Another Day, Another Plane
Hello, again. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I’ve been outside of Russia for 38 days, but, to be honest, it feels like it’s been a week or two.
I want to take a moment to thank Maria, Ville, and Matleena for everything (it’s a long list of things). If it were not for them, I am not sure exactly where I would have ended up. Helsinki was an amazing little city. The people were some of the kindest, the most helpful. My three weeks in Helsinki flew by; it honestly felt like it had been a week.
Helsinki, while small, was very modern. As an American, I wish we would get with the program in terms of public transportation and technology integration. Sure, the prices were high, but everyone here had everything they needed and more. Everyone here makes enough money to be able to afford housing; they are guaranteed enough time off so that they can properly relax. As a liberal, I would be willing to forgo having a certain amount of spending money and a chunk of my salary to guarantee myself (and others) healthcare, housing, civil liberties, and public transport. Nevertheless, somehow, nearly all Finns take vacations and travel. I’m not here to make some plea to conservatives, but the matter stands that these “socialist” or “welfare states” manage to function much better than it seems to us on the outside. That’s not to say that Finland does not have its issues, which are so minuscule compared to those we face in America. However, I must take issue with using rocks instead of salt to deal with ice on sidewalks. There has to be a much safer, more effective alternative that is not harmful to pets or the environment. The same can be said for Oslo, although I experienced much less of this problem as nearly all the ice and snow had already melted before I arrived.
After my time in Helsinki, I moved to Oslo. Again, I have to thank my friend Ustin and his friends for making me feel welcome and for everything they gave me. Oslo, you made Helsinki look cheap. Nevertheless, you can sense that Oslo has made significant efforts to ensure everyone has everything they need. Now, before anyone asks, almost all the cars I saw were new, and most of them were “luxury brands” or Teslas. However, please keep in mind this is from my limited exposure to Norway with just about ten or eleven days spent in Oslo.
Anyway, it’s time to move on. Today, I fly to Egypt, specifically Hurghada. Having never been to Asia (beyond Russia’s far east) or Africa, I welcome Egypt as my first African stamp. I have taken it upon myself to start learning Arabic. In Egypt, I will be working with a Russian family, mainly teaching and watching over their son in English. I am beyond excited.
To wrap up, I want to thank everyone who has helped me reach this point. While I cannot think of everyone off the top of my head, I will try to name as many as possible. Thank you to Ivan, Maria, Ville, Matleena, Ustin, Viktor, Martin, Reilly, Marisa, all the parents of my students, Daniil, Rachel, Artur, Risha, Ariana, the Happy Family, and everyone else. However, my most significant thanks must go to my parents, Sharon and Zijad. If it were not for them, none of this would have been possible. They were the ones who raised me to think beyond myself, to think of the world. I promise I will stop traveling very soon, and I appreciate your bearing with me. You’ll see me soon.
Volim te, Aidan.
