The longest day

So just a thing. My course did not start in november. It started in the first week of september and that was when I wrote this. But I value my upload scedule more than timeliness so it gets posted now.

The lead up to this started months ago when I applied to get a masters degree. I'm doing it online but the lectures on the first day will be on campus so 3 of September I need to be in Uppsala. I coincided a few different ideas for travel. Weather to go there the day of or the day before and sleep in a hotel. In the end I decided to take a plane there that day and then the train home. I book my tickets and basically forget about it.

Then about a week before I had the idea to write in all the lecture and seminars in to my wall calendar. I'm lucky I did because I now see there's not two lectures starting at 12 but rather three the first one starting at 10. By my estimate I would arrive there at 11 so this is a real problem. I double checked that it is correct and there won't be any more changer (they claim that the early lecture has always been there but I'm doubtful). I then re-booked my plane ticket, well not really mostly I just bought a new one since it was non refundable. Yes I'm still salty about this. 

3.50

After a night of restless sleep my alarm rings. The plane leaves at 7, the airport wants me to be there 2 hours early. This seems excessive but I haven't been there for almost 20 years, So what do I know. Anyway I have to wake up at 4. In preparation for this I have set my alarm earlier and earlier during the last week. The earlier departure time also means that there was no things done on that day. So everything is packed and prepared days ahead.

Still I packed up the last few things, feeding my cats I feel a bit guilty for leaving them and I'm off. It's still dark out and the streets are nearly empty. I say nearly there were maybe 10 people but that was one if the busyness streets. About the time I get to the train station and about now the tiredness gets to me. 

5,45

It only took me 45 minutes to get to the gate. But I can see how at a time with more passengers it would take longer or if I had more luggage than a single backpack. Having learned from previous flights I put all my tech things and liquids together in  bag. Of course I then got to go through the big scanner so I didn't have to remove my tablet anyway. Though both it and me got flagged for a further check. Once in the air I realize this might be cased by my smartwatch that I had forgotten to take of.

 Anyway I now have a coffee and an hour to kill. For which I brought one of my textbooks.

Also boarding started 6.30 so just one hour would have been difficult. It's so annoying when they are right.

I had bought a ticket for the cheapest seat in that i didn't choose one and let them pick whatever was left for me. Jokes on them I still got a window seat and a whole row to myself (insert evil laughter). The only problem was that most of my view was taken up by the wing but it's not like there are much to look at anyway.

8,10

Landing I had severely underestimated the time it takes to get to the train station. First 15 minutes to get of the plane, then ten minutes walk before I even saw signs to the train. Ticket weirdness and the nice 20 minute gap until the train was gone. Luckily there are several. Even though they were delayed.  

Despite everything I arrived with almost 40 minutes to go before the lecture started. Uppsala is a nice town. Like many others it's a mix of old and new buildings though far more two or three storied buildings than I expected. If I ever Have time I wouldn't mind exploring a bit. Not today though. It's odd Uppsala is the fourth largest city in Sweden but it does not feel like it. If I had to guess at the population I would have guessed half of what It has.

10.15 

This is the building the lectures was in. It's very pretty but has the most horribly echoy foyer. With a class full of students talking it's very loud.

Them the lecture begins. By now I'm tired, have a mild headache and has 6 hours of lectures to get through. My experience is that the first lecture are more about the course than anything else. Though the last one today was a proper lecture and as a bonus it gave me an idea about a thesis subject. It was nice meting other students and I discovered halfway through lunch that I can fall into another persons accent in as little as 30 minutes. 

16.55 

And I board my slightly delayed train for the first stretch home. It's old, worn and someone is siting in my reserved seat. This is just one of the reason I don't like booking seats. A transfer in Stockholm gave me enough time to get some dinner. Which was a burger, fries and soda from Burger king. I have had a craving for fast food fries for a while now, but I can't really justify something so unhealthy. However between the train being late finding my seat and eating the burger the fries were cold. Which was not what I had envisioned.  

23.15 

The delay in leaving continued and by the time I arrived it was half an hour late. Once again I'm walking through dark streets. Not quite as empty as this morning but Tuesday is not the night for vibrant nightlife. Still its a comfort to know that you are never truly alone.

I'm finally home and after doing the bare-bones of a nighttime routine and I get to bed. By now I have been awake for 20 hours.