Sunday, August 24, 2008

I made it.

I'm here. I'm finally here. I am so excited. I arrived in Venezia(Venice) yesterday after spending more than 24 hours in an airport or on a plane. I flew Continental from JAX to Houston and AirFrance to Paris and finally to Venice. They fed us so much and I got to watch Maid of Honor and half of What Happens in Vegas. The trip wasn't too bad, but I had a really hard time getting much sleep.

Yesterday, my first night in Italy I stayed in a very nice hotel called Venice Resort. I think it used to be farm houses, but it has been restored with modern details. On my return home, I will likely stay there again because it was one of the closest hotels to the airport, very quiet and it included a filling breakfast buffet.

This morning I took the train from Mestre to Vicenza where I will be spending the semester. It was a short, but exhausting walk with my 2 large bags from the train station to the hotel I will be staying at for the night. Albergo Due Mori is the same hotel I lived in for the semester when I was here 4 years ago. I'm staying in the room that my friend Meredith and 2 others stayed in. The guy at the front desk was the same, but of course he didn't remember me.

I just took a shower to wash off the travel and now I'm just waiting for 2 friends, Amy and Wonseo, to arrive from Milan. They also flew here yesterday. Tomorrow will be the first day of class which is more like an orientation and we will move into our apartment!


*I'm very grateful for the *one* gentleman in a striped shirt and plaid shorts that offered to carry my bags down the stairs at the Mestre station. So very kind.