Bodø to Atlanta flight: End of an epic European journey

Today was the flight home: our European trip is over. It’s time to fly to the U.S. so Masayo and I can visit my family for a few weeks before returning to Japan.

After about three hours of sleep after seeing the Northern Lights, we woke up at the Grand Hotel in Bodø, Norway at 4:30 am. I didn’t bother checking my BG yet.

We checked out of the hotel, and they gave us small wrapped sandwiches to take since we would miss the breakfast buffet. Then we went out into the freezing air and walked through the quiet, snow-covered streets in the winter darkness to the airport.

 

We checked in and the flight took off just as the sun was rising. The view over the early-morning snowy mountains that surround Bodø was great, as was the red sun streaming in the plane’s windows.

 

The flight was a short one, to Oslo, where I was perturbed to find that the runway was covered in snow and snow was falling hard. Is this safe?

The landing was ok for us, and we taxied through the snow. Inside the Oslo airport, there was evidence of a lot of delayed flights: people sitting in chairs looking more grumbly than usual, and lots of red text on the arrival and departure screens.

Our flight to Newark, New Jersey seemed to be on time, however. We got on the plane, and after going through the de-icing procedure, we were ready to take off. The pilot assured us that the staff at the airport were “world class” about de-icing. I hoped so. I also checked my BG: 229. Too high, like I hoped the plane would soon be. I shot up and ate the hotel sandwich.

 

A little later I checked again, and was 196. Plane travel often makes me high, so I was glad it wasn’t worse than that. I shot up again and enjoyed the “boeuf bourguignon” meal they gave us. How do you guess how many carbs are in an airline meal? You add up what you think it is, then triple it!

How do you guess how many carbs are in an airline meal? You add up what you think it is… then triple it.

Not quite, but after flying over Greenland with its vast snow fields and arresting rock features, I was 192 and it was time for a snack: chicken fajita wrap and juice. These things had carb information on the packaging so I knew how to dose for them.

The scenery from the plane

Here are a few of my favorite shots I took through the airplane window on the way from Norway over Greenland and Canada, and down to New York. Mesmerizing to fly above places like this.

 

Back In The U.S.A.

In Newark, where it was sunny and clear but way below freezing, I checked and was 199. I still considered this good for not sleeping and flying all day. It was 3:30 pm new time, 8:30 pm Norway time. I took a few units of Lantus, planning on taking a full dose later at my regular hour.

The best thing in the Newark airport was that we were able to exchange our Albanian lek banknotes for US dollars — the airports in London and Oslo had been unable. We still couldn’t get rid of our Macedonian denars though. I don’t know what to do with those. Take them to Macedonia someday, I guess.

 

We got a treat on the plane that took us from Newark down to Atlanta: our seats were in Economy Plus, although we had only paid for Economy tickets. I didn’t know why, but we had more leg room.

The flight was over in two and half hours, and we picked up our rental car at the Atlanta airport. After a tired but fast drive through the Atlanta highways to my mom’s house, we collapsed onto the sofa, happy to have the traveling over with today.

I checked my BG one final time: 139. Not exactly in my target range… but not bad for the end of 131 days of fast-paced traveling!

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• Read next: Day 130: Mt. Rønvik and faint northern lights in Bodø, Norway
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