Leaving Madison and Arriving in Lithuania

After weeks of preparation, the day had arrived; I was on the Van Galder bus, on the interstate leaving Madison. I arrived atO'Hare airport several hours early, the check-in counter for the flight was not even opened. When the clerk did appear, I weighed my luggage and hastily rearranged things in order to get on the plane within the weight limit. The weather had closed airports on the East Coast, so O'Hare was in rather an uproar. However, my flight to Frankfurt was not effected, so we took off on time. I spent the eight hours to Frankfurt listening to my ipod and watching the little plane make its way across the Atlantic Ocean on the little map on the back of the seat in front of me. I did doze a little as well.

The three hours spent in the Frankfurt airport was interesting and frustrating. The boarding pass issued in Chicago indicated that my flight to Vilnius left from gate A1. This meant that I needed to show my passport, go through screening and have my carry ons x-rayed as I passed from Concourse B in the airport.

I trudged through the airport looking at each departure screen to verify my gate. Each screen listed planes leaving at 8:00, 9:00, 12:00 and 1:00 but no planes leaving at 11:00, so I assumed my original information was correct. After sitting at A1 for a while, I asked the clerk and found out that the gate for my flight had been changed to the B concourse, back where I started. I had been on the road over 12 hours, was suffering from jet lag and could not figure out how to get back there. I looked distraught enough that I got a ride on one of those little carts. (I am beginning to reap the benefits of being older.)

I slept on the 2 hour flight to Vilnius, waking only as the wheels hit the tarmac. I was brought to full awareness by the loud cheer that went up from behind me. I was happy to have finally arrived, but this was unexpected. It seems that Eastern Europeans often express their appreciation at arriving on the ground in one piece with cheers and applause.

The airport in Vilnius is rather like a time machine. The runway side is a modern structure, glass and steel vaulted ceilings, baggage, passport checks. Then you pass through a sliding door into the 19th century, a small arrival lobby with colonnades, marble floors, and a balustrade parapet. Other than not seeing my driver for the three hour ride to Klaipeda, I was excited. After about a half an hour, I prevailed upon a kind soul to call the contact number I had. I was told that the original minivan had broken down and another would be by soon, which was the case.

The road trip took place over snowy roads in the dark. Thankfully, I was in the middle of the van and could not see out very well, especially since the side windows were iced over. The rest stop was a small restaurant that included a micro-brewery. I only know this because, in addition to Lithuanian and Russian, the signage was in English. I really knew I was not in Kansas anymore.

Finally arrived at my apartment, which was not quite finished, so I spent my first night in another aprtment in the same building. Slept well.