24 May - Helsinki
I'm sitting in the Helsinki airport now, wondering what the hell I was thinking when I booked a flight that had a 12 hour layover. I actually know what I was thinking - "Oh! That will give me enough time to check out Finland for a bit!" Bad move, Past Meg! Bad move! The crucial element that I overlooked when I pressed "complete purchase" was the time factor. I just got off a red eye from New York. I haven't slept in almost 24 hours. I don't really feel up for sightseeing just now.
Scandinavia has its own unique charms, though. I look forward to checking out the city on my way back from India. I imagine it will be a bit like Iceland with neat, low buildings and shockingly tidy streets. The airport is very similar to Reykjavik - all clean lines and wood with exposed metal ceilings. It looks just like an Ikea store.
At 7:30 local time tonight (about 12:30 PM NY time), I will board my second flight, which will take me to Delhi. Just the other day, my lovely boyfriend and I had a conversation about antipodes, or polar opposites. I can't help but think about that now, as I sit in the carefully climate-controlled, extremely clean and orderly Scandinavian airport. In a matter of hours, I will be in Scandinavia's antipode - chaotic, hot, and (this is just a guess but I don't think it's that big of a stretch) dirty Delhi.
By the time I actually arrive, I will undoubtedly be roadkill and ready to fall into the nearest bed I can find. Whoever said "It's the journey, not the destination" was definitely not referring to a 36 hour haul across the planet. It's a special kind of eye-watering, slowed-thinking, bone weariness. At the end of it, you're ready to sell non-essential organs for a shower and a bed. And on that note, there's a cheerful lounge chair across the way that is calling my name. It's the closest thing I'll see to a bed until tomorrow. :)
I'm sitting in the Helsinki airport now, wondering what the hell I was thinking when I booked a flight that had a 12 hour layover. I actually know what I was thinking - "Oh! That will give me enough time to check out Finland for a bit!" Bad move, Past Meg! Bad move! The crucial element that I overlooked when I pressed "complete purchase" was the time factor. I just got off a red eye from New York. I haven't slept in almost 24 hours. I don't really feel up for sightseeing just now.
Scandinavia has its own unique charms, though. I look forward to checking out the city on my way back from India. I imagine it will be a bit like Iceland with neat, low buildings and shockingly tidy streets. The airport is very similar to Reykjavik - all clean lines and wood with exposed metal ceilings. It looks just like an Ikea store.
At 7:30 local time tonight (about 12:30 PM NY time), I will board my second flight, which will take me to Delhi. Just the other day, my lovely boyfriend and I had a conversation about antipodes, or polar opposites. I can't help but think about that now, as I sit in the carefully climate-controlled, extremely clean and orderly Scandinavian airport. In a matter of hours, I will be in Scandinavia's antipode - chaotic, hot, and (this is just a guess but I don't think it's that big of a stretch) dirty Delhi.
By the time I actually arrive, I will undoubtedly be roadkill and ready to fall into the nearest bed I can find. Whoever said "It's the journey, not the destination" was definitely not referring to a 36 hour haul across the planet. It's a special kind of eye-watering, slowed-thinking, bone weariness. At the end of it, you're ready to sell non-essential organs for a shower and a bed. And on that note, there's a cheerful lounge chair across the way that is calling my name. It's the closest thing I'll see to a bed until tomorrow. :)
