After waking up at 8:30am to finish
packing I didn’t finish until I was practically being pushed out the door at
2pm. I would have ended up with no clothes if it wasn’t for the help of my mom,
dad, and Sara. So around 2 we
headed off to the airport, Hana and Grandpa met us there to say their goodbyes.
Took some pictures, shed some tears (on the inside only), and hugged it out
until I passed through security. That is when the fun began…
I boarded my plane to Detroit with
no problem other than my bag was too big, lucky for me the guy next to me
wanted to spread out too so I was able to have a whole seat just for my stuff.
When we landed I was still excited and not super nervous because I have flown
through Detroit before. This time I had 3 hours to kill so naturally I wasn’t
too upset about landing in the opposite terminal as the one I had to leave
from. Even after walking my normal slow leisurely pace, I got to the gate 2 and
a half hours early, so I sat there for a bit then decided to go get something
to eat. I ended up going to this place that is like a 50s diner, I got this
chicken tenderloin wrap but instead of a tortilla it was pita bread. That and
some fries and a corona to wash it down. It was delicious.
After that, a couple of bathroom
breaks, and a bit of wandering around, I went back to the terminal that my
plane departed from. When the time
came, I boarded the plane like a big girl and made myself comfortable…well as
comfortable as I could. The plane was really, really, hot, especially during
boarding. After that though I was so “comfortable “ that I didn’t move for like
4 hours. And when I did move, I sure felt it. I also noticed though, that on my
flight to Paris there was a whole group of Canadian rotary students so
naturally I thought of Sara. The flight was not only warm; it was pretty
long…not unbearably so but just long. I watched 2 and a half movies, Mirror
Mirror, 21 jump street, and part of Journey 2. I kept trying to sleep but it
was so hot all the time that I just couldn’t get comfortable…not that that is
unusual, I don’t sleep well in public, especially sitting up. I wasn’t even
drowsy until after we landed and we were taxiing on the runway for 20 minutes.
I felt like my mom on long car rides, I just couldn’t seem to keep my eyes
open.
Lets just say that as soon as I got
off the plane I was instantly more awake. The Paris airport has got to be the
most confusing airports I have ever been to. I would not have found my way if
the people at the desks weren’t so kind in answering my questions. First, I had
to get my boarding pass printed so while I was up at the desk, the lady very
kindly wrote down the directions to the terminal…easy enough, or so I thought.
Her directions were to follow the exit signs, passport check would be right
before the exit, then I needed to go upstairs and take the bus to my gate. Easy
Peezy. So I start to follow the exit signs but there are not really any clear
labels, not to mention the fact that I had to take a tram to get to the exit.
So I took the tram and continued to follow the signs for the exit. I followed a
bunch of people to the passport check and waited for what seemed like a really
long time before realizing that I was in the wrong line (the lines weren’t
labeled). So after line jumping I made it through…before you freak out, it
wasn’t like cutting in line, it was more like a merge. The good thing about waiting in line so
long is that I got to meet a lovely family from England or Ireland (I’m
guessing based on accets). It was a mom, dad, and two little girls, the mom
asked the dad for a tissue but he didn’t have any so I handed her my pack. Then
the youngest girl, probably about 3 or 4, said “Daddy she is really nice” then
she went over and said the same thing to her mother. I smiled and we made small
talk while waiting in line. Ok, so
after Passport check, I am still looking for the exit. This is probably a good
hour after I talked to the girl at the ticket counter. So I follow the signs
which take me to the baggage claim, after walking back and forth a couple of
times I finally found the way to the escalator that took me to the exit. Then I
had to find the proper gate so that I could take a shuttle to my terminal. On
the shuttle I meet this Spanish man, I think I made him think I know and
understand Spanish because when I offered him the seat next to me he said
“gracias” and I replied with “de nada”. Then he started to ask me something in
Spanish but I couldn’t understand it so I said “Lo Siento (I’m sorry)” and
shook my head like I didn’t understand. He was only asking if I was going to
Amsterdam and I told him Florence. That was basically it except for the adios
at the end.
So I get to the terminal and it is
out in the boonies so I am not sure what to do with the 2 hours of down time. I
was reading in my kindle when I started to get drowsy again so I decided to get
some food. There was this little café/bakery so I ordered Pain de chocolate?
And a diet coke which they call a coca-cola light. I took pictures of both of
these so check them out below. I forgot to mention that on the flight to Paris,
I also managed to spill something on my shirt and stain it yellow. Typical
Mary! Anyways. I waited some more and finally board the plain. I ended up
getting a window seat, which I enjoyed but at first I had to try to sleep I was
nodding off again. I ended up sitting next to a couple of Asian gentlemen who
talked like school girls. I don’t know what they were saying, and honestly I
probably snored through half of it but they did seem to talk a lot. They were
nice though so I can’t complain. I took a little nappy poo then had a coca cola
light and the snack s they give
you on the plane…unfortunately, I don’t have pictures but they gave us a
pack of breadstick type things with a pesto flavor to them, and a pack of vanilla
flavored cookies. I ate and enjoyed the view, all in all the flight was pretty
smooth.
When I landed in Florence, it is a
small airport similar to our old airport in Bloomington. We got off using the
stairs not the walkway, and then we were loaded onto a shuttle bus (it was a
tight squeeze with both passengers an luggage). Just inside the door was the
baggage claim (this was also really small so it was a mess trying to get stuff
off the belt). I got my luggage (it was there thank God), to find out that someone’s
bag of something liquid/ gel busted and got all over my luggage. Some on the
clothes insisted but mostly on the outside, I can always wash the clothes, I am
just glad that I had them. Then I thought I had to go to passport check but
they just waved me by, it was the easiest airport experience I have had.
Then I took a cab to the hostel I
am staying at (see pictures below) and here I am writing all of this to you. As
you can see, it has been a really long day!
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