So the bus ride...............

Firstly, there is a very good reason that I am not a public transport native.  I live miles and miles from any form of public transport and I would have to get in my car to go to the public transport and ......well..... once you're in your car, you might as well drive where you want to go!

Secondly, my car is kind of an archeological dig.  Everything I need (or have ever needed) is buried somewhere in the layers on stuff that drives around with me.  Need a warm top...?  On the back seat.  Need a cool top...?  On the back seat.  Need a half eaten sandwich....?  On the back seat.  Need a small Somalian refugee....? On the back seat.

You get my point.

So the bus station in Helsinki is right by the train station and clearly public transport is big in Finland.  The guy organising us, came over with tickets, handed them out and delivered myself and one other to two bus stops.  Mine was 614.  He told me to tell the driver I wanted to go to International School and the driver would tell me when to get off.  Cool.  Everyone disappeared following a guide and to be fair there was rather a lot of mocking and laughing that I was alone and adrift in Helsinki and they were all going together.

So... the bus comes and I go to get on.  I follow the guy in front of me and put my ticket card onto a glowing orb.  Nothing.

I turn it over and try the other side.  Nothing.

The driver, not so impressed with the hold up, waves at a lower glowing light and taps it with rather more energy than was required.  So I put my ticket there and the light dings and I am good to go.  So I say to the driver as instructed 'I need to go to the International School' and he looks at me, grunts and waves me away, with a less than helpful expression, saying something in a language that was clearly not English.  I am so totally out of my comfort zone that my comfort zone packed up and moved to the moon without me!!!

I still do not know the suburb and the name I have for the school is KV Kuolu, so that is not going to be much help.  The piece of paper he gave me had KV Kuolu written on it, my name and the Finnish Principals name and phone number.  At least that is something.

Not one to panic, I go to a seat (have a cry).  We are driving for about 10 minutes and the bus stops for this kid that would have only been about 6 years old.  Okay, if kids can do this alone, I can do this.  The bus carries on.  Another 10 or so minutes later a Down Syndrome little girl, of around 8 hops on alone.  Surely, I can do this!!!?????!!

After a while, I figure I can tell when I am getting close, because I should be able to hook up to the area wide free internet when I actually reach the area of Vaanta.  Once that was achieved, I figured I could follow children with school bags AND if they are going to the International School, chances are they will speak English as that is the language of their tuition........ and what do you know, it worked!  First I find the Wifi, then I ask a kid and then I spot my Principal standing at the bus stop.
It was like the angels sang, I can tell you!!!!!

That was the toughest 45 minute bus ride I have ever done.  So the moral of the story is.............  nope.  Got nothing,  but I am reminded of all those motivational sayings we have plastered all over the school about not giving up and trying some thing new and persevering.

When I get back to school, I am replacing them all with stay inside your comfort zone and you don't have to lose sleep over a bus ride to a place you don't know, in a language you don't speak!!!!