Day 20 - Heading home

Our trip has come to an end. We are flying home nonstop from Helsinki to Dallas on Finnair. We’re psyched about trying another new airline.

Even though this trip has had a lot of ups and downs, we’ve enjoyed seeing new places and meeting new friends.

I am for sure going to pack better going forward; no more checked luggage unless golf clubs are involved. It is still hard to believe that American was the airline that lost my bag. What the heck is the premium tag worth, exactly? A reminder to everyone, put AirTags in your checked bags. No one cares more about your stuff than you.

Also, a huge shout out to how much easier and efficient Europe’s airports are compared to the US. We did have to go to the Finnair US desk since we were flying to Dallas, but there was no one in line. Then for security, you scan your boarding pass, pick a line, and go. There were probably ten lines for security and X-ray. Again, you don’t meet a “TSA” person until you’re putting your backpack in a bin. If your boarding pass is messed up, you won’t get into this area at all.

Oh, and I lost the airport screening contest this trip. My backpack was flagged at each airport. Martha (the usual loser) was only flagged once.

We definitely recommend Norway and Finland for visits, but probably in the spring/summer. I bet they’re gorgeous at those times of year.

We probably won’t have another blog until Down Under 2026. Until then, stay safe and hit us up via social media or texts.

Walking to board the plane, we discovered Finnair is the official airline of Santa Claus. There you have it.