Made It!!

Woohoo!!! I have finally arrived at my destination and oh my goodness I have already seen and experienced soooooo much!

First off, flying out of Denver to Washington DC was no big issue - except that I forgot my phone in the car. I hadn't even reached the ticket counter before I was scrambling to call my parents to save me. They graciously turned around :)
And it seems that blunder got it out of my system and the rest of the morning went by smoothly. I even got to see a movie on the flight (an unexpected surprise!) about that whale family trapped in Alaska!

It was very sweet, in case you were wondering.

The real biggie was in DC when right as people - myself included - were hopping up to get on the plane to Zurich, it was announced that the flight would be delayed due to a sudden problem - the airconditioning went out and we had to change aircrafts. But despite the 3hr wait, groans, and a long trek to another gate, we all made it safe and sound.  

Actually, the long delay allowed me to focus in on what I enjoy about 'the airport experience' - not just the smell of luggage, re-circulated air, kiosk after kiosk selling crap memorabilia, unintelligable overhead announcements, but my most favorite part.....the people watching!

Some of my favorites included an airport worker taking a nap on a conveyer belt (don't worry, it wasn't moving), a guy with a bad toupee...like-Donald-Trump-times-10 bad, a giant chisled Swiss who looked like he just stepped out of a GQ centerfold, a women with hair as big as her attitude who still hadn't taken off her D&G sunglasses last time I looked, two teen boys who strongly reminded me of Bill and Ted, a next-generation Tony Hawk who's skateboard seemed to be his only real concern, a guy who didn't have enough hands for all his electronic gadgets, a small, cologne-drenched fellow who's self-absorbed attitude would make Napoleon proud, two older sisters (whose makeup was only out-glammed by their dripping jewelry) who were dragging their loudly-snoring husbands on a French Riviera cruise, and a sweet elderly couple who would smile at each other like highschool sweethearts.

Indeed, it's already been an exciting trip.

But, if you can believe, it has only gotten better.

As soon as we got on the plane headed for Zurich I immediately flipped through the numerous movie channels we were provided - perhaps this was due to United wanting to assuage the guilt they felt at only allowing a foot of leg room in which you were to live during the next 6 hours. Nonetheless, I was thrilled when I found Beauty and the Beast on the list...and they had it playing in German too.


Yes, hearing Lumière sing "Sie unser Gast", Mrs. Potts serenade the dancing couple with "Schöne und das Biest" or even Belle cry out "Nein!" was beyond awesome and something I shall never forget. Equally unforgettable was landing in Zurich while watching the Swiss Alps fly by. Instead of Disney fairytale tunes, Julie Andrews belting out "The hills are alive!" played over and over in my head.

Once we landed in the Swiss airport, I was taken aback by the cleanliness of the facility. It was as streamlined, effecient, and shiny as a brand-new operating room. Even the staff seemed to have been airbrushed and sprayed with a heavy coat of sleekness. I mean, they had real-time images of Swiss watches projected overhead with departure hours. It was crazy.

Yet the party had to end sometime. With a delicious butter and 'brezel' snack followed by a cheery "Aufwiedersehen!" I finally stepped off that last plane (Oh by the way, "flight number" in Switzerland is "flugnummer"...and "airport" is "flughafen"...I have to admit I chortled a bit when I saw that). ANYWAYS, so once we got off the plane I stepped literally onto the Firenze (Florence)tarmac,  made it to baggage claim, took one turn and was outside of the airport. It's REALLY ridiculously small.

However, it pointed me right where I needed to go and I found my hostel pretty easily - the Ostello Archi Rossi. But, of course, as soon as I got in the door I beelined right out again to explore...
because no one wants to spend the day in Florence in a hostel - even if there is really cool artwork from inhabitants over the years...

And let me just say...Florence is way easy to get around. I literally turned a corner and voila! There's the Duomo...take another turn - San Lorenzo!, walk a few block, Ponte Vecchio!, Lorenzo Medici's library? just cut through here! and of course the Uffizi is only a jaunt away! ...I was almost ready to slap myself and make sure it was actually Kyla - the girl who often can't find the mountains in Colorado - who was here in Italy.

But it was! And I wept...okay maybe just got a bit misty-eyed. For heavens sake, there were cobblestones the size of suitcases and cars or mopeds whose daring feats of driving would make the best Hollywood stuntmen shy away...I simply couldn't forsake my eyesight. But it was beautiful and magical and perfect. The gelato glistened alongside Gucci purses while carved statues of the saints smiled down from their century-old perches as the bell towers chimed on the hour. Even my grocer-bought pasta salad tasted better in the Italian sun.

Oh man, I know I'm wordy and a hopeless romantic but I cannot wait to see what these next few weeks hold! Florence, I'm all yours!!

PS. I'll post more pics soon but right now I can't keep my eyes open...lol