Funny enough, as I write this last blog for my Quarter Life Crisis trip, I am sailing high in the sky on the beginnings of my next adventure. But more on that later.

Still pre-sunrise, I boarded my ferry in Tallinn, Estonia to take me across the water to Helsinki. I grabbed a window seat and didn’t even notice when the boat started moving. The ship was huge, and it had a full stage set up for performances and dancing. Unfortunately, the performances did not run on the 6am ferry! Can’t blame ’em. Most of the people in my area were stretched out on multiple seats to sleep for the two-hour journey. I sipped on some blueberry juice and enjoyed the beginnings of sunrise.

When I got off in Helsinki, there was snow on the ground. “Just the way I left it,” I thought.

I hopped on a tram to the central train station and hit up Tiger for some last-minute goodies. As I stood in line with a full basket, I thought to myself, “Jeez, I don’t actually need any of this.” I sent a picture of a peacock USB cable I knew was especially frivolous to Jonathan with the caption, “Would it be silly to buy this?” He responded almost immediately. “I think it would be silly not to.”

I bought everything in the basket.

So, having fulfilled my Tiger cravings, I set off to fulfill my hunger. I couldn’t think of a better place to do that than the Oodi Central Library! Love this place to pieces. Take a look at my excitement and notice how my face starts to look weird and a little crazy towards the end of my trips.

I followed some signs to the toilets and was a little floored to find this Hall of Toilet Doors just sitting at the bottom of the stairs. It was like the bathrooms of my dreams. (Bathrooms are always weirdly gigantic or in strange places in my dreams.)

I was tempted with the breakfast buffet, but I ‘settled’ for a delightful sandwich, a fruit crisp, and a view.

Then out once again, through the snow to a church I missed the first time around. Known fondly as the Rock Church, this architectural wonder was carved into the side of a giant rock.

It had a giant copper ceiling and a man was playing the organ so that it echoed throughout the chamber. It was quite mesmerizing and definitely worth the visit.

I bet it would be lovely to see a concert here.

And then it was back out to walk the town, all the way back to Park Esplanadi. I really had to fight the winds to get there, and rain was spitting down.

The reason I was trekking all this way was to visit Kauppatori Market Square to get a wooden cooking spatula I’d left behind last time. Because the stall owners didn’t speak much English, and I didn’t speak much Finnish, I had been unable to determine whether they would still be here in March, so I was positively delighted to find the couple’s confused and smiling faces as I walked up and quickly purchased this spoon before running off again.

I took a roundabout way to the train station so I could see the Helsinki Cathedral one last time. Such a pretty building.

And then, before I knew it, I was at the train station again, and my last busy morning in Europe had come to a close.

At the airport, I grabbed a Karelian pastry as my one last Finnish meal and hung out for a bit on one of the marvelous nearly-horizontal nap chairs.

Before I knew it, I was on the plane, with a window seat, and my first meal arrived shortly after. Beef, potatoes, and some unidentifiable green vegetable with a glass of white wine. Delightful.

My second meal was a caprese sandwich and a glass of blueberry juice. I’ll miss you, blueberry juice. I’ll miss you ever so much.

Then a quick stop in JFK where I sat and watched the sunset with some Dunkin’ Donuts ($2 latte!) as I waited for my plane to arrive.

Another window seat on this flight. We took off in the dark and landed some time later. I think I watched another movie. And I slept a bit. And I think I read some. It’s all a blur. All I could think about was the person who would be waiting for me at SeaTac.

A whirlwind twenty-four hours to end my six-and-a-half-week-long journey. I was left exhausted and a little giddy, and I hadn’t showered in too many days, but I was oh so glad to be home. Next time isn’t too far away, but until then…

Parhain terveisin/ best wishes,
-Lizzy-wa