Monthly Archives: January 2015

Day three – Rome

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Good morning!

Waking bright and early we went to the train station to get our Roma Pass. With free entry into two museums and access to all city transportation it was a deal we couldn’t pass up. With a map in hand we headed towards the Colosseum. On our route we ventured inside Santa Marie Maggiore.

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The church is one of the four major Basilicas in the world. It had the most beautiful tile work and these huge columns running the length of the inside.

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The Colosseum is every bit as big and grand as you expect. Even though the structure has clearly not aged well the feeling in the air still feels special. Alison made the joke that maybe we should have started elsewhere because how would we ever beat this?! After declining numerous offers for private guides we used our pass to skip the line and found ourselves overlooking history. It is so easy to imagine and visualize what the people would have experienced.

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Walking across the road we passed the Arch of Constantine and entered the Foro Romano, or the Roman Forum. This would have been the hub of both government and general business. Philosophers would have also wandered the cobblestone paths. Palitine Hill (housing for the most part) was beautiful and the foundations for many of the structures remain intact.

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We had lunch at this small Pizzeria and took advantage of the free wifi to map out our next stop.

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Next stop Palentine Hill which had a museum and some (insert another world for beautiful) art. I bought the audio guide which was quite helpful as a lot of things we had no background on.

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A walk to the metro and we were back at our hostel. Exhausted and sore but SO ready for another day!

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Day two – Airports Again

After an early morning landing in Dublin, Alison and I were pretty tired. Turns out it is much more difficult to sleep on the plane then I originally thought. After going through customs and getting our first European stamp in our passport (eee!) we beat feet to some couches and took turns napping.

Our flight from Dublin to Rome was a quick one with only little turbulence. With a big bounce upon landing we were in Rome! A stop to pick up our backpacks and a pass through customs we were finally there, to sit on our thrones as the Kings of Belle Aire. Wait. That’s another trip.

We hopped on a bus which took us to Tremini Station. Missing our umbrella and rain jacket, Al guided us to our hostel and we checked in! After some awkward silence in our room we unpacked, made our beds, and fell asleep.

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Day one – Airports

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Hi all!

This morning we woke woke up at Hotel Stoltman in suburban Troy and after a delicious complimentary breakfast of toast (with strawberry jam!) bagels and fruit, we were on our way to the airport. Cait volunteered (or was coerced) to drive us since our flight was moved. She is quite possibly the best person I know, and I know a LOT of fantastic humans. She gave us a letter to read while we were waiting and inside was…

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So many laughs and smiles over our new traveling companion Flat Caitlin or #flatcaitlin (#flatcat?) as we will refer to her from now on.

In the time before our flight to Chicago we booked some more housing and checked out the city guides for our first three stops; Rome, Florence, and Venice. Our plane to Chicago was a tiny one with three seats across but our enthusiasm had no limits and we weren’t about to miss our first selfie on the plane!

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Upon arrival in Chicago we immediately started searching for the illustrious Garrett popcorn and after a couple wrong turns and a poorly designed map we found it! Yum. To get to the international terminal we had to leave the airport and re-enter. This meant the dreaded TSA wait…which actually wasn’t that bad but we did see some some questionable displays of customer service. Glad we only have to do that a few times this trip.

As I write we are munching on a turkey sandwich and chicken Caesar salad in a attempt to fuel ourselves without breaking the bank on airport food. As Al said, “On the bright side…its tax free!”

Our flight leaves in two hours and by 9 AM (3 AM our time) we will be in Dublin! Fingers crossed for good movies, decent food, and some restful sleep.

See you in Ireland!

Thank you.

Tomorrow is the day!

I woke up yesterday to an email from Travelocity saying our flight from Detroit to Boston had been canceled and rescheduled for Friday at 6:15 AM. Meanwhile our flight from Boston to Dublin remained on Wednesday at 7 PM. Instant panic. With only minimal stress and maximum pacing Alison and I were rebooked to fly out of Chicago.

And now here we are. I’ve said goodbyes, and see you soon’s. Some tears but mostly hugs and happy smiles.

To my kids and coworkers at the Y, HI! I can’t wait to see you all when I get back! To friends and family who encouraged and supported me in this decision, THANK YOU. I am so so SO excited. Deep breaths. Time to sleep.

See you tomorrow!

Ten days.

“Are you nervous?”

I AM SO NERVOUS. Gulp.

Alison and I discussed this feeling this morning.

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“Are you excited?”

I AM SO EXCITED. Whew.

Before I say anything else, let me make it clear that my excitement for this trip FAR outweighs my nerves. In ten days I will be on a plane to Boston where I will get on a plane to FLY ACROSS AN OCEAN and land in Dublin, Ireland. Another country. Another continent. Woah.

A dream is coming true.