It's 11:25 pm here in Finland as I begin to write this. It's been a long day...or perhaps more than a day, one of those days that seems to linger on forever with no distinct end...a travel day.
I was up at 6:30 am back at home in the US to catch my first flight. My packing was a combination of just absentmindedly throwing stuff into bags and reluctance, stuffing my carry-on backpack with a spare change of clothes (because, you never know...) and tossing in two battery pack chargers that my dad bought me "just in case" I has trouble with the converter.

Funny to think that at that time, we had no idea.

I check my large luggage all the way through to Helsinki and got to the gate for my first flight (Chicago). Five minutes after I get comfortable, a gate change to the other side of the terminal. And that side of the terminal was PACKED. Then a flight delay. Thirty minutes to takeoff, no boarding...twenty, still none, ten, nope...at five minutes: "Ok time for priority boarding..." I look at my ticket and see that there is no seat number. Confused, I go to the desk. They don't have a seat for me, the flight's 100 percent full, and I have a tight connection in Chicago. Just the delay we were having with boarding is getting me worried. Fortunately, a volunteer gives up her seat for me. Totally grateful, I get on.

Flight goes okay, I break open my girl scout cookies (the lemon ones). Arrive in Chicago, somehow on time, but biggest airport ever. Keep following the signs, take some sketchy paths to find the trail to my terminal. Go to kiosk, it fails. Go to desk. "Did you check a bag?" "Yes" "May I see the tag" I hand it to her, she gives it back. I get my ticket.

Security, not too bad. Finally find the gate, we're boarding already. Get on, it's a nice plane. They're talking in Swedish...at least I think. But they also speak in English. We take off. Everything is going okay.

Long flight. Just when I think it's almost over it turns out I was looking at the time wrong or calculating wrong. I try to sleep, it works for a little.  After eating a few crackers at the beginning of the flight, my stomach doesn't feel good. The smell of the food bothers me. I don't touch either meal they hand out, but I don't feel hungry. I get myself to drink water. I listen to my uplifting music and it keeps me feeling okay...in fact, great. Everything will work out right, I'm going to be there soon.

Stockholm. Ever tried explaining a weeklong camp to the guy asking your purpose for being there? Passport stamped, I get into a security line. It's long, just one scanner. As soon as I get through I make my way to the gate. Easy to find, but once again I get there and they're boarding. Everyone is dressed in suits. Get on, only an hour flight. Still not hungry, listen to music. Challenges over, right? Just get off a plane, get my bags, meet the camp people.

Get off, check. Baggage claim, check. I wait. Don't see my luggage. A family waits also; I recognize them from the flight to Stockholm. Did they not get our bags there? See the same few bags circulate a few times, I follow the family to a desk. They seem to know what they're doing. I check my phone while waiting...no service. I get the wifi. Twenty minute, thirty minute wait? Seems like it. I get to the front, the lady asks me some questions - I frantically look up my hotel address and give her a handful, of information. They give me an "overnight pack" and say they'll try to get my bag to me.

Never have I been so glad to have packed my carry-on like that. In fact, I wish I had put even more in there. But I at least have clothes for the next day and a way to charge my phone.

I meet a camp guide, Samuel, outside of the baggage claim. We walk around the airport before getting to our ride. First surprise: I'm outside in Finland and I'm not freezing my face off. We head out with another camper, Lidia, and another guide. They're all incredibly friendly. Finland is full of trees, even in the cities. Really green, especially to someone from a desert.

We reach the place where we are staying and get our rooms. We have roommates (mine is from Estonia!), and the rooms are nice. We go for some lunch, which is rather tasty, but I'm still not recovered from my lack of hunger fully, so I stick with salad and water. I probably seem like a picky American, but who cares, I don't want to get sick. We take a small tour of the place, which is peaceful, green, and countryside-like. Then I get some time to sleep before dinner. The drapes work a miracle and it's dark enough that I can sleep.

Dinner? I just ate...I go off with some of my new friends and we have some food. I don't have much, but it's good again. We talk about IB, which all of us are/were in. Then it is time for the welcome party.

What a blast that was. We received backpacks, two shirts, college application info, and other goodies from Aalto University and University of Helsinki. Getting to know the guides and playing some really fun icebreaker games. Getting to run full speed to reach chairs before other people is fun. We meet up with our guides and group - we have one person, Daniel, missing because he is arriving later. We write a "two truths and a lie" for our group. The answers will be revealed at the end.

At the end, we talk, and there is an evening snack...I wouldn't call it that, it was sandwiches. I don't feel pressured into eating and just chat, finally getting to meet the other two Americans in person.

So, my luggage...I talk with our camp organizers and they get the info to try to help out. Everyone here is really helpful, plus my family got on the case back at home. I guess I did the right thing at the airport, which seems somewhat lucky considering how lost I felt.

So here I am sitting in the shirt from the overnight pack, which has the basic necessities for the night, which apparently includes shampoo but not body wash (?). While this may make it sound like today was a nightmare, it really wasn't. Just a challenge.