CENTRAL EUROPE BLOG May 16th, 2026 - HELSINKI to HOME

 

5/16/26– Traveling home after a three week trip is joyous and deflating at the same time. This has been a great vacation for Kelvin and I and always appreciate the time we get to spend together.

Our plane takes off at 12:30pm so we arrive at the airport over three hours early, mostly due to being antsy. The line for security is non-existent as we breeze through it to our gate; we board promptly and take our aisle seats across from each other.

During the ten hour flight to Dallas (our layover), I’m seated next to an older couple in the middle of the plane. The woman moves across the aisle to allow more room, however, the man stays seated in the middle seat right next to me almost the entire journey. Every now and then he’d move over for the middle seat to be free but then move back. Not sure why he’s choosing to literally be up against a stranger instead of basking in the spare space, but some people are weird.

It’s a long flight but we arrive at our layover an hour earlier than expected. As I check on my connection to San Diego I see an earlier flight that I can now make. We do have to pick up our bags in customs to recheck and I use this time to change my flight, but then the strangest thing happens as customs exits back to the main TSA check area meaning we have to go back through full security. Not a major deal but the sodas and water I kept from the plane I now have to drink or chuck them. I choose to not waste it.

I reach the gate for my second flight (after taking the Skylink shuttle from Terminal D to B) with twenty minutes to spare. It’s an easy three hours and suddenly I’m back home waiting for my honey to pick me up from the airport after 6pm.

What a true adventure this was and to spend it with my son makes it that much more special. Eight countries traveling by ferry, train, car, bus, plane and not one of them (outside of London) checked our passport. Even when we arrived in the states they just took our picture and the green check mark appeared. Lost are the days of getting our passport stamped it appears so I’m happy to still have my old passports as a souvenir.

Kelvin plans to continue traveling in the future and most likely will do the next one on his own, so hopefully this was a great learning experience for him. We saw castles, history, nature, cities (large and small, old and new) and ate some great and yet interesting food along the way. In a world of uncertainty, I’m happy to have a constant source of inspiration with my family.

END OF BLOG

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