LESSON LEARNED #1: Sometimes convenience trumps (or should trump) "cheap"

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My computer is telling me the time in California is 6:08 pm on January 10th, which means I have been travelling about 26 hours so far. I'd say my first day of travel actually went relatively smooth (sorry ma, no breakdowns in Paris like you were betting-but there still is time). Although I must admit I was entirely wrong thinking flying into London would be a better option for me. Don't get me wrong, taking the train From London to Paris,France (where I am stopped for the night) was not too difficult, and it certainly was nice to see the scenery I would not have seen had I flown straight to my final destination. But I have quickly discovered, train tickets- especially bought day of at the station- are not really the money saver I thought they would be. To save myself time, money, and a backache (oy my bags are huge!) I really should have flown into Florence, or even Roma, or alloted myself a little more time to get from London to Florence so I had a little more wiggle room with scheduling, and of course, to actually be able to stop and enjoy the journey.

Oh well, I will make up for the extra money I spent by being more frugal these next few days and once I am settled into my place in Florence, and I will be able to enjoy these places in a few short months when my wonderful boyfriend is here with me. And now once Peter is here I know a few more tips and tricks that I would not have known otherwise. You never learn anything new until you get out of your comfort zone, and you get stronger and smarter by learning from your mistakes. Here's to smarter travels next time!

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