Seaboard92
Engineer
Planning
Well initially I hadn’t planned on having to need to escape Russia. I had seen the news about Ukraine but I’ll be quite honest I thought Putin was bluffing trying to mess with midterm elections in the USA, and elections in the European Union so I just planned my normal trip. Both my girlfriend and her mother caught Covid Shortly after my last trip so we planned to have a relaxing weekend for all of us in Zelenogorsk. I moved my days so I could have the end of February off.
Then the plan was to take the beginning of March off and have my mother join me in Germany for a week for a relaxing time.
Day 0: Seven Legs in a day
I was very miffed when I woke up at O Dark and Early in Buffalo, NY because crew scheduling felt the need to force me to miss my transatlantic flight by extending me on an Indianapolis Turn from Philly forcing me to miss my flight by 40 minutes. Giving me a little bit of time to get to the London flight. I opted to self for my deadhead to Boston in order to get that flight with more of a margin for delays.
The flight on the B737-800 from Philly to Boston wasn’t really that bad. It was just a normal flight up the North East Corridor. I had an entire row to myself near the front of the plane. I then got a small dinner in Boston’s airport because I hadn’t eaten at all this day because hotels have done away with free breakfasts and regional airlines believe in fast turns.
I then wandered around the airport for a bit before settling in the gate area for my flight AA 106 to London Heathrow the one transatlantic service from Boston. As I was waiting to board a woman collapsed so I dropped what I was doing to go and respond. I might not know Spanish but I do know basic first aid. And I stayed with her and the other employees till paramedics arrived. Shortly after that it was time to grab my B777-200 to London. I had my choice of seats because business class was completely empty.
Nothing quite like having a cabin to yourself. My initial plan was to go to sleep after takeoff and skip the meal but that didn’t happen because I still like free food. I had the Peppercorn Seared Beef Filet which was quite good. I’m still not a hundred percent sure on what Pommes Anna exactly is or why I forced myself to eat it. While eating dinner I watched the first half of BlackkKlansman and then I fell asleep. I made a mental note to finish watching the movie though because it was beyond fascinating.
Day 1: London Heathrow to Pre-War Russia
I woke up too late for breakfast but the FAs made me a lovely Togo breakfast bag that I could eat on my next flight with all sorts of snacks for me to eat. As everyone forgets Russia is a long flight away from London. At this point I’m used to the strange looks going to Russia but the crew understood when I told them who I was going to visit. I was happy that this flight was landing in Terminal 3 instead of where my normal flights into I think Terminal 5 or 1 I forget which it is. That made the connection so much easier.
I was one of the first off as my connection was a bit tight and I have to leave security and customs then check back into it all. This time I had my suitcase though which made the process faster. Unfortunately I did not have all of my gifts for her because they were all in my car. I was going to pull my work clothing out and replace it with all her gifts. But because I didn’t get to Charlotte I didn’t have her stuff. She was just thankful I was coming and couldn’t care less about stuff.
Then I went to the FinnAir check in counter and checked in and left my large bag with them. Then I went thru Heathrow security and for the first time I finally did it right. I’m not used to security anymore so I never remember what to take out anymore. I had a lot of time before my flight so I shopped in the Duty Free shop and got gifts for her nephew for the Defender of the Motherland Day, and gifts for my girlfriend. I already had a gift I bought in the lego store for her niece.
I then went to the end of the concourse and found a great place to plane spot for a bit while I waited for my gate to be posted. One thing about LHR there is amazing variety to be found if you enjoy plane spotting. I saw a special British Airways livery that might have been the best catch though. Then it was time to get on my A321 on over to Helsinki. The flight was fairly full and both seats next to me were occupied but at least I was headed the right way and not ending up stranded in London.
I tried to sleep for most of this two hour flight which proved a bit difficult. One thing I don’t like about Finn Air is no at seat outlets. So I turned my phone off to conserve battery. We arrived in Helsinki and I was surprised we were brought to a hard stand. I have to say I really enjoy that though because it’s so rare to get off a decent sized aircraft by the air stairs. It was fairly chilly but not that bad for the moment. My camera went into overtime mode for our drive around the airfield which was great because it took us right to where the flight to St Petersburg left from.
So I didn’t have anywhere to go and I got a seat on that plane and was ready to go again. Again another hard stand for our E190 flight over to St Petersburg. I had to use the bathroom so the minute after the seatbelt sign came off I was headed for the bathroom which was after the beverage cart passed my seat. So I just took a jumpseat in the back for a few minutes while waiting. After all I’m in uniform and licensed to occupy them.
Once the cart came back then I went back up to my seat and filled out my paperwork to enter Russia. I ended up talking to my seat mate who was a really friendly Russian guy who now lives in Germany. He was quite charming to talk to. Виктория (Viktoria) had made me an appointment to get a Covid test done at her house so I had to be in her apartment fast and I’ll be honest I was a bit worried about that.
St Petersburg airport May be small but leaving it can be a pain as you wait for your luggage, customs, and getting a taxi and finding said taxi. We landed a bit late which also made me worried about that because I know how she can be when plans are interrupted. I cleared customs rapidly, then I waited for my bag. That’s where the problem was because the belt got jammed. Eventually they got that fixed and my luggage came after a five minute delay. Then I left customs and went straight for the cab area after hitting an ATM for cab fare.
She set it up for me to get a cab on her app and I had no trouble finding my driver Gregory who was quite talkative. And I’m always trying to be friendly even though I have trouble understanding his Russian. It’s really funny I understand my friends but almost no one else. Once out on the road there was no traffic which was rather strange to be truthful. There is never this little traffic. I then got to her apartment where she wasn’t ready so I stood out in the cold till someone left the building and I went in. Then I waited by her door in my work uniform.
She let me into her apartment but wouldn’t hug, or kiss me till I had changed clothes and taken a shower to which I couldn’t really blame her to be honest. So I took a quick shower. It has to be quick because she only has a 15 gallon hot water tank so you have a second to get the water right and then a minute or two of good water before it gets cold. It’s even worse this time because she’s also cooking meaning less hot water to be had.
So it was a very rapid shower as I tried to not freeze and I had only a few minutes till the Covid test. I had to have a Covid test to enter Russia but another one to enter the hotel from a Russian firm. Shortly after my shower the courier came and my girlfriend did the Covid test to me in her kitchen as the cat looked on. You have to find someone who loves you enough to shove a Q Tip up your nose and a popsicle stick down your throat. That to me is a sign of true love. After that we ate dinner which was a Russian salad, mashed potatoes and chicken.
I don’t know if I was just hungry or the food was actually good but I could have inhaled the entire meal. After that we spent some together time before her mother came home. Doing dishes was really fun because recently I bought her a new Bluetooth speaker so we can listen to music while we cook and clean. When the 1973 Stumblin In by. Smokie came on she was just overwhelmed by wanting to dance. So we danced in her cramped kitchen trying not to bounce into the table, the stove, or the sink.
In all honesty no Part of her house is designed for random dancing but it was none the less enjoyable. It was actually more than enjoyable in its own way it was just perfect like there was no fear of tomorrow, we were just two lovestruck people just enjoying each other. And because of the small space it wasn’t even conducive to dancing but in that moment I was just so in love with everything. I think when her and I get married (as that’s a definite thing at this point) this will be the song I request for our first dance because it was just perfect.
After we got dishes done which always takes way too long we settled down for bed. I was tired from a seven leg day, and she was just tired herself. It still took her however forty to fifty minutes to get ready for bed where I was struggling to stay awake as tired as I was. But this is normal for us. I would love to know why it takes that long to be ready for bed.
Well initially I hadn’t planned on having to need to escape Russia. I had seen the news about Ukraine but I’ll be quite honest I thought Putin was bluffing trying to mess with midterm elections in the USA, and elections in the European Union so I just planned my normal trip. Both my girlfriend and her mother caught Covid Shortly after my last trip so we planned to have a relaxing weekend for all of us in Zelenogorsk. I moved my days so I could have the end of February off.
Then the plan was to take the beginning of March off and have my mother join me in Germany for a week for a relaxing time.
Day 0: Seven Legs in a day
I was very miffed when I woke up at O Dark and Early in Buffalo, NY because crew scheduling felt the need to force me to miss my transatlantic flight by extending me on an Indianapolis Turn from Philly forcing me to miss my flight by 40 minutes. Giving me a little bit of time to get to the London flight. I opted to self for my deadhead to Boston in order to get that flight with more of a margin for delays.
The flight on the B737-800 from Philly to Boston wasn’t really that bad. It was just a normal flight up the North East Corridor. I had an entire row to myself near the front of the plane. I then got a small dinner in Boston’s airport because I hadn’t eaten at all this day because hotels have done away with free breakfasts and regional airlines believe in fast turns.
I then wandered around the airport for a bit before settling in the gate area for my flight AA 106 to London Heathrow the one transatlantic service from Boston. As I was waiting to board a woman collapsed so I dropped what I was doing to go and respond. I might not know Spanish but I do know basic first aid. And I stayed with her and the other employees till paramedics arrived. Shortly after that it was time to grab my B777-200 to London. I had my choice of seats because business class was completely empty.
Nothing quite like having a cabin to yourself. My initial plan was to go to sleep after takeoff and skip the meal but that didn’t happen because I still like free food. I had the Peppercorn Seared Beef Filet which was quite good. I’m still not a hundred percent sure on what Pommes Anna exactly is or why I forced myself to eat it. While eating dinner I watched the first half of BlackkKlansman and then I fell asleep. I made a mental note to finish watching the movie though because it was beyond fascinating.
Day 1: London Heathrow to Pre-War Russia
I woke up too late for breakfast but the FAs made me a lovely Togo breakfast bag that I could eat on my next flight with all sorts of snacks for me to eat. As everyone forgets Russia is a long flight away from London. At this point I’m used to the strange looks going to Russia but the crew understood when I told them who I was going to visit. I was happy that this flight was landing in Terminal 3 instead of where my normal flights into I think Terminal 5 or 1 I forget which it is. That made the connection so much easier.
I was one of the first off as my connection was a bit tight and I have to leave security and customs then check back into it all. This time I had my suitcase though which made the process faster. Unfortunately I did not have all of my gifts for her because they were all in my car. I was going to pull my work clothing out and replace it with all her gifts. But because I didn’t get to Charlotte I didn’t have her stuff. She was just thankful I was coming and couldn’t care less about stuff.
Then I went to the FinnAir check in counter and checked in and left my large bag with them. Then I went thru Heathrow security and for the first time I finally did it right. I’m not used to security anymore so I never remember what to take out anymore. I had a lot of time before my flight so I shopped in the Duty Free shop and got gifts for her nephew for the Defender of the Motherland Day, and gifts for my girlfriend. I already had a gift I bought in the lego store for her niece.
I then went to the end of the concourse and found a great place to plane spot for a bit while I waited for my gate to be posted. One thing about LHR there is amazing variety to be found if you enjoy plane spotting. I saw a special British Airways livery that might have been the best catch though. Then it was time to get on my A321 on over to Helsinki. The flight was fairly full and both seats next to me were occupied but at least I was headed the right way and not ending up stranded in London.
I tried to sleep for most of this two hour flight which proved a bit difficult. One thing I don’t like about Finn Air is no at seat outlets. So I turned my phone off to conserve battery. We arrived in Helsinki and I was surprised we were brought to a hard stand. I have to say I really enjoy that though because it’s so rare to get off a decent sized aircraft by the air stairs. It was fairly chilly but not that bad for the moment. My camera went into overtime mode for our drive around the airfield which was great because it took us right to where the flight to St Petersburg left from.
So I didn’t have anywhere to go and I got a seat on that plane and was ready to go again. Again another hard stand for our E190 flight over to St Petersburg. I had to use the bathroom so the minute after the seatbelt sign came off I was headed for the bathroom which was after the beverage cart passed my seat. So I just took a jumpseat in the back for a few minutes while waiting. After all I’m in uniform and licensed to occupy them.
Once the cart came back then I went back up to my seat and filled out my paperwork to enter Russia. I ended up talking to my seat mate who was a really friendly Russian guy who now lives in Germany. He was quite charming to talk to. Виктория (Viktoria) had made me an appointment to get a Covid test done at her house so I had to be in her apartment fast and I’ll be honest I was a bit worried about that.
St Petersburg airport May be small but leaving it can be a pain as you wait for your luggage, customs, and getting a taxi and finding said taxi. We landed a bit late which also made me worried about that because I know how she can be when plans are interrupted. I cleared customs rapidly, then I waited for my bag. That’s where the problem was because the belt got jammed. Eventually they got that fixed and my luggage came after a five minute delay. Then I left customs and went straight for the cab area after hitting an ATM for cab fare.
She set it up for me to get a cab on her app and I had no trouble finding my driver Gregory who was quite talkative. And I’m always trying to be friendly even though I have trouble understanding his Russian. It’s really funny I understand my friends but almost no one else. Once out on the road there was no traffic which was rather strange to be truthful. There is never this little traffic. I then got to her apartment where she wasn’t ready so I stood out in the cold till someone left the building and I went in. Then I waited by her door in my work uniform.
She let me into her apartment but wouldn’t hug, or kiss me till I had changed clothes and taken a shower to which I couldn’t really blame her to be honest. So I took a quick shower. It has to be quick because she only has a 15 gallon hot water tank so you have a second to get the water right and then a minute or two of good water before it gets cold. It’s even worse this time because she’s also cooking meaning less hot water to be had.
So it was a very rapid shower as I tried to not freeze and I had only a few minutes till the Covid test. I had to have a Covid test to enter Russia but another one to enter the hotel from a Russian firm. Shortly after my shower the courier came and my girlfriend did the Covid test to me in her kitchen as the cat looked on. You have to find someone who loves you enough to shove a Q Tip up your nose and a popsicle stick down your throat. That to me is a sign of true love. After that we ate dinner which was a Russian salad, mashed potatoes and chicken.
I don’t know if I was just hungry or the food was actually good but I could have inhaled the entire meal. After that we spent some together time before her mother came home. Doing dishes was really fun because recently I bought her a new Bluetooth speaker so we can listen to music while we cook and clean. When the 1973 Stumblin In by. Smokie came on she was just overwhelmed by wanting to dance. So we danced in her cramped kitchen trying not to bounce into the table, the stove, or the sink.
In all honesty no Part of her house is designed for random dancing but it was none the less enjoyable. It was actually more than enjoyable in its own way it was just perfect like there was no fear of tomorrow, we were just two lovestruck people just enjoying each other. And because of the small space it wasn’t even conducive to dancing but in that moment I was just so in love with everything. I think when her and I get married (as that’s a definite thing at this point) this will be the song I request for our first dance because it was just perfect.
After we got dishes done which always takes way too long we settled down for bed. I was tired from a seven leg day, and she was just tired herself. It still took her however forty to fifty minutes to get ready for bed where I was struggling to stay awake as tired as I was. But this is normal for us. I would love to know why it takes that long to be ready for bed.