Getting There is Half the Battle

As most of you know, I am studying abroad in Lithuania this semester. I planned a 3 night stay with three other Study Abroad Students from America in Copenhagen, Denmark on my way to Lithuania. I was not at all nervous going to a foreign country, or being alone on the way over, or eating weird food. I was only nervous about my flights being delayed or canceled. After a disaster of a trip down to Georgia earlier in the summer, and a just as frustrating trip back to New York, I was excited to NOT be flying to/from Binghamton Airport. I was all settled in to the Syracuse airport yesterday morning after my sister dropped me off for my big trip. I had no lines and got right to my gate in plenty of time. The flight was delayed an hour, which wasn't a problem since my connecting flight in Boston was a 2 hour layover. So we get on the plane and sit in the run way for 20 mins. They drive over to the run way and then turn around and make us all go BACK into the terminal and wait another 20 mins while they inspect something. At this point I'm getting a little nervous about missing my connecting flight. We finally take off and get there 40 minutes before my international flight to Iceland is scheduled to embark. I was mostly nervous because my connecting flight was Icelandair, and I didn't have boarding passes yet. I run out of the airport to catch the shuttle bus that takes me over to the International terminal. We sit on the bus 10 minutes (it was probably more like 5 but it felt like 20). Bus finally goes, but of course my terminal is last on the route. By the time I get there it is 20 minutes before my flight leaves. I'm TOTALLY lost trying to find the Icelandair ticket desk because there are like 100000 ticket desks to look through. I start hyper ventilating. All I see are long lines of people. Almost about to cry, but too in shock to produce tears. I finally find Icelandair all the way at the opposite end. NO LINE! I tell the lady my flight and give her my passport. She says "yeah...I think you are too late for that flight, let me call." She calls. I hold my breath. She tells me they will wait for me if I hurry and gives me directions to the gate. THANK GOD! I have to go through security all over, of course. I am approached by the most awesome airline worker ever who says, "Julie? Come with me, I will get you to the front of the line and to your gate." I felt like the president of the United States. Or at least one of those people with Flash Passes at amusement parks. We are both running. I make the flight. Everyone on the plane stares me down as I fumble through the aisle bumping everyone with my luggage. Really frazzled at this point. Thankfully I got a window seat! And I was next to this really nice man who talked to me for most of the 5 hour ride. My layover in Iceland was 1.5 hours, and his was 7 hours. He made sure I got through customs and to my gate okay, and waited with me until I boarded. It was so nice to have someone keep me company my first time alone in a foreign country, even though it was just the airport. My final flight to Copenhagen was 3 hours, and I was able to sleep through some of it. Just when I thought things were going my way, my checked luggage decides that it's too cool to show up on time. I'm guessing it got stuck in Boston during the short connection. The airport was really helpful and is having it delivered to my hotel when it arrives. Now I am sitting in the airport waiting for the other two girls (Bre and Abby) to arrive so we can go check in! It's 8:30am here, and 2:30am at home. I am very tired but there is no way I could fall asleep here. I'll post more after my adventures in Denmark are complete!

P.S. I composed this whole blog post with all the buttons and web script being in Danish. I need to figure out how to get American internet....

Some European land formation

Harbor right outside the Copenhagen airport. Windmills in the water!