Today has been another "crazy straw" day - making non-obvious, slightly reckless life choices. I'm in transit to Oslo to present at a conference. My flight left from Turku at 5.35 this morning, before the buses were running and way too early to ask a friend or even my husband to drive me to the airport. I wasn't too keen to pay for a taxi, either. So what's the crazy straw choice? Ride my bike there!
We live about 12km (7.5 miles) from the airport, which doesn't sound that far. But this was no leisurely bike ride - it was a mad dash through city streets (albeit on bike paths) with no time to spare lest I miss my flight, weighed down by my 8kg of allowed cabin baggage. Oh, and it was 3.45 in the morning. Oh, and the forecast was for a thunderstorm.
The first half of the 35-minute ride passed easily enough - I was energized by the oddity of going on a bike ride at 3.45am, compounded by the fact that it was already light outside. There was hardly another soul on the streets and I surprised more than one wild rabbit on the bike paths.
Then the lightning started. It was still far off, but it and the accompanying dark clouds were steadily approaching. I started to sweat, literally and figuratively, and pedaled just as fast as I could. I focused on not making any wrong turns. I considered whether this was in fact the most beautiful cycling route between home and airport that anyone has ever had. I questioned my life choices. But I made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare, just before the storm hit.
And now I feel like I basically made €30 by skipping the taxi. I'm sure there's some chocolate in Oslo that I can spend it on!
Current status: in Riga, waiting for my connecting flight and trying to restrain myself from walking over to chat with the large group of American tourists I can hear talking the next gate over. Americans! In 10 months in Finland I have met only seven Americans. I don't know exactly what I would say to the Americans at the next gate. I only know I want to say hello.
