On Sunday, March 2, 2025, Edin, Saira, Samuel, and I gathered in front of our school at 5:10, ready to start our trip to Helsinki. Along with us, three professors were also joining the journey, making the trip feel even more official. We loaded our bags into the van that would take us to Zagreb Airport, where we chatted about our upcoming adventure. The ride to the airport was smooth, and once we arrived, we proceeded to check in for our flights.
After completing the check-in process, we had an hour to spare before boarding our first flight to Istanbul. The flight from Zagreb to Istanbul lasted about two hours, and during the journey, we were served a meal. Unfortunately, it wasn鈥檛 very appetizing, but we ate what we could, knowing we had a long day ahead.
As soon as we landed in Istanbul, we quickly made our way to the next gate to catch our connecting flight. There was no time to waste, and within minutes, we were boarding the plane to Helsinki. This second flight was longer, lasting around four hours, and once again, we were given a meal that wasn鈥檛 exactly delicious. Some of us picked at it, while others simply left it untouched. The professors seemed to have the same opinion, joking about airline food and how it never seems to improve. I got lucky on this flight and was assigned to an emergency exit seat, which meant I had a lot of legroom, making the journey much more comfortable.
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Once we landed in Helsinki, we headed straight to baggage claim to collect our luggage. Unfortunately, one of our students was left without her suitcase鈥攊t had gotten lost in Istanbul, and we had to deal with the confusion. This setback caused us to miss our scheduled train, and we were late to catch the next one.
After the baggage issues were sorted out, we found our way to the train station and boarded a train to Tikkurila. At Tikkurila, we switched trains and continued our journey to Tampere. The train ride was relaxing, giving us a chance to catch our breath and observe the Finnish landscape. When we arrived in Tampere, we had to change trains once again, this time for the final leg of our journey. The ride from Helsinki to Jyv盲skyl盲 took about four hours, and by then, we were all feeling the exhaustion set in. The professors, too, looked relieved that the long trip was almost over.
Finally, after a long day of traveling, we arrived in Jyv盲skyl盲. Edin and I wasted no time and immediately headed to our apartment. As soon as we stepped inside, we barely had the energy to do anything else. We crashed onto our beds, finally getting the much-needed and well-deserved sleep after such a long and eventful journey. The others, however, were headed in different directions from Helsinki, each going their separate ways for the rest of their travels.
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