I've arrived!

The picture below is from my seat on the plane. We're going over what I assume is Switzerland… so beautiful. You could see little towns.

It has been quite a journey already, to say the least. I met a few students already when I boarded the plane to Firenze from Dusseldorf (the Americans who are speaking English on the plane), but I felt a little hesitant. I took a chance and asked how one of the girls was planning on getting to the hotel. I was going to be adventurous and take the bus. I had done ALL this research and had ALL these backup plans and maps and was ready to take this on. But I thought it'd be nice to have a companion along, you know?

Needless to say, one girl already had a driver from a hotel prearranged for 50 euro to pick her up. Another one said she was going to take the taxi. I understand -- I'm a stranger, and I'm a 20-year-old that probably looks like she doesn't know what she's doing.

I decided that I was to stick with my dream, and at first it went great! I got my small carry-on luggage, while others were using carts and had difficulty lifting their luggage and walking 5 feet (I'm not exaggerating). I took my suitcase and took off. Left them, really.

Immediately, I went to the Aeroporto info desk, and asked about the Vola in Bus shuttle. Went outside, caught it right in time, and the driver said, "Sei euro." Good thing I knew some Italian!

I'm also glad I prepared. I validated my ticket and hopped on with all this non-tourists. Nobody had as "much" luggage as I did. Here's the view.

 

It dropped me off here, at the S. Maria Novella Train Station, and here's where I had a slight problem. I walk around for 20 minutes, talking with strangers while avoiding the sketchy looking ones, trying to figure out which line went to Piazza Ferruci. None of the lines had it, and I knew it had to be here somewhere. One teenage boy told me I had to walk. So I started walking, saw another bus stop, asked another lady, told me to go back to where the Vola in Bus dropped me off. She said a mini bus would come around and it would say Piazza Ferruci.

This is a picture of the stop where I should've stayed, rather than circling around for 20 minutes like a lost tourist. 

There was only one other lady there. She seemed a little on the sketchy side. Curly purple hair (but it was gray), maybe in her 50s, with a crazy art bag, and smoking. A lot of people smoke here in Florence.

I am finally dropped off at Piazza Ferruci, and was the only one on the bus by that point… 

 Beautiful, isn't it? There isn't anyone really walking around. This is not where tourists are found, which I loved. By this point, I've used practically every transportation vocabulary I know in Italian. Most Florentines know a little bit of English. I encountered a few that did understand English, but then couldn't speak it. Which didn't really help me.

So, after 30+ hours of not really sleeping, I'm finally making my way closer and closer. Here I'm crossing the bridge Ponte San Niccolo. Do I look pretty enthusiastic for someone who feels like a zombie? I also felt pretty accomplished that I made it according to plan. 12:30-1:50pm, including the slight delay and confusing bus lines.

Crossing the bride, I see -- the wondrous sign of the Grand Hotel Mediterraneo, where the flags are. I was so elated I basically ran across the street with my luggage!

It's so, so beautiful. I'm so excited to explore tomorrow!

I also found out that my home stay is with a lady, who lives only 6 minutes from the school. I can't wait to meet her, and apparently on the same street is a wonderful intense art gallery. I am so excited to be painting here. It's so surreal -- it feels like a dream that will end anytime. 

I'll be putting up more legitimate photos in the future (aka, the ones taken with my DSLR rather than my phone) when I'm not so sleep deprived.

Buona sera!