Florence Study Abroad: The Long and Winding 18-Hour Road

So I finally made it to Florence, after 18 hours in cars, planes, trains, buses, and taxis. I'm exhausted to say the least.

Friday morning I woke up early and packed the remainder of my baggage. I got to the airport at around 3:30 for the international flight and my parents hung around to send me off, being all proud and parent-like. I've never been abroad, or flown alone, so it was a simultaneously scary and exhilarating experience.

The flight was 8 hours overnight, so I basically lost a night of sleep because we arrived 8:30 AM European time. Italy is 6 hours ahead of New York, so it was 2:30 AM at home, and I didn't sleep on the flight. I got one hour of fitful rest, then was woken by breakfast on the plane and a breathtaking view of the snow-capped mountains bordering Milan. Looking out the window literally gave me chills. It was like a postcard, unbelievably stunning. There were small ski towns nestled in the dawn darkness between the white mountains, and as we flew in, we saw the rising sun. I was reminded of the Sylvia Plath poem, "Ariel":

Into the red
Eye, the cauldron of morning

Once I got there, I waited at the airport to meet up with my roommate and some other people coming in on a flight after mine. We took a bus to the Milan train station, then a train from Milan to Florence (2 hours), then finally a taxi from Florence train station to our hotel. The trains in Italy are unbelievably advanced, far better than the ones in New York. They are high speed and very modern, but quite expensive. My ticket from Milan to Florence was 50 Euros. Another problem is how sketchy the train station is; there are pickpockets and shady characters around every corner, waiting to "help" you with your luggage or buying a ticket at the machine. But I have one thing to say about Milano Centrale: it's beautiful.

Milano Centrale

Once we navigated that craziness and boarded our train, I nearly passed out from exhaustion. My suitcase was bigger than me and had to be stored above the seats in racks. I was way too small and weak to do this, but a nice Italian-speaking man with his family was kind enough to help me get it up there and then get it down on my way out. Normally, I'd refuse this kind of help, since it could easily go wrong. But he seemed genuinely kind and helpful. And I definitely needed help with that bag.

I nearly fell asleep on the train, since it was so quiet and smooth riding. Luckily, I got off at the right stop and we hailed a cab for the four of us to our hotel. At that point, I deserved a good meal and a night of sleep. Three days later, I'm still not recovered from that trip or the time difference. At this point all of the days are blending into each other.

When I have more time, I'll post more about what I've been doing the last couple of days.