De Gaulle & Friends

My flight schedule seemed even more ominous the morning I was due to begin my travels. I was to leave from Pittsburgh at 12:00 p.m. in order to catch a connecting flight in Atlanta at 3:20 p.m. My flight across the Atlantic lead me to Charles de Gaulle in Paris by 5:45 a.m. , followed by my arrival in Florence at about 9:30 a.m. Traveling usually seems rather ordinary to me, filled with dull moments and sleeping with your eyes open, but this trip was unique. Perhaps one feels a little different when she realizes her life is about to change.

FROM THE
PLANE WINDOW

                                                                My flight from Pittsburgh to Atlanta would be a typical journey with little turbulence or issue. As the plane rolled towards the runway, I found myself smiling as my eyes glistened with tears. The smile, I realized, had been one of the most genuine feelings of happiness that I had ever felt. I vowed to myself then and there that this trip would be a trip of honesty, with no exaggeration or stretching the truth to make my experience sound perfect. I was on a journey to rediscover myself, learn as much as I could, and return to the States as a better person. 

I was thankful to have the window seat, brimming with sunlight and a window to lean on. I slept on and off during the flight, thinking about what would be in store for me within a mere few hours. It's funny to actually begin an abroad experience when you have been planning and waiting for it for nine months. 

A PERFECT INFLIGHT MEAL

At the Atlanta airport, I had little trouble finding my connecting flight. I boarded the plane before many of the passengers in my section, giving me time to get situated in my window seat. I felt proud to be so prepared this time, since the last trip had been a little hectic to find room for my carry-on in the overhead. Within a few minutes, however, my seating companion arrived. He asked me kindly to switch seats with another woman so that he could sit next to his wife. I hesitantly agreed, and, as fortune would have it, it was one of the best decisions I could have made. My new traveling partner was a beautiful woman from India, traveling from Atlanta to visit her husband in the south of France. We struck up a nice conversation, and I realized that her beauty extended to her heart within. She seemed just as excited as I was for me to study abroad, encouraging me to experience every bit that I could (safely of course). It was like I was having a conversation with a worldly mother, and I greatly appreciated her advice and support. Thanks to her calm composure and attitude, my first nine hour flight held no anxiety. The flight time passed rather quickly, filled with a decent meal, much needed sleep, and talking with my new friend. At our arrival in Paris, the woman hugged me and wished me luck. She made the first interaction on my trip such a wonderful moment. 

Once I was on my own at Charles de Gaulle, I realized I was out of my element. The airport was HUGE, absolutely the biggest I have ever been to. It took me nearly forty five minutes to find my terminal, which was a fifteen minute bus ride away! It seems that the airport is not one building, but several, one for each terminal, in fact. I wish I had been more prepared, but I made it to my flight in time. One bonus about being at the French airport was being able to hone my French skills a bit from my high school days. I realized that I had learned much more than I had thought.

The flight to Florence passed by quickly. Before I knew it I had arrived in my new home, excited and afraid. It was no issue finding baggage claim since the airport was so small. Unfortunately, my bag was not with the other luggage from the plane. I had had a feeling in the pit of my stomach that this tragic event would occur since I was traveling on so many flights. I marched up to the Lost and Found desk and spoke with the receptionist (luckily an English speaker). She said that the bag would be there by 3:30 p.m. (currently 9:30 a.m.), meaning that I would have to take a cab back to the airport in the afternoon in order to pick it up, which is rather expensive. My face lit up when she said it could be delivered to my apartment. However, when she realized I did not have a phone at the apartment, she changed her mind, saying that she needed the number to deliver my bag. No matter how much I pleaded, she would not budge. I was going to lose 75 euros on cabs just in my first day. I was not off to a good start.

I caught a taxi at the airport to my apartment. The drive into downtown was through a worser area, worrying me at first that Florence may not be as safe as I had previously thought. Nevertheless, when we crossed the bridge into downtown, everything changed. The beautiful structures and architecture that I had always envisioned lined the streets as far as the eye could see. Gardens, sunshine, rivers, everything and anything you might find in heaven glittered the "vias". I was dropped off at my apartment. My new home stood before me like a hidden gem on the cobblestone streets.


MAKE IT COUNT - R.M.S.