Buh Bye, U.S. and A.

CHICAGO/ATLANTA/COPENHAGEN/MALMÖ - So much for a good night's rest before flying out.

Instead, I used my time slowly filling up my new iPod with music (a long story I will get to when I finally backtrack and talk about Denver and Illinois). I also spent a lot of time transferring files to the an external hard drive and erasing everything from my computer.

As my excuse, I didn't want to have any problems with customs if someone searched my laptop... not that I would have any kind of, say... I dunno... music files on there I wasn't supposed to...

So, the night was spent laying in bed, passing out from time to time between folding clothes, packing bags, erasing files, and pacing back and forth scratching my head while being convinced I would forget something important (I forgot my swimsuit, by the way).

I finally "got up" in the morning and took a shower. Let me say, I had forgotten just how much I enjoyed showers at my dad's apartment. Slightly rusty, metallic smelling water... the old soap smell... incredibly dry hair and hands afterward, even in the humid Illinois weather... ah, the good ol' days.

I was still loading my iPod while dad tells me over and over how we are running late.

"But we are still going to get there 3 hours beforehand" was all I could think.

As we jumped in the car, my dad suggested we say our goodbyes right then and there. His reasoning being that the airport would be busy and he might have to just slow down and send me rolling out of the car, tossing my bags on the side of the road.

I assured him we would have time when we got there.

And we did. We said our goodbyes and I imagined him getting teary-eyed while driving off slowly. Instead I think I heard the music turned up louder as his tires peeled out and he sped away.

OK. Maybe not the last part.

I thought there would be a big wait or something. Anything to explain the need to get to the airport that early.

Nope. Just extra waiting to allow me the proper opportunity to get even more anxious about my trip.

On the plus side, I did manage to hold off for 15-20 minutes before I pulled out my computer and tried to get online to write a blog. I really know how to rough it, eh?

O'Hare offered WiFi for the low, low price of $6.95 for the day. Hmm... I considered it. Seven dollars for an hour or so of internet service. Nah. I went and paid for an overpriced water instead.

I spent the time listening to music and working on an origami butterfly.

Chicago to Atlanta was an easy flight. It was nice to have everything go smoothly. I'm used to Chicago always being delayed, or worse, canceled. This would be a big problem in many ways, the first of which was the fact that I only had a one-hour layover in Atlanta.

Atlanta was maybe nice. I wouldn't really know. I was there for a few minutes. Enough time to make a collect call to my mom and find out the money hadn't arrived to be deposited into my account.

More anxiety.

The flight to Copenhagen was pretty easy, considering it meant sitting still for 9 hours. I made a new friend on the flight, Tove, and we spent time chatting. Turns out, she's a drug counselor as well and this led to plenty of conversation. That and the totally awesome games the flight offered in the mini-TV in front of each seat.

I felt a bit out of sorts at the end of the flight. I don't know that I really slept at all. The website I booked through asked if I wanted a window seat. Of course I did. I could look down on everything, be away from the aisle, sleep against something...

Turns out the website was just a big tease.

I spent the Chicago-Atlanta flight sitting in the third seat from the window in a plane that was five seats across. Furthest one away. Hmm...

Atlanta-Copenhagen? There were two seats by the windows, then an aisle, three seats in the center, and aisle, and two more seats by the other side's windows. My seat? Middle seat, middle section, furthest from the window.

Tease.

The flight landed almost right on time. Baggage claim was easy. Money exchange - simple. And customs? A stamp and a "good day".

Next thing I know, I'm out. Hmm...

Something had to be wrong. I must have done something wrong. I went down a wrong hallway, I didn't see the right people, I sidestepped the cavity search...

I thought about going back in. "Please, please, I made a mistake! Where is the cavity search! I missed it!"

I stood for a minute, looking around aimlessly...

"You look so lost," said the voice behind me.

Crap.

I was supposed to meet Jenny in the Burger King upstairs. You know, after I had figured out where I was, shaken some of the tired out of my face, and composed myself a little more.

Not slack-jawed and weary eyed and totally confused...

...it was good to see her again.

We bought train tickets to Malmö, where her car was parked.

Sitting at the train station, we started to catch up.