvements that had come to mind on my way to the cafeteria, while contemplating as I sipped my coffee.

"To-do: Change phone contract!"

I checked the usage of my mobile data on my smartphone. Since my digital declutter, my mobile data usage had almost halved. So why pay for what I don't use, I thought to myself.

"Minimize karate suit?"

As I contemplated the karate suit hanging on my clothes rack, I was suddenly interrupted by two girls coming in. My heart began to race. My breath quickened. The redhead student came in. She was radiant. She shone so brightly, as if she were a superstar. A diamond among all the people in the cafeteria. She went to the counter with her friend and ordered a coffee. They approached me, still chatting.

"Please. Please sit at my table," a thought buzzed through my head.

They passed by my table and sat at the next available table, two tables to my left. I stared at my laptop and discreetly glanced in their direction with each sip of coffee. The two girls sat across from each other and just wouldn't stop chatting.

I took a deep breath, finished the last sip, dabbed my mouth with the napkin, and placed the dishes on the tray at the counter. I threw the crumpled napkin in the trash, and as it fell, the thought came to me: "Now or never."

Determined, I approached the redhead student and stood in front of her. She looked up at me and smiled. She looked at me with her big blue eyes, waiting for my words.

"You look enchanting. Like you're from a fairy tale," came out of me spontaneously.

"Oh, that's so sweet of you!"

"Would you like to grab a coffee with me sometime?"

"Unfortunately, I have a boyfriend..."

"Oh, okay, too bad."

"But thank you for approaching me. Your compliment made my day sweeter."

"Yeah, sure! Take care!" I bid farewell with a wave and walked out of the cafeteria. Pausing briefly outside the entrance, I closed my eyes, still seeing her distinctive face before me. Then I made my way to the print shop. There, I picked up my two copies, packed them, and dropped them off at the nearest post office.

As I left the post office, an incredible feeling of happiness washed over me. I knew that since that moment, I had achieved my almost boundless freedom. All that remained was to give the master's thesis presentation in a few months. Never again would I have to work and study. From now on, I had even more time in the day to do whatever my heart desired. During this time, I especially desired minimalism and dedicated myself to it fully in April and May.

In the following days, many things changed in my lifestyle. I saw completing my studies as an opportunity to cut alcohol out of my life. It was very easy for me since I only consumed alcohol occasionally in clubs, at a bar with Nico, or on New Year's Eve, or occasionally drank a Radler in Borsum. To further convince myself to quit alcohol, I researched all the health benefits of abstaining from it. From one day to the next, occasional alcoholic drinks were a thing of the past.

Life Upgrade: I have stopped drinking alcohol. Without alcohol, my liver, heart, and brain become healthier. I always remain in control of my body. I learn to relax and belong even without alcohol. The money I would spend on alcohol, I prefer to invest in an interesting non-fiction book that enriches my life.