So Long, Farewell

Today is the day! After my 8 hour flight to Rome, and a brief layover, I will be off to Istanbul. I can not wait!

I was fortunate enough to get to spend my last two days at home with close friends and family- thank you all so much for making my last days at home special. I also want to send out a big thanks for everyone who called, texted, messaged or tweeted me wishing me well on my trip. Your good wishes mean the world to me. 

Everything since I left London has gone incredibly smoothly. The only blip in my plans has been the malfunctioning of my Kindle (R.I.P). Don’t worry everyone, I have recovered from the trauma. My Dad offered me his Kindle for the trip, and Amazon will be sending me a brand new Kindle sometime later this month. Dad, thank you SO much. I honestly don’t know how I would survive 4 months with only one book. 

My farewell was a lot more emotional than I thought it would be. I spent the entire weekend in a state of excitement thinking I wouldn’t be too upset leaving. I was wrong.  After an emotional goodbye with the Murrays, then again at the superstore with Rita, and lastly my final goodbye with my Dad at the airport- I arrived at baggage check in looking very teary eyed (actually more like I was hit in the face). A very motherly woman at baggage check assured me that everything would be fine, all my fights were, as of now, on time.  

When I presented my boarding pass at security the lady asked me if I was excited to go back to the homeland. Homeland? I guess she assumed I was Italian? I was surrounded by a big group of loud, hand waving old men - so maybe that’s what lead to her this assumption. 

I am at my gate now- Gate B29. You can tell right away which gate is Italian. It is so loud, and everyone is waving their hands around. I’m starting to get an idea of what my seat neighbour is going to be like.

One more hour until I am in the air! Hope the rest of my trip goes at smoothly as it has thus far.