Maybe it started the day Chris Hughton left, or with the first win at Huddersfield Town or, most likely, it started on September 21 last year - the day Steve Cooper was appointed Nottingham Forest boss.
Wherever the journey back to the Premier League started, it is clear where it ended, with the nerve shredding victory in the play-off final against Huddersfield Town at Wembley. Under Hughton, Forest stood on one rake and then another in the same vein as Simpsons bad guy Sideshow Bob. Earlier this week a Twitter dedicated to Forest and the American cartoon put out a video that summed the situation perfectly, as stupid as it sounds.
'Save me Jebus' cried Homer. Enter Forest's saviour - Steve Cooper. So much has been written about Cooper and the work he has done. When he arrived he was struck by the atmosphere at home games, by the history and potential of the club.
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Yet he found a group of good players totally lacking in belief. In an early away game Forest had played well in the first half but trailed at the break. Cooper was surprised by how low players were in the dressing room, but they rallied and got a late goal to draw.
That became a hallmark of the team as Cooper galvanised the group. Bristol City away will never be forgotten, but there was also Millwall away, Sheffield United away and Stoke City at home, when it came to late goals. He forged a spirit across the club, as demonstrated on last week's Garibaldi Red podcast when David Johnson spoke of Cooper's idea to put messages from family members in the lockers of players, to have Joe Worrall address the group on the pride of wearing the shirt and to hold a club wide barbecue for players, staff and their families in the build-up to the final.
Cooper instilled a bond and a unity to get players through the most testing situations - like a penalty shootout, or a play-off final at Wembley. How they needed that unity as they circled the wagons to protect an ailing Brice Samba late in the game. It wasn't a classic but for generations of Reds, it was the best game they've ever seen. The noise will ring in the ears for days such was the support in the west end.
Mothers and fathers who walked down Wembley Way in the early 90s with their parents made that walk 30 years later with their own children, such is the amount of time that has passed since Forest played under the arch.
Now they have secured their place back in the Premier League after 23 years thanks to a scruffy own goal late in the first half. The tears which flowed on the pitch and in the stands and were inevitable, just as they were after the semi-final. Fans have been starved of success and force fed failure for much of the last two and a bit decades. Relegation to League One at Loftus Road was followed by cup defeats to Macclesfield and Chester. A replay was needed to beat Weymouth.
Fans put up with David Platt, Gary Megson and Joe Kinnear having been treated briefly to Paul Hart. Colin Calderwood and Billy Davies (the first time), who did well before the Fawaz Al Hasawi years. During that time, managers were sacked in succession, Forest ended up under a long standing transfer embargo, fans protested and the team was almost relegated on the final day in 2017.
At times it was a shambles, at times it was heartbreaking - think Des Walker being consoled at Brammall Lane, Yeovil in the play-offs, not even getting to the play-offs as Nuno Da Costa put the ball into his own net. Think Adama Diakhaby's first touch.
That is in the past now. The future is the Premier League. It might not last, Forest might get relegated and they might have to do this all over again to get back. When they do it probably won't mean as much.
It can't mean as much to Fulham, Watford and Norwich fans on their alternating seasons in the top flight. For Forest fans it has been too long, but now they have the keys to the kingdom.
Joe Worrall and Ryan Yates might never have to leave. Brennan Johnson can stay for at least another season before he moves to eventually playing for Liverpool or Manchester City. He's good enough.
How will Forest do next season? That's a question for another day. Forest fans have got their club back. Thank you Steve Cooper.
