Trains, Planes and Autos . . .

I am always surprised about how many modes of transport one trip takes. Mine began with drive down Interstate 35 followed by a walk to the Hiawatha Line in Minneapolis. From there it was a train ride through the old neighborhood out to the Airport and a rush through security. I made it to the gate and onto the plane with complete ease.
I had decided to carry both my pieces of luggage on as it seemed like less could happen if I didn’t let them out of my sight. Also, I could have packed both into one and still fit I to the regulation size. I had trouble trying to figure out why I wasn’t bringing more along when I packed. It was less than I usually bring anywhere I go for a weekend. The only gear I had, I realized, was a pair of running shoes and that was the difference. This was a city adventure and gear necessary for that is very little compared to bikes, skis, etc. And no skis to drag around an airport as I’ve done for most of the flights of late.
So there I was sitting in my seat waiting for the door to close and the flights to Helsinki begin. I was Chicago bound on Delta and then transferring to SAS for a flight to Stockholm and then on to Helsinki. Apparently, thunderstorms and lightning decided to hover around O’hare and all the flights were delayed, with the exception of my out bound flight to Stockholm. Long story short (because I really don’t want to relive it) I deplaned in MSP caught a later flight to Chicago not knowing if there were any options after missing my Stockholm flight. I was very nicely put on a flight to Copenhagen and now am on my flight to Helsinki. I haven’t traveled in the last number of years without some delay messing up my itinerary. I hope that changes.
Also, as part of that dance, my dad was on corresponding flights through O’Hare and Berlin to meet up in Helsinki. We are now planning to meet at our hotel. I hope to see him there with no further complications. He is spending the week in Helsinki with me with no part in the conference, just fun.
Travel has always been very existential for me. Seeing people from all parts of the country and world walking around in their own existences and circumstances always causes the questions to role around my head. Where are they going, why are they going there, who awaits them, what do they do, how do they feel about themselves? I guess the only question I don’t wonder at is when. The problem with such questions is they lead to more questions and at some point I should probably just read a book. A these people also cause me to want to go to all the places they are going and I suppose that is the danger of hanging out in an international terminal.
I experienced the same Nordic phenomenon in Copenhagen as I have in Sweden, Norway and Finland-seeing people I know I all the faces passing by. It is the game Nancy and I always play over here, pointing out friends and relatives in the faces we see. It’s all based on that simple premise, it’s a pretty small Nordic gene pool.
I haven’t taken pictures except one out of the window as we lifted out of Copenhagen and one of the Finnish archipelago. The first looks like a bridge to nowhere but I don’t think they build those over here. If you look close you can see the road descend into a tunnel. That’s all for now from high over the Baltic. Oh look, I can see Russia from here.