And so it begins...

Ciao friends! 

I was hoping that this post would be full of fun stories of my travels and flights... And it looks like you're in luck!! It's worth the long read! 

To begin, I woke up at 5:30am even though I didn't have to wake up until 6:30am...I was pumped from the moment I opened my eyes and I couldn't wait to begin the journey. At the airport I proceeded to check in, and with my luck with baggage fees from the past, It turns out my bag was just 5 pounds over the limit, therefore I had to fork over a whopping $100 as a fee! It's only 5 pounds, not 20!!! I think it's absurd I had to pay so much but oh well! I didn't have time to try and bargin with the lady so I went on my way to security. At security, I ran into my orthodontist while going through the line! That was funny and somewhat strange encounter! 

Now it's time to get on the flight and we are all ready to go, everyone is on and seated and we are just sitting. 10 minutes, then 20, then 45 minutes go by and we still haven't left the gate! They said that there was a problem with one of the seats, and they needed to fix it before we could take-off. Meanwhile I am wondering why this "fixing" hadn't taken place BEFORE we all got on the plane?! The saying "Patience is a virtue" kept going through my mind!

Finally we take off, and the guy next to me, who is 40, starts talking and he is from Scotland, and has a very think accent, so I have to really pay attention to understand him. He took out the Menu and asked me if I wanted a drink, and that he would pay. Free drink? Why not!? So he ordered a vodka and orange juice for me (Screwdriver) and a beer for himself. The flight attendant looked at him and was like "you want vodka and a beer?"... Not realizing the vodka was for me! The rest of the flight was good. First leg of the flight down. 

Because of the delay, I got to Philly with only 20 mintutes to spare, counting time to get from one terminal to the next, which took a while. I didn't have time to sit or get dinner- just walked right back onto a plane and took off! That flight went fast for me, although it was very uncomfortable and I didn't sleep a wink both flights!! ( I am feeling the jet lag already! Where's the coffee!!?)  

Got to Rome and everything has been simple getting around, thankfully. Made a few friends so we shared a taxi to the school so I only payed 20 Euros instead of 45! Whohoo!

I am all unpacked, and about to go explore the city- and grab some lunch! 

Thank you for all the prayers for safe travels- keep them coming! I have made it and I am safe. Mission: accomplished! 

Peace and Blessings!