55 Hours to the North

A Personal Journey to Rovaniemi, Finland This writing is for my future self, the version of me who might one day forget how far she once went, how tired she once was, and how brave she once had to be. This is not a guide. Not a highlight reel. This is simply a personal archive of a journey, exactly as it happened, exactly as I felt it. Before the 55 hours on the road, before the cold, before the aurora, there was a decision. This trip was planned as a solo journey . Entirely mine. From the route, the budget, the risks, to the quiet confidence that I could do this on my own. Unexpectedly, a friend later joined part of the journey in Finland. But the crossing, the planning, and the courage behind it remained mine . On the Road: 55 Hours of Survival I crossed six countries back and forth means a total of 110 hours : The Netherlands — Germany — Poland — Lithuania — Latvia — Estonia — Finland. Spending 55 hours on a bus is not romantic. It is survival. There is no proper shower, only a...