Backpacking through Europe in 1994

Day 69 • November 14, 1994
Helsinki, Finland - Day 3

This day, 30 years ago, was picture perfect! In fact, part of the reason that made it so good was I was able to walk around a few hours and take pictures of Helsinki. It was a beautiful city, and so different from Kearney, Nebraska. We definitely don’t have fish markets or sailing ships!

After the crazy adventure I had getting here, this was perfect therapy for me to center myself again. After all, taking pictures of Europe was the whole reason for coming.

On top of that, Siru and I had a mini adventure when I almost got busted for trying to ride the city trams without a ticket! That got my adrenaline pumping!

Actually, even more important to me than taking pictures was reuniting with my friends I met in Australia, and Siru and I made plans to meet up with Annele.

Annele is another Finnish Rotary exchange student I met there, and she also lived in Helsinki. It was magical to spend an evening together with both Siru and Annele, reliving our memories and telling stories from our year Down Under six years earlier!

Annele and I are still friends, and thanks to Facebook, we are able to communicate and stay in touch!

My Photographs from today in Helsinki, FInland

DAY 69 / 11-14-94
Helsinki, Finland - Day 3

Siru & I got up at noon & left shortly after for her university. We rode on the trams, and I didn’t buy a ticket because Siru GUARANTEED me that inspectors never check.

Make that never except today. Two stops from our destination they boarded, and began checking everyone’s ticket. Siru had a month-long student pass, so she was OK. But I wasn’t.

I quickly sized up the situation & decided to play the innocent, dumb, naive tourist.

“Ticket please.”

“Oh? What? You need a ticket?” I acted shocked.

“Of course. Do you have one?”

“Well, no.”

“Then you need to pay the fine – 250 marks” (About $50).

“Well, I thought this was PUBLIC transportation.”

“Oh come on, NO country has free transportation. Where are you from?”

“Nebraska.”

“And you have free public transportation there?”

“Well, yes, we sure do.”

“Let me see your passport.”

“Oh, I don’t have it with me.”

“Well, I’ll let you off if you buy a ticket right now – 9 marks.”

“Well, I don’t have any money – I haven’t been to the bank yet.” (This was the truth).

“Look,” I continued, “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble. I’ll just get off at the next stop, OK?”

“OK, but next time, buy a ticket from the driver.”

So I got up & left, and so did Siru, who had remained silent – so she & I wouldn’t get into trouble. If they had known I was with a Finnish person, who knew I needed a ticket, I’d have surely had to pay the fine.

So we walked to her university, which wasn’t too bad. While Siru was in class, I visited Helsinki Cathedral & the harbor and then found the library and a current TIME magazine.

After Siru got done with class, we walked to a big store to wait for Annele.

It’s amazing, after six years, I was able to spot her in a crowd of people immediately. It’s been that way with everyone.

We took the subway towards her house, but then had to walk through this TERRIBLE wind and snowstorm to get to her apartment.

But we made it & it was worth it.

We had some coffee & talked & laughed & looked at pictures & made pizza for dinner & looked at more pictures & talked & laughed.

It was wonderful.

11-5-94

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

T-Dog,

How the hell are you? Things are pretty good here. We are going to have the 3rd annual Christmas Symphony trip. We are trying to get tickets to the Omaha Lancers hockey game for the Saturday night before the symphony – lots of culture.

Nebraska Cornhuskers are #1 after beating Colorado 24-7. Penn State is #2. You Dallas Chum-boys barely beat the Bengals last weekend, they are 0-8. Emmit Smith got in a car accident, but the dipshit didn’t get hurt. Troy Aikman got a concussion against Arizona (yeah) – what a pussy.

Yes, I do have a job, I know work for Ford Motor Credit Company here in Omaha. I will make at least $20,000, with potential to make $24,000 (overtime bonus) in my first year. Benefits are really worth about $5,000 per year also. After six months I’ll get a kick-ass discount on Ford, Mercury, Lincoln and Jaguar cars. I am eligible for promotion and relocation after one year. I have a good feeling that I will end up in Florida.

Jen and I have a place to live, but it won’t be finished being built and ready for us to move in until December 1st. It’s a two-bedroom apartment with washer/dryer hookups in each unit.

I started on my NHL Sega Season. I put in the Dome Crew and a few other people on one team. Here’s the roster:

Goalies

1. Todd Rundstrom

2. Brad Kyle

Forwards

1. Kyle Gilson

2. Jerry Rice

3. Collin Nabity

4. Randy Luettel

5. Russ Lee

6. Bob Bodziak

7. Doug Brunnert

8. Barry Sanders

9. Chris Berman

10. Pam Cleary

11. Walter Payton

Defensivemen

1. Tim Skrastins

2. Curt Vance

3. Reggie White

4. Charles Barkley

5. Rod Woodson

6. Mike Tyson

We all play for the Pittsburgh Penguins, we are 19-0, averaging 5 goals per game. We should finish the season undefeated.

This just in, Ronald Reagan has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

When you get back from Europe, if you don’t want to live in Kearney, you could probably stay with us for a while until you could get your own place in Omaha. You could probably get a job at Ford Credit (you couldn’t make as much as me, because I have a degree.) But the pay is still pretty good. OR, there is an ITI in Omaha, just kidding. [ITI was the telemarking company that I worked at in Kearney, along with De, Tim’s girlfriend.] Just kidding.

Here's the tape you requested and some other stuff I thought you might want to see.

49’ers 21 – Cowboys 14

In the NFL, the favorites have won 48 games while the underdogs have won 63 since week 3.

Talk to you later.

I don’t know my new address yet, so keep writing me at my parent’s address.

Kyle

PS. You still owe me $30 from the last phone bill – don’t worry, I’ll collect it later.

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