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Published: January 20th 2009
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The picture I told you about in Los Angeles at the Tom Bradley International Airport. Getting To Italy Early Tuesday morning my twin sisters, my dad and I set off to the Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix, Arizona with all 11 suit cases to catch the first leg of our flight to Los Angeles. The excitement of knowing that our travels were actually in the present time now was consuming me. A big grin on my face was uncontrollable, we were about to embark on a journey that would forever change us. Our bags were checked, passports were ready to be shown for security and the only thing left were goodbyes. To my surprise, while waiting to depart my dad, I felt a big tap on my shoulder: my best friend Courtney came to see me off! It was such a bitter sweet embrace to say goodbye to my dad ad Courtney. As tears filled my eyes I couldn't help but think of how long 5 months was going to seem without them. After hugs and kisses were given all around and maybe even numerous ones we finally rounded the corner to catch our flight.
Lindsey and Elyse had such a glow to their faces and I can imagine
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My travel materials on the flight: blow up neck pillow, letter from dad, ipod, my journal, a book, ambien and dramamine. that is what I looked like also. Our flight to Los Angeles was good and short with just enough time for a refreshment and some a little mood music on the airplane. I listened to music that makes me think about changing, growing and adventures. It was perfect. We arrived to L.A. on time and immediately we set off for the Tom Bradley International Airport which was all the way across the other side of the airport. We stopped to get a photo in front of the sign and then we were off to the second leg of our flight: Frankfort, Germany. This was the first time on an international flight. There were so many different cultures, languages and faces on this flight. I looked around once I took my aisle seat sitting next to Elyse in the middle seat with Lindsey at the window (lucky girl). I saw so many different newspapers and magazines with different languages that I couldn't understand sprawled across the pages. I could hear the people behind me speaking in what I believe to be French, and I remember thinking, "When I get home maybe I will be able to speak another language (Italian)".
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Elyse playing her electronic Sudoku The flight went very well. The girls pulled out the sudoku and I listened once again to my music. A couple hours into our eleven hour flight they served dinner and drinks, I was impressed with how tasty the dinner was. Chicken in a brown sauce with rice and corn, rice pilaf and vegetables, a chocolate brownie and some Tillamock cheese was what they served. The option of fish had run out by the time they reached our rows but we were not disappointed with that. After dinner the lights went down, the voices lowered and there was a calmness on the plane. I took this time to pull out my letter that my dad wrote me and instructed me to open only once we were above the Atlantic Ocean. Once I could see the water I couldn't wait any longer to read his words. The letter was encouraging, endearing and it meant the world to me. The girls we asleep at this point so I followed in suite and took a long nap for the rest of the flight.
We reached Germany in what seemed like minutes after I had fallen asleep but in all actuality
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The girls are out for the count! Earplugs and all :0) it was 6 hours later. I was refreshed and excited thinking all we had left in this journey was an hour and a half long flight to Florence. I was gravely mistaken. Our seats were all the way in the back of the plane so getting off was a long drawn out process. By the time we actually stepped into Frankfort's airport we had 15 minutes to catch the last leg flight which of course had to be all the way across the airport, again. We ran through everything and everyone but our efforts were to no avail. Our flight had left 8 minutes before we arrived at the gate; the gate that we would come to know oh so well, gate A3. The next 10 hour span was spent eating airport sandwiches that were never found cheaper than 5 euros, drinking complimentary airport coffee and taking turns catching some shut eye on these very uncomfortable bench like chairs right next to our gate. There were 3 following flights to Florence that we could have possible caught flying stand by if everything worked out nicely, but of course after the first one failed and then the second flight out was
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The very uncomfortable benches we slept on in Frankfort's airport. full our confidence that we were going to get to Italy that night started to crumble. We had very helpful airport staff trying to get us on any flight but it just seemed impossible until the last moment. On the 9:45 p.m. flight (Our original flight was at 11 a.m.) we were able to slide on, all three of us! The videos posted for this blog and the last are videos of us once we were accepted onto that flight, if only you could see the relief we felt at that time.
Once on the plane the flight went quickly and we then had arrived in Florence, Italy! We got off the plane and headed straight for baggage claim like everyone else, low and behold we lost a bag. We preceeded to the lost baggage claim line and literally two seconds behind us were about 40 other people. Although we were 4th in line it took about an hour to report our lost bag and get the hell out of there. Finally we felt relief once we got in the cab excited because we were positive that we were going to be at our apartment in twenty minutes
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The light fixture I had to stare at for hours at the airport during our wait to catch a flight to Florence standby. and shortly after that sleeping 😊
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