SB09 for us studying abroad in Europe this year certainly was not your tropical beaches, fruity mixed drinks- haze of a week like it is for most college juniors. It was instead filled with train rides, spending Euros like Monopoly money, gelato, hostels and reunions. It was a fabulous break and a great way to spend my last trip here. It was so weird to be on the Madrid Metro yesterday because I knew that that was the last time I would take that hour-long ride from the airport to the bus station. Well, the last for this year at least. The next time I will be on a plane will be back to America, and I am so happy to finally say that. I officially hate flying.
After a relaxing an low-key weekend in Toledo, I get up super early Monday morning to take a bus to Madrid. There begins the first of my problemas. I learn that the flight is delayed two hours because of, yep you guessed it, the earthquake, which I later learn killed more than 250 people (had I known that when I was flying that morning I would have freeeaked.) Not a problem, I think, since I have a 2 hour and 35 minute layover in Rome. But the idiotman at the Alitalia counter in Madrid tells me I need at least 45 minutes to connect. Which I later realize is something he completely confused. Checkout closes 45 minutes prior to the flight, but I can check in to both right there at the first flight. What an idiot. So he tells me I am booked instead for a 9:30pm flight to Florence from Rome. Whatever.
I get to Rome (landed 10 min early, so obivously could have connected to my original flight) and enjoy white wine while peacefully readying my book for the several hours I had to kill (Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides- definitely recommend.) I get to the gate to board only to be told (whilst everyone and their mom is screaming and cursing in Italian, Chinese and I think every other language but English or Spanish) that our plane has something wrong with it and that we might have to be transported by bus that night, which would take us to Florence at like 4am. Finally, they say the plane is OK and that we can board (after like 15 mintues?! I am nervous to say the least and sure that I will die in some kind of freak plane crash.) We board and land safely in Florence (after a day of 14 HOURS of traveling) and I share a cab with some nice American boys downtown. Finally I get to meet Colleen and Patee at their adorable apartment. It has been SO long since I've seen them!
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