March 29

3:50am. Yikes. What a terrible alarm time. I left Kelsey and Maggie to head back to Florence early so that I can greet my mom and grandmother when they arrive early Saturday! I am so grateful for the two of them. They are always down to try new things and I love having friends that are so easy to talk to. They were the best travel companions and I really think the world of both of them. Back to regularly scheduled programming:  I kid you not, I saw multiple people drinking a pint of Guinness at 5am at the airport. Hey, why be buzzed off of caffeine when you can just have a real buzz? I landed in Milan and took a bus to the city center to catch a train to Florence. I decided I would wait to buy my ticket at the station (as opposed to in-advance online) in case my flight was late and I missed my expensive train. Well, I got to the station with plenty of time, but the next two trains to Florence were all-booked. Never, ever did I think that would happen. I blame it on Easter weekend. I grabbed a plate of pasta and headed on a self-guided walking tour to kill time before my late train arrived. Milan had a few modern buildings, but I was shocked it maintains its reputation of being the fashion capital of Europe. It seemed too...normal...to be so embedded within the glamorous high-end fashion world. A speedy train ride later in a seat across from a woman who looked exactly like my Aunt Suzy, I was home in Florence. It was notably packed with more tourists than usual and the weather felt warm compared to the UK. Many loads of laundry later, I am laying in bed, tired to the core. It reminds me of the times as a kid I would fall totally helpless to sleep in the car after a long day and Dad would have to carry me to bed.