Anything but an early morning flight is always a problem for me. Having several hours in the morning before leaving the house gives my head ample time to rethink every minute packing decision. Will I need another long sleeved shirt? Did I bring the passwords I might need? Are the boarding passes still on my phone?

Sensibly, I left the house and took my favorite walk to Boeing Creek Park where I found the thimble berry bushes in bloom. The Pacific Northwest forest is serenity itself. 

Arriving home not long before we were to leave, I saw Frances next door who is remodeling her parents’ and childhood home to sell. She showed me around to see all the beautiful upgrades: tile, hardwood floors, appliances, wiring, plumbing, and new walls downstairs adding a bathroom and bedroom. It will be like a new house. I miss having Frances’ parents next door, but I look forward to seeing a new family enjoying the house and large yard.

Finally we stuffed the suitcases in the car and Bruce drove my mom and I to the airport. We flew Lufthansa to Frankfurt and then to Oslo where we collected our luggage and checked in for our Norwegian Air Shuttle to Bodø. At every airport someone with wheeled transportation helped us make our connections. In Oslo, Ingrid was remarkable.

I planned 1.5 hours in Oslo to check in and make our flight to Bodø. It turned out to not be enough time — except we had Ingrid helping us. We didn’t know that mom’s Walker would come in at a different carrousel (either #5 or #10) than the suitcases. I watched #5 while Ingrid kept checking #10 until it arrived. Then she raced us up to the front of the line to check into Norwegian Air Shuttle, and then she got us quickly through security and to the gate as the plane was already boarding. Without Ingrid we wouldn’t have made that plane.

While we waited for luggage and walked through the airport, Ingrid told us a little about herself. Her grandparents emigrated from Romania to eastern Germany and she was raised in East Berlin. The Berlin Wall came down when she was 13. She remembers the excitement and celebratory atmosphere in Berlin at that time. As East Berliners explored the western half of their city, they were struck by the remarkable disparity between East and West Berlin.

After the wall and the East German government collapsed, her family acquired the government records on her father. They were dismayed to learn that for many years Ingrid’s best childhood friend had been spying on her father and reporting on his activities to the East German government. Every morning the boy’s mother sat in the kitchen of Ingrid’s home and had coffee with ingrid’s mother. The people who Ingrid’s family felt were close friends betrayed their trust. I asked Ingrid whether her family ever asked the boy about his actions afterwards, and she said they didn’t. It felt creepy to discover they had been spied on and the extreme betrayal made them want to eliminate the boy’s family from their lives.

As a young adult, Ingrid moved to Norway after visiting years ago. She loves the outdoor activities and beautiful scenery in this country.

Finally, after traveling for 17 hours (Seattle to Frankfurt to Oslo to Bodø) yesterday, I felt relieved to be settling into this lovely hotel, the Clarion Collection Hotel Grand Bodø. I had been awake for 24 hours at that time so I quickly unpacked and fell asleep. This morning, I’ve had my strong Norwegian coffee and delicious healthy breakfast featuring whole grain bread and fresh fruit. Now it’s time to explore Bodø.