Day 1 & 2: The Beginning

You know how Kristin Wiig relied on Scotch and heavy anti-anxiety pills to get through (or not get through) her flight? That was pretty much me, except minus the pills and plus the complimentary glass of red wine. I was SO anxious, nervous, excited, emphatic, hysterical, etc. We flew out of Chicago O'Hare Airport and our airline was Lufthansa (kinda like 99 Luft Balloons). Our first destination was Munich and then we would be promptly redirected to Milan. Originally we were supposed to fly directly into Genoa, our first destination, but that's the fun of travel, right? I was hoping to at least be in Germany long enough to grab a beer, but I was sadly only there long enough to enjoy a complimentary tap water from the bathroom. The Munich airport was surprisingly not as German as I thought it was going to be. It lacked the strong and delicious smell of bratwurst and sauerkraut and instead was packed full of little boutiques and an organic market (which was cool enough).
 Things I learned on the first plane ride:
Jet lag is real, and it sucks. And it really sucks.
However, there were some perks to this first plane ride:
       1) the movie selection--not too shabby Lufthansa, not too shabby. Free movie selections, most of which were in English. I watched The Great and Powerful Oz, it was just ok.
       2) the CD selection--also pretty great. I happily discovered a new artist I love on this trip, Leslie Clio. She's so unique that I can't really even compare her to anybody else. But if I had to she would be a mash up between Robyn and Adele? They also had Mumford & Sons which I used (along with copius amounts of German coffee) to keep me awake & pumped up for the rest of the day!!
       3) also a thoughtful amenity, a blanket. Especially because I was the dummy who work shorts--everyone is wearing pants here, and when I say everyone, I mean EVERYONE.
       - P.S. there was a pillow provided, but it was tiny, mushy, and all-together insufficient to my needs, so no shout out for you tiny and crappy pillow
       4) the flight attendants were nice, very blonde, and German
       5) by far the greatest highlight of the 9 hour sleepless flight was my uncanny ability--and sixth sense, really--of spotting the beginnings of a sunrise through the sealed shut windows. I was lucky enough to have a window seat, so of course I snapped a few pics. I don't even care if they aren't cool, I like them. I think what also made them spectacular is that it happened over the wide expanse of the Atlantic Ocean.

We stopped in Germany all of 20 minutes. I got free coffee, free water from the bathroom, and got free German chocolate, which I used as both a supplement for lunch and an incentive to stay awake on the train from Milan to Genoa. Needless to say, it didn't work.
We flew over the Alps, as Milan is very close to the mountain range. To see the snow-capped mountains peaking through the immense amount of clouds was spectacularly beautiful.
Also, this smaller jet ride was a little more rough, however, it was more comfortable which prompted a little sleep, but not much.

Even though it would have been far more convenient to take a plane directly to Genoa, it was far more valuable to detour through Milan and take the train through the Italian countryside. I've seen inequality, poverty, graffiti, a fast-paced atmosphere that is city life, and the Italian culture's constant need to appreciate the old with the new. One minute you would be staring at a large, ghetto-like apartment complex, and the next minute you would be viewing a quaint farm snuggled within the large mountainous terrain of Northern Italy. It was breathtaking.
I've appreciated having Professor Britton in the trip with us, and now understand the need to familiarize myself with both the Fench and Italian languages in order to successfully navigate on our own, eventually. Luckily, a few kind people, including a Roman Catholic Priest on the train with us, were nice enough to help us understand where to go in English.

I am now going to dedicate the next blog to Genoa...the food especially, as I feel it deserves a great deal of attention. Plus my thumbs are starting to go numb because I am blogging via iPhone, which requires a skill and patience I have not yet mastered...especially at 4AM Italy time.

Ciao Bellas,  I will write again tomorrowZ