I made it to Rome

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Wow, I made it here and I'm exhausted more than excited right now but walking around the city after posting this blog will lift my spirits.

Here's what I wrote in my journal on the plane:
4:30am was wakeup time and I surely appreciate those who can wake up this early all the time. Emma and I drove to Seatac with no problem, checked my 20lb pack, and sat for a coffee at starbucks before saying goodbye. Of course, I cried and so did Emma, but I'll see her in a month in Israel.

I got on the plane and found 27G- a window seat- yes! I better enjoy it because I'm stuck in the middle from WA D.C. to Rome. I by mistake sat in seat 28G since the sinage was over both rows. To tell you the truth, this plane is ghetto, old, and gray. But as long as it flies, I'm happy. After moving to my correct seat, I found myself next to an older lady with a southern drawl from Virginia. She was here visiting her daughter for a month and helping with her newborn grandson. She says she can't wait to be home where it's "hotter than hell". So the flight sat on the ground with us in our seats 20 minutes past when we were supposed to take off. It was a nice take off with no bumps and now the map says we have 600 miles to go. We're flying over Lake Superior right now - it looks like an ocean!

My Rome flight was worse because it was much longer and I was sitting in the middle, but at least to nice people who didn't smell, haha. The veggie meal was absolutely the worst I've ever had and I could only muster one one small quivering bite of watery garlic orzo and a few peas. I listened to the radio music but it circled around a few times and also watched the movie Music & Lyrics which was pretty cute.

Finally after landing, I walked to the baggage claim and wait for my luggage but our flight wasn't showing up on the screens. About 30 minutes later, we find out that it's not at claim 8, it's at claim 3 or 4 but it wasn't even showing on the screens there. Luckily my bright yellow backpack stuck out amongst all the black suitcases and I picked it up easily.

Next leg of the journey involved me buying a train ticket to the main train station in Rome. I ended up sitting next to an Israeli woman and spoke some hebrew with her (what a small world!). I found my hostel with no trouble (thank goodness for a map though) however...my hostel is not amazing at ALL. Having stayed at a couple hostels in europe already, this one is by far the sketchiest. I arrive and the guy shows me my bed in a cramped dark hot room with about 10 other bunks. Hm....it would have been easier if he spoke a few words of English, but he didn't. Luckily I combined my French and Spanish words together to get the message through that I wanted another room. He showed me a much nicer room and I saw the lady put clean bed sheets on. I can live with that.

I see Marissa (friend from UW who's studying here in Italy for the past year) tomorrow! She and her friend are meeting me at my hostel tomorrow morning and we're going to spend the day together. I'm actually quite thankful for this because right now as I sit in the hostel's kitchen, I'm having a bit of anxiety.

But I'm safe and I think today I'll take it easy and find where a bank, supermarket, and other little shops are around me. I'll probably be posting here every day since the internet is free (a very nice bonus) and apparently there is free breakfast every morning too.

much love and thanks for the support and hellos
Myia

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Comments

[Jude Wilson]

You're on your way/ Again!
Hello Myia my dear! Glad you made it to Rome and now ..recovery from jetlag!Have a grand time with Marissa, please give her a big hug and hello for me! Please try to Sit on the Spanish Steps, throw your coins in Trevi Fountain, and walk into the Pantheon-- breathtaking! Hopefully you picnic in Ostia Antica, then the Fountain, the Steps and the Pantheon during passegiatta (italiano spelling notwithstanding) in the evening. Ciao! xxoo, jw