In 2017, after three years of Computer Science studies in Turkey, I secured an Erasmus scholarship and an internship in Hamburg—my first time abroad. Turkish stereotypes painted Germans as cold, rule-obsessed, and humorless, but my German flatmate shattered those myths. He picked me up from the airport, shared evening chats, and trusted me with his keys after just three months. At work, a 2.000-person internet company, I found a flat hierarchy where C-level executives made their own coffee, dietary needs were respected at events, and my lead encouraged vacation over overtime. The trust extended beyond work: no ticket checks on transit, a colleague helped me navigate bureaucracy, and another rented a van for my move.

By 2018, I had a full-time contract and returned to the same flat and team. I experienced social democracy in action: construction workers and executives shared pizza at the same restaurant, prices didn't spike in wealthy districts, and immigrants held leadership roles. Cem Özdemir became Baden-Württemberg's minister-president; Sinan Selen heads the constitutional protection office. I won a works council election with the most votes despite being an immigrant, and debated the CTO and CEO as equals.

My landing was soft: an international, English-speaking workplace in a welcoming city with a livable salary. Years later, former colleagues remain close friends, contradicting claims that Germans are hard to befriend.