When I imagined myself leaving Helsinki, the picture was always the same: in the trendy coat with a small hand bag walking down to the gates, heals drumming the floor with my heart beat. I saw myself crying like a movie star before entering the plane, and you know eyelash extensions allow that just perfect!
Cruel reality screwed up my plans, however.
Last two weeks before the flight I was stressed like never before. Generally, I'm a very relaxed person who lives the moto: it's all done for good. Apparently, you change into a crazy cat under certain conditions just like 2x2.
The biggest problem of my last days in Finland was not thesis, packing and being in a hurry to meet all friends. It was all about dogs.
Mattias told me yesterday in the airport when we sent Yuki to Auckland that there've been at least 10 different companies involved in the shipping and legislation process. The more partners, the more communication problems and a chance for mistakes, you know. Every day there was one or two, or ten, changes in the original shipping plan, additional papers requested and nervous cells dead for ever. Multiply it all by one billion, in this way you are taking into account how much New Zealand freaks out about everything animal related that doesn't go according to their perfect plan.
To cut a long story off, Chiquita's results for the last blood test were not accepted as "perfect" even though Finland, Switzerland and Russia could not complain. The dog was forbidden to bring to the country of nazi rules (I'm not complaining about the rules as a matter of fact, just stating the fact!) without additional tests which are two, and a minimum time between them should be one month. So to sum it up, Chiquita girl will have to hang out in Finland for another month and a half. Thanks God, and I mean really, thanks God, my friend Sasha agreed to host the dog, arrange vet visits and send Chiquita when ready. It's a big job altogether and I felt really bad to ask anybody for such a thing. But you know, when you are in a situation with no choice, impudence comes naturally.
I feel very safe about Chiquita and the fact that I leave her for a while doesnt bother me at all, except that I have to bother Sasha, of course. My friend has a small dog girl herself, and when you see them playing with Chiquita, there is no doubt, girls are happy at their most!
It's really funny in a way that Sasha has helped me just a lot two times before when she agreed to host my exchange students and then Nikita. Now sitting in the plane I think I came up with a perfect idea of how to thank Sasha later, but tssss.
Yuki's story was a bit more pleasant than Chiquita's. However, even with her I was not sure till the last hour if she was going to leave Helsinki on Monday or not. It feels, you know, actually worse to be uncertain about things when you are responsible for somebody else's pet.
Yuki took her plane to Auckland yesterday and hopefully she is arriving all safe and in time on Thursday just like me. Fingers crossed and can't wait to hug the girl very soon.
The way I described dogs' story above doesn't look even one per cent of how dramatic it was in real life. Use your imagination!
As a result of being unsure about dogs and how they are going to be my brain refused to accept any other information. My work colleagues were unhappy about my thesis situation, mom didn't like the speed of last days arrangements and common hysterics on the phone, friends were upset that I didn't want to meet up and even talk to anybody. It was just one line in my head: dogs, dogs, dogs - did I forget anything important, another 1 millionth paper to sign may be, or will the official vet come to work on Monday at 8 am (she didnt come by the way) since she hasn't replied to emails for two weeks, and all that goes.
I lost my sleep and stopped eating. It won't be very wrong to estimate that I slept about two hours every night for two weeks and slept just four hours during the last two days before leaving Finland.
Today my plane was leaving at 8 am. Tonight at 1am sharp I started cleaning my flat and packing two last bags. Need I to mention that when Nikita came at 5 am to pick up keys, I was running around the house like crazy, desperately trying to close big bag and make my hand luggage bag look smaller.
Girls came to pick me up half an hour later. Valeria called from the back door and told me to come downstairs with bags. I said we have a problem.
I mean, do you have such a person that you can completely rely on? A person who will never panic, will think logically and always find one kind of solution or another. Lucky, truly lucky me, right, Val? :)
The rest was happening very fast, I was still running around the house, wringing hands and wailing, Nikita, who I guess expected naturally to come just for five minutes and pick up the keys, not to be a part of a drama, was walking around offering his help to girls.
Girls were heroes. It took them 5 minutes to close the bag by sitting on it all together, 5 minutes to weight it and see that I have 15 kgs extra luggage!
After that the real drama came: I had to open the bag and cry for 15 minutes on every plate and a piece of cosmetics to be left behind. Valeria was absolutely correct: now, two hours after I can't even remember what was there!
I don't know what I would do without these girls. Most probably I would stay in Helsinki.
Heh, well, also funny how the four of us balance each other: Valeria and Maria very smart and logical, Ksenia and me - hopeless girly girls. I remember now how I was complaining to Ksenia at the back sit on the way to the airport about destroyed manicure and a need of pedicure. It sounded like the biggest thing on earth.
We came to the airport to find that there were another 6 extra kgs to execute, comooooon!
So, instead of looking cool like described in the beginning of the post, i was digging in the open bag in front of the whole line my ass up and making hard decisions: hair drier or sport shoes. Sad story it was.
Girls waited for me to proceed security control as we had strong doubts I would be allowed to go with all my stuff.
However, everything worked just perfect and here I am sitting on the plane to Italy, blinking from extra strong sun light and feeling extremely annoyed by the loud drunk Finnish talk all around. Since when have I stopped to love Finnish language? But I mean common, 9 am and it feels like a Friday cruise to Sweden by ferry.
I find it very strange that I didn't cry at all. Valeria mentioned that I behave as if I were leaving to Turku for a weekend. She said it in the car after the drama packing.
Yes, this is exactly how it feels! I feel like I'm going on a vacation somewhere in Europe and coming back home to Chiquita shortly. I'm very curious to find out when will be the first time I realize the truth. After a week, or one year?
I'm truly looking forward to arrive in Auckland and continue my life there. As I told my friends yesterday I plan to hang around first week or two, get to know the city, make friends, find a gym and language/sports classes, may be even do a surfing course. Unlike most people who rush into searching for a great job and start building their carrier right away, I want to enjoy this sudden summer. I could do something simple and fun for job like sales, even working in a shop would suit my plan. I loved this job back in Russia a lot, and if my ex boyfriend wouldn't complain would probably be there still enjoying myself.
It's one chance in a life sometimes to stop running, take I a breath and enjoy simple things. And I'm very grateful for the opportunity.
Much inspired,
Lena
29.01.2013 somewhere above Germany
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