As I made my way towards Everton's new home on Sunday morning I wasn't quite prepared for what was about to come. Heading down past the Tai Pan restaurant, I immediately had a spring in my step as Bramley-Moore Dock came into view.
I have passed the site on numerous occasions during its construction, but something was very different as I made my way towards Regent Road. When 10,000 fans were lucky enough to get a first glimpse inside this fantastic arena last month, it became very real that Everton will be leaving Goodison Park in a couple of months.
I was not one of those fortunate enough to attend the first test event, but having had numerous conversations with people who were in attendance that night, I knew I was in for something special when the chance arose to head to Bramley-Moore Dock for the first time.
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And that opportunity came on Sunday afternoon. Along with 25,000 others, I watched on as Everton under-21s faced Bolton Wanderers B.
The result was always going to be irrelevant, but no one can ever take away from Kingsford Boakye that he is the first Blues player to score from open play at Everton Stadium. But this afternoon was all about giving supporters the opportunity to take a look at the place they will soon call home.
It has been a long old road for the club to get to this point. Some rival supporters would often take great pleasure in suggesting this arena would never be built. How wrong were they?
The pipe dream some billed this project as has become a reality. And the reality is that Everton will be playing in one of the best stadiums in the world next season.
Unlike the first test event, all four sides of the ground were open for this game, and nothing prepares you for what the ground looks like from the inside. To put it simply, it is jaw-dropping.
There are nods to Goodison in the design, but this is everything a modern football stadium should look like. There are no obstructed views for starters, while the views out from the East Stand concourse are simply stunning.
But there were two things that truly took my breath away. As I stood in the East Stand and looked to my left, I was greeted by the 'Blue Wall', officially known as the South Stand.
The images we have all seen do not do it justice. Set to hold around 14,000 supporters on a matchday, you can only imagine the atmosphere this end of the ground is going to generate.
If supporters were concerned about leaving behind the famous loud and intimidating Gwladys Street, then they shouldn't worry. Howard Kendall famously said during Everton's 1985 Cup Winners' Cup semi-final match against Bayern Munich, "Get the ball into their box and the Gwladys Street will suck the ball into the net." David Moyes would be wise to give his side similar instructions next season when they are attacking that end.
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Then, shortly before 2pm, came a moment that got one dreaming. As the two teams emerged, a huge roar greeted them. One, though, could only imagine what that roar is going to sound like when this ground is at capacity, the roar here was loud enough.
As I departed Bramley-Moore Dock, it got me thinking about Goodison. It is a cathedral of English football and a Liverpool institution.
Tears will be shed following the game against Southampton in May. From Dixie Dean scoring his 60th goal of the season to that famous night against Bayern, Goodison has played host to some memorable moments over the years.
There aren't many stadiums in world football that can generate a cauldron of noise like 'The Grand Old Lady' can. But I have no doubt that Bramley-Moore Dock will be up to the task of replicating that bear pit Goodison atmosphere.
It was fitting as well that architect Dan Meis was in attendance. It was a little under six years ago when he laid out his vision for what he wanted the project to look like at the nearby Titanic Hotel.
No one back then could have imagined it would be quite as good as this, though. It is now easy to see why so many supporters believe this ground is 'out of this world' and set to become the envy of Everton's rivals.
The final verdict as I made my way back to the ECHO office was a simple one: Everton have a new home, and it is quite simply stunning. Supporters have every right to be excited.