Before breakfast, I decided to try the Hilton sauna. I figured it would be calmer at this time of day. I timed my arrival as someone else was leaving and putting on their clothes. The Microsoft 365 conference is happening here right now, and nobody deserves to see those nerds in the nude. I think I had just dodged a bullet. I had the sauna to myself for a while, took a dip in the pool, came back into sauna before someone eventually showed up. We both had bathing suits, so it wasn’t too awkward until I accidentally kicked the bucket ladle for the sauna water as I was leaving.
We went down to breakfast before going for a walk to a nearby indoor market which just smelled like cured meats. We then went for a leisurely walk around a nearby lake. The Hilton made us check out by 1pm, so we couldn’t venture too far away. We packed up all of our things and headed out to the airport.
Helsinki’s airport (HEL if you will) proved to be very straightforward as far as security and passport control. We soon found ourselves in a priority pass lounge noshing on snacks. We were initially issued middle seats in the middle section of the Finnair A350 with people on all sides, which I changed online to give us a row to ourselves on the side. Inexplicably about 20 minutes behind schedule, we eventually departed to a symphony of loud talkers, coughers, children making weird noises, and eventually a screaming baby.
With about ten and a half hours of flight time to ponder life, I had a chance to reflect on our unique European roadtrip. I’m going to do something a bit different this time and start with Finland. Finnish people are a stereotypically introverted population. I myself have been plagued by the label of “shy” since I could speak (or apparently chose not to), and only recently have I embraced this part of my personality. Nicole also identifies as an introvert and this ultimately explains why we chose to do this trip. And for that, Finland is just a footnote in a trip where we just wanted to get away from people.
I am quite confident that if anyone asks where I went on vacation, the conversation will pretty much die as soon as I say the Baltic countries. It’s just not “normal” enough for people to even know what that entails. It may not be on the usual tourist path, but that is exactly the reason why it was chosen. For those who followed along for our Belize trip in early April, one might have detected a bit of disappointment and aggravation in my tone. A large portion of that deals with an excess of people. Even the pros of going to a relaxing destination can quickly disintegrate if you’re surrounded by too many people competing with you to relax in that same space.
There was always a parking spot, always an open table for dinner, and plenty of space to spread out. Within the cities of Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn, and even Helsinki, the crowds were not excessive. Were the people especially warm and welcoming? No, but they weren’t unfriendly either. They just were, and that’s enough. At the end of the day, we all just wanted to do our own thing.
As we enter the summer travel season, we will no doubt have to listen to others talk in length about their voyages. More often than not, Bricole have already been to these places, but people don’t typically ask if we have already been somewhere before describing their trip at great length. And we will let them have their moment. My role is not to one-up them or compete. It’s all part of the territory of being an introvert. It would be nice, however, if someone would genuinely be interested in what we did.
And yet, I do not think people who are extroverts could fully understand this trip. We visited a nuclear missile base and cells that were used by the KGB to interrogate and torture. Our best parts of the trip were on isolated islands, requiring ferries, and far from any city and the usual conveniences. Ah but the food! The food was. . .quite poor. Despite these things, we felt relaxed. We didn’t feel too rushed. We weren’t overwhelmed by crowds. I found it all rather enjoyable. Would I recommend it to others? It depends. We had spectacular weather throughout our trip. I do not think this is typical. Cruise ships make ports of call in the Baltics starting later this month. Cruise ships bring people by the thousands and also norovirus. This certainly could have been a very different trip.
The Finns, who are apparently the happiest people in the world got that ranking not by dancing in the streets on their way to work, but because they have a different assessment of success. A good and happy life does not derive from having the biggest house, or more money and flash. It comes from knowing oneself and living in a manner that is honest with that. Lithuania is not St Barths by any measure. Latvia has no iconic or instantly recognizable landmarks. Estonia isn’t going to lure people there with some epic instagrammable shot. But for us they were just right. They allowed us to really take in the country and culture at our own pace, something that is important to introverts like us. In the chaotic and unpredictable world of standby travel, I have no idea where we will end up next. But if it is anything like our trip through the Baltics, I can rest easy and relax knowing that we will have a most enjoyable time.
passports & pepto bismol 