Returning to Finland

My original May 30th flight was cancelled and the rescheduled June 8th flight was as well. For weeks I endured the emotional turmoil of waiting, calling, and constantly checking the Scandinavian Airlines website. After the second cancellation, I discovered that my best option was a 23-hour, 3-layover journey on June 11th. Otherwise, I’d have to wait until “maybe July 3rd.” While that trip sounded scary, “maybe July 3rd” sounded even scarier. I am glad I came home but was ready to continue my life in Finland, which came to an abrupt halt nearly 3 months ago.

On Wednesday, June 10th my parents drove me up to Chicago, heading back the same day. For the first time since Christmas I got to hug them, really hug them. It was amazing. Once again I stayed at the airport hotel. I was happy to find out that room service was open, unlike the last time I came. It wasn’t completely no-contact as advertised, but the masked employee handed me a plastic bag through the door. Pretty safe. Later in the evening I got to see my second friend since coming home. I rearranged the lobby furniture to maintain distance and we enjoyed each other’s company.

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The next day I woke up a bit before 5am. Classic. I really could have used that sleep! A few hours later I walked the couple minutes to the airport, wearing a cloth mask and safety glasses. The safety glasses felt a little ridiculous, but I figured I might as well use them considering how long I would be traveling. Based on reports from friends and family, I was surprised how crowded O’Hare was. Most people were wearing masks but it was difficult to social distance due to the number of people. As I stood in the “additional services” line after my check-in was rejected at one of the kiosks, I literally began to sweat. The mask and glasses were hot, and I was nervous. Though I read that I should be able to enter the country with my residence permit, I was still thinking of all the things that could go wrong. It didn’t help that I could barely hear the person behind the desk. She had to repeat everything 2-3 times due to the mask and glass barrier blocking the noise. I can’t imagine how hard-of-hearing people are coping during this time. Luckily I was fine, and I was even able to check my half-pound overweight bag without a fee.

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Afterward I stood in the long security line. Approaching security we all had to stand on circles and wait to be summoned by a masked TSA officer. I had to take off my mask to prove my identity. It was actually fairly quick, only about 10 minutes. I suppose the somewhat socially distanced line made it look longer. Away from security, the airport didn’t seem as crowded. Not empty but not teeming with people as I had seen initially. Sometimes it was even secluded enough for me to take off my mask and glasses for a break.

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My first flight was between Chicago and Newark via United Airlines. We boarded 5 rows at a time from the back and were given wipes upon entering the plane. Most aisle and window seats were taken but the middle seats were blocked off, meaning the flight was about two-thirds full. The air was static and subdued. Maybe everyone else was a little nervous too. We deboarded in the same manner, except starting from the front. It was efficient and swift. This is one practice that might remain after the pandemic ends. There was only one person that stood up out of turn- the same guy that was watching videos while the flight attendant did the safety demonstration right next to him and who constantly had his mask off. I guess there will always be those people.

In Newark I stumbled around a bit before learning that I had to exit the airport and ride the air train since the shuttle buses between terminals weren’t running. Of course I had a train car to myself. At first I was worried about having to go through security again, but it turned out to be just me for this wing of the airport. It was eerie to be so alone in this huge space. I realized it was the same airport I had flown through when coming back from studying abroad in Madrid in 2016. The difference was astounding. My connection called for a 4 hour, 40 minute layover, which passed more quickly than I expected. Jake, another Fulbrighter, was on the same flight. At the last minute I switched my seat and thankfully ended up not sitting next to anyone. The flight was probably about 75% full. This especially shocked me because only a few days ago just half the seats were filled. Later I realized this was probably because all of the free seats were taken and people were waiting for the other seats to open up without paying. The flight was just like a normal flight, except for the face masks, which people wore dutifully. We received two meals and (iceless) drinks during the 7 hours. I watched a movie and read, unable to sleep as usual.

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The layover in Copenhagen was stressful since we all had to go through border control, and the next flight left in 45 minutes. Fortunately the process didn’t take long and proper distancing was enforced. The next flight was mostly full. No one was sitting next to me but a few seats up, Jake was between two other people. For some reason we all sat on the plane for an hour before the hour-long flight. In Stockholm we had another 5-hour layover. After falling asleep on some seats for an unknown amount of time, I got lunch at one of the only open restaurants. Unlike at the other airports, more people were not wearing masks than wearing them. The overhead audio messages reminded everyone to keep their distance but made no mention of masks. The final hour-long flight was on a small 2-seat by 2-seat plane, which was about half full.

Exhausted, I arrived to a sunny and warm Helsinki. On my way to the train station, I received many weird looks due to my mask and safety glasses. Maybe they didn’t grasp the fact that I was protecting them. In my head I rehearsed what I would say if someone tried to sit next to me: Tänään tulin yhdysvalloista lentokoneella. Today I came from the United States by plane. But no one did. My lovely girlfriend brought me food before my train ride back to Lappeenranta. Though hard after not seeing each other for 3 months, we decided that she should stay there a while for distance. Let 2 weeks of quarantine begin!