and when they came back up I was ready to go! I hated that my morning started out this way! I hadn't been able to check emails/facebook, take my time or anything. However, perhaps it kept me from being sadder...I didn't have time to be sad because the cab was waiting. So, they walked me to the door and Guenda said goodbye! We did the traditional hug and kisses on each cheek and I said goodbye to Lorenzo and I was off! The cab was downstairs and they had already loaded my suitcase in the cab.The cab ride was a bit scary! He was FLYING through the streets! I was a bit scared...he was taking turns like a nascar driver! However, he dropped me off right where I had taken a cab from the airport. I took a picture of the sign that said "Aeroporto Firenze"
and then I went inside. It is such a tiny airport! I asked the guy where to check in for my flight and he sent me upstairs. I had to take a scary elevator to the second floor because there were too many stairs for me and my 50 lb suitcase, plus two very heavy carry-on bags! Ughh that elevator was the worst I've ridden in a long time, but I made it safely to the next floor. Here I saw the "AllItalia" airline check-in line with a sign that said, "Amsterdam". I went and got in line. The lady asked me for my name and stuff to get my boarding passes printed. Then, she saw that I had two carry-ons and told me that I could not have 2. I immediately began freaking out. She said that it would be 80 euros to check the second one. I was slightly having a heart attack. SO, she said she would weigh them and see if they were under the carry-on weight. OF COURSE they weren't! The point of having two (and that Delta allows two) is that my suitcase wont be as heavy! So she proceeds to tell me that I have to check one of them and she can only put an approval tag on one. I tell her that my backpack is my priority, but that I cannot pay that because I am ultimately flying Delta and I booked my flight through Delta and they allow two carry-on bags! She said that I could try to get them through security and if they were fine with it, then so was she. So then she weighed my big red suitcase. Lorenzo told me last night that it could only be 22 kilograms (I think that's the right measurement). When I put it on the scale it was 23...I was afraid that she would try to make my life more difficult at this point. However, I think she was feeling sorry for me and she let it go without a heavy tag/fee. So, she said one more thing about the bags and I reiterated that I was not going to pay for this and she let me go with the understanding that if security wasn't okay that I could just come back and check the bag. My thought was, "security does NOT care which bags are mine and which ones belong to someone else!" So, she told me that security was not open yet, it opened at 5. I went and sat down just outside of security with some other people and ate my breakfast. When security opened, I went through with everyone else and OF COURSE no one knew or cared which bags were mine. I proceeded to the gate, which was downstairs with a whole lot of gates in one place (you took buses to your plane). I had a looooong time to wait, but there were others around (including some young American college girls) and some couples from Texas and California.So I sat there and tried to pass the time by watching the people. Then these two American girls sat down next to me. They were clearly not girls I would be good friends with, but their conversation was semi-entertaining. Then, they were sweet enough to watch my bags while I went to the bathroom. They asked me where I went to school and one of them had a friend or someone that goes to Alabama; however, when I told her I was finishing my master's she said, "oh, then you probably wouldn't know her!" We talked for a few minutes about Italy and stuff. Then, it was almost time to board. They finally called us and we had to get our ticket scanned and get on the bus. OMG it was SO cold and still dark outside! The bus was soo cold and crowded. They told us that if we had certain rows that we were to board from the back of the plane. It was a cold wait on the steps to get on the plane.
The plane was a 3 and 3; when I checked in they asked me what seat I preferred. I OF COURSE said that I wanted an aisle seat and luckily I got it! As I was sitting down the lady and girl next to me were being a little strange...as in they must have been mother and daughter and were just goofing off. The "mom" said, "oooh she's so lucky to be sitting next to us!" However, they were nice and even at one point the lady was kind enough to take a picture of the beautiful sun and mountains for me.
I slept a little bit on the plane, which was nice because I was so tired that my eyes and head were hurting...heck, at this point my body was hurting! Towards the end of the flight I heard them talking about their boarding time, so I looked at my boarding pass. As we were landing the pilot announced that the current time was 9:05; my boarding pass said that my plane to Atlanta started boarding at 9:10. I was having a slight panic attack. The lady and girl next to me had a similar issue and said that planes are usually held in Amsterdam for this reason and that the airport was large. We drove past both of our gates, so I knew I would have to walk a long way!When I got off the plane I started booking it immediately. THe departures board was COMPLICATED because it did not have the cities in alphabetical order and I never found Atlanta, so I had no idea what the status of my flight was!
However, I did take the time to take a few pictures and to buy some post cards. The Amsterdam airport was everything that Maria, Rebecca, Fiona, and Nathalie had promised.
It was truly like a mall and it was decorated for Christmas, which made me happy!
I also saw my first Starbucks in a month...which is weird, but Italians do not NEED Starbucks. 
They had a spa and other fancy pants things in their airport such as a meditation centre.
At the passport place they STILL did not stamp my passport (despite the girl on the plane showing me where they stamped hers on her way to Italy through Amsterdam)! I was SUPER disappointed about this! They were randomly stamping people's, but NOT mine!! Anyway, so then I stopped to buy some post cards; not knowing how much time I had I just made quick decisions and only bought two (one that said Amsterdam and one that said HOlland). The weird thing was that they scanned your boarding pass before you could buy anything and then the receipt had my flight information on it...STRANGE!! I also saw A LOT of tulip stuff in the airport...seeds, pictures, tulips on EVERYTHING...and those wooden shoe things (in all materials and things...houseshoes, etc.).I started making my way through the airport and I was so thankful for the moving sidewalk thingys. I made my way to my gate, which took FOREVER, only to get there and see that they had changed the gate. I had PASSED my new gate, by quite a bit.
However, when I did get to my gate, I was pleased to see a short line. I was also happy because I had to go to the bathroom at this point, but got in line anyway (and was pleasantly surprised to find a bathroom immediately after the security checkpoint). You had to go through security again, but first this man came and asked me if I was traveling alone. I said yes and he asked for my passport and told me to go to one of the podiums. I did and he lagged behind with my passport. When he met me at the podium he asked me if I had packed my own suitcase; had anyone given me anything to bring back to the U.S.; was I carrying any electronics used by someone else in the past few days; and asked me what I had been doing abroad. I explained that I had been in Italy studying the language and he said, "well, that must have been fun and exciting!" I agreed and he told me to have a safe flight. Then, I joined the line to go through the security machine. I had to take my laptop out, take off my layers, and my shoes and put it all through the x-ray machine again. I also had to go through one of those machines where I put my arms up and it scans my body! This actually made me feel MUCH better about this flight. I felt much safer knowing that everyone had to go through security again! 
Then we waited in a looong semi-slow line on the jetway to get on the plane. This time I was really far in the back of the plane, but it was the price I paid to get the last aisle seat a few weeks ago when I saw that they had rearranged all of the seats.When I sat down, the guy next to me was complaining about not having the seat he booked. I did feel sorry for him because he was a really tall guy and stuck in between two people, though he had requested a window seat, so other than having something to lean against, this wasn't much different. I was pretty excited to pick up the in-flight magazine and see that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II was going to be a movie option on the flight!! OH MY GOSH...this was PERFECT!!! I knew that it would pass at least 2 1/2 hours in a quick and happy way! While we were waiting to move and then take off, they came over and told us that the flight was 9 hours and 40 minutes...and thanks to the screens I saw that this was going to put me in Atlanta about 20-25 minutes AFTER I was anticipating (only a problem because it was one of THE MOST important days in college football...THE IRON BOWL!!!). So then they explained that after about 30-45 minutes in the air that they would serve drinks and then a meal (perfect timing because it would be right at lunch time) and then they would serve drinks throughout and then another meal and some ice cream about an hour and a half before the flight landed. I was already starving because I had anticipated buying a small snack in the airport, but didn't know if I had time.
After a few minutes, we took off. I was surprisingly calm about this long flight; God gave me the peace I had been praying for and that I knew others had been praying for as well. I was actually excited to get the journey started. I was SO hungry though that as soon as we could stand up I got a chocolate out of my bag...it wasn't much, but I knew it would hold me over until we got some pretzels or something! I was also anxiously awaiting the moment when they turned the screens on for the movies...HARRY POTTER!! Do not judge...I love Harry Potter! :)
So even though I was exhausted, I decided to watch Harry Potter and wait for lunch. I knew that it would come during the movie and that would give me time to eat and watch the movie and THEN I could sleep! I really enjoyed being able to watch a movie that would keep me entertained and distracted (though I really didn't need distracting in the end). A little while later, lunch came. THey had already served all of the vegetarian meals (a guy across the aisle from me received an "Asian vegetarian" meal that smelled REALLY good)! We had a choice between chicken or pasta again, and given that I'm not sure about airplane chicken, i chose the pasta. The meals are so cute...it was pasta, a little salad (much better this time), some crackers with a cheese block, and some little cookies. I also chose cran-apple juice to go with it!
The pasta had this weird spicy stuff on it, but it was good...it wasn't Signora Gabriella's pasta, but it was good! I ate most of the pasta, my roll, a few bites of salad, and then the cookies! :) It was a good lunch and I had been so hungry!I REALLY enjoyed watching Harry Potter again, but after it was over, I got comfortable and went to sleep for a little while. After I woke up I had some water they were offering and then decided to watch the movie "Larry Crowne" with Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks. It was SUPER cute and I really enjoyed it!! I love BOTH of them and so it couldn't have been too bad! :) The time on the plane really seemed to be passing quickly. However, I decided to sleep a little more. We had about 4 hours left at this point. I had written some of my Thanksgiving blog while I watched "Larry Crowne" and after I woke up I kept writing. I was determined to finish that blog on the plane! A little while later I decided to watch "Jumping the Broom"; I had watched this with Erin in Tuscaloosa and enjoyed it. During this movie they brought our dinner (by this time it was dinner time in Italy!). The food was a pizza (which was REALLY good) and an ice cream cup, which felt really good to my throat.
During the flight I had definitely gotten up quite a few times to go to the bathroom and to stretch my legs...which was nice! :) It was also nice that they fed us on Italy schedule because I was definitely hungry! However, when we got this meal, I knew it was getting close to time to land. I was getting really excited! They had given us a customs form at the beginning of the flight. I started filling it out then, but I finished it after I ate...I asked the nice flight attendant a question about it and then finished it (this guy was so sweet and had been speaking Italian during the flight to another flight attendant...I was impressed with how many languages these flight attendants knew). A man across the aisle was so kind to let me take a picture out of the window...which i always love to have from the plane!
When we had about 30 minutes left they told us to stay in our seats (normal).
I was SO SO SO EXCITED...however, the length of the flight and everything had not bothered me at all! :) This is a HUGE thing for me because I had always been SO terrified of flying over the ocean and of being on a plane for long periods of time!! I also took this time to put my sim card back in my phone. And look how many miles we traveled....I've covered a lot of ground on this trip!!! :)AS SOON AS THE WHEELS HIT THE GROUND...I called my momma and told her that we had landed! We were both excited!!! :) Then I called my daddy! :) Then while we were taxiing to the gate I called Erin! I was so excited to be making regular phone calls...and on my smart phone!!! :) WHen we got off the plane we went strait to passport control. I only had to wait behind one person because my flight was the only one there. The guy was sweet and asked me if I was traveling alone, and had I been studying. I told him yes and he said that it must have been exciting an an amazing experience. I agreed with him and then he asked if I had anything to claim. I told him that I had the jar of jam and the bottle of wine, but that was it. I told him that they were both in my checked luggage and he said, "perfect"! Right after this, we went and picked up our luggage. I had gotten a cart because everything was so heavy. Mine was one of the first ones to come out and then I headed to the next check point. There was a lady scanning our luggage and told us to put it on conveyer belt #1. So I did and then I headed to the next point. OOh and they had put a "heavy" tag on my suitcase...well, at least I didn't have to pay for it! My next stop was security again...computer out...shoes off...layers off...the whole shebang. After this though, I got on the tram and was on my way to the real baggage claim! When i got on the BIG escalator that I knew took you to where people pick you up, I could not stop smiling! I was SO excited!!! I was so excited and people would NOT get out of my way!! However, I got to her and we hugged and headed to the luggage belt. At this point we had already kicked off the ball...HOWEVER, I was happy that customs had NOT taken more than 20 minutes!!!
After I grabbed my bag off the conveyer belt I decided just to stop later to go to the bathroom and brush my teeth. We practically ran to the car and I loaded my stuff while my momma paid for parking. THen we were off...we were very impatient getting out...but we needed to get going so we could start searching for the game on the radio! I waited a while to stop for the bathroom, but we did eventually stop at a McDonald's and got a happy meal that we split and I had been craving diet coke (this was an experience though...I'm so thankful to live in a bigger city in the south...that's all I'll say...). At some point I randomly hit button on my radio station and it happened to be ESPN and they were giving score updates! THEN...we picked up Eli Gold!! We weren't even in Alabama yet, and we found Eli Gold!!! WE WERE SO EXCITED...however we heard Auburn had scored! BOOO!!! Then we just kept listening and hurrying. I waved to Erin's momma and daddy for her ;) and then we decided that as we got closer and the game was not nearly over, that we would go to Frances' to watch the end of the game! As we got to I-459 the 4th quarter had just started.
So we parked and ran in the house...SURPRISE!!! We ran downstairs and watched the rest of the game...there were Auburn fans there (boo...but they were nice)! There were some good tailgating foods (my body was so wacked out on food times, but the food was good!!). It was fun to watch the win with them! WE WON!!! It was awesome!! We kicked some butt and Rammer Jammer was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!! We stayed a little longer and man was Brad's couch comfy...but then we left.
We came home and I showed my momma and daddy some pictures and the things I had bought in Italy! I eventually went to bed, hoping that my body would sleep on Alabama schedule!!!
I WAS HOME FROM ITALY!!!!!!!!!!!
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