A Snag in the Master Plan

Well I wasn’t expecting to give an update so soon, but thanks to my overnight stay in the Helsinki airport I have plenty of time on my hands to give a quick update.  All of my flights have been great.  I slept the entire way to England and on the 3 hour flight to Helsinki so I feel pretty good.  Unfortunately I found out at passport control in Helsinki that regulations have changed for the Schengen States (the 25 EU Member States who signed an agreement to open their borders and drastically reduce passport control between neighboring countries) and therefore you are now allowed only 90days per each 180day period in the entire Schengen region!  This was very unexpected because the previous policy was 90days/180day period for each country, not the entire region.  So my travel plans are going to have to change quite a bit unless I can some how persuade the Finnish Consulate to grant me a long-stay visa typically reserved for work and study….only time will tell.  The good news is that I can go back to England and Ireland, two countries that have refused to join the Schengen Agreement, thank god, and stay in each of those countries for a period of 90days.  By then my next 180day period in the Schengen states will be renewed and I should be able to return.  It’s ridiculously complicated.  What happened to the good ol’ days when you could backpack across Europe for a year hassle free?  Damn terrorism.  Someday maybe humans will evolve past this heated conflict phase and travel will be unlimited around the world…what a fantastic yet impossible dream.