February 22

Kelsey and I with our backpacks--the airline has very strict carry-on rules--ready to jet-set to Seville. Today, I had my first out-of-Italy trip! My roommate and good friend Maggie is studying abroad in Seville, so Kelsey and I booked a trip to visit her within 3 days of getting to Italy. It was a bit of a Planes, Trains, and Automobiles-esque experience getting there. We needed to walk to the train station to get a bus to Bologna, fly to Seville, get a bus in Seville, get a bus transfer, and then walk to our hostel. Sheesh! Well, I started off on a bad foot when I realized I reserved my bus ticket for 14:00, mistaking it for 4:00pm. Luckily, the bus driver let me take the later shuttle, no problem. Upon arriving to a blizzard in Bologna, Kelsey and I had to walk to a separate terminal to have our passports checked through slush. After delays in boarding our flight, we sat on the runway for 3 hours, waiting for the plane to be de-iced. We arrived in Seville at 1:30am, missing all remaining airport shuttles to the city. A quick cab ride, though, put us right at our hostel--which was fabulous and filled with all kinds of travelers. We arrived at 2am and were happily greeted by a friendly attendant and a "Welcome Caroline & Friend" sign. I made the reservation, so we laughed that Kelsey got knocked off the board.