Hello all! I have decided to create this blog because, as many of you know, I am very bad at keeping in touch and this will be a way that those who wish can stay updated on my adventures.
Currently, I am sitting in a café at the airport in Helsinki, Finland. This stopover is an unexpected detour in my travels - I was supposed to go from St. Louis to Chicago to Brussels to Delhi. My flights were delayed from the very beginning - I arrived at St. Louis at 9:00 am (three hours before departure time) and did not depart until close to 3 in the afternoon (flights were delayed from Chicago due to bad weather). Upon arrival in Chicago, I hurried to my connecting flight gate only to discover that that flight was delayed as well! I was rather hungry by that point, so at least I was able to grab one last American meal (complete with a Dr. Pepper!) Finally, I board my flight to Brussels, Belgium two hours late, which made me miss my connecting flight to Delhi by about 20 minutes. American Airlines rebooked me on a different flight (through Helsinki). As a program coordinator from IES abroad was scheduled to pick me up at the airport in Delhi when I arrived at 9:40 pm local Delhi time, I had to call her and let her know I would not be arriving until the following morning. I found a payphone in the airport and talked to the operator to get a rate for calling India. Although the rate was a bit pricey (at 3 euros for the first minute and just under 2 for each additional minute), I placed the call because I had to notify IES of my late arrival. I talked for just a minute or two, but I was charged $36!! DO NOT EVER USE A BBG COMMUNICATIONS PAY PHONE. After researching the company, I have discovered that they have a class-action lawsuit against them because they overcharge customers, charge them multiples times, and just generally scam customers out of their money. I will be disputing this charge. Unfortunately I did not get the operator's name, but hopefully I can get some of my money back.
Anyways, after calling IES, I had to go through passport control and security (again). After exiting, there were no screens listing departure gates nor signs indicating where the gates were, so I walked around aimlessly until I found a sign. After finally finding out which gate I needed to go to, I run (literally sprint) to the gate only to have them tell me I haven't checked in and don't have a ticket. I argue for a while (I already missed one flight and wasn't going to miss another!) and finally they allow me to board the flight. My bags, however, were not as fortunate. There was not enough time to transfer the bags, so I will most likely arrive in Delhi without luggage. It's a good thing I packed extra clothing in my carry-on - the perks of being a seasoned traveler!
So that brings me here, staring through floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a forest. It is a cloudy day here in Finland but that only adds to its beauty. Unfortunately, however, I cannot go out and explore on my own as my layover is only a few hours. Although my trip is not starting out as smoothly as I had hoped, I am already enjoying the traveling. It is exciting to hear different languages, see different styles of dress, purchase unrecognizable candy from a vending machine, and overcome little problems that won't really matter tomorrow. I am very anxious and excited to arrive in Delhi, and I will try to post again as soon as I am settled!
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