Barcelona, Spain

I've been putting this blog post off for too long now. It's time to just sit down and write it all down. Barcelona is a really cool, vibrant city, with something always happening. Kari and I decided that we will move to Barcelona when we get bored in the states. We did the whole spanish thing. We stayed out all night and watched the sun rise. It was on Saturday when we woke up and realized our flight the next day had been cancelled. If you don't know why, then you obviously live under a rock and didn't hear about the massive volcano that erupted and closed just about every airport in Europe. We hadn't realized how bad the volcano was. Northern Italy airports were closed. So, we were stuck in Spain. At first, I didn't mind that. But as our options of getting home to Verona were dwindling, I did not enjoy figuring out how to get home. Cameron and Brooke booked a flight to Rome and then on to Verona and when I went to do it, the Verona airport had been closed so I wasn't able to book it. Trains in France happened to go on strike so getting to Italy that way was no longer an option. Then trains in Spain went on strike. We looked into taking a boat. The boat to Genoa, Italy broke down. Really? Was all this actually happening. We went ahead and booked a boat to Rome and decided we could get home to Verona from there somehow. The only problem, we didn't know what this 'ferry' was going to be like and oh yeah, it took 18 hours on a boat. Learning that Italian airports were to open Monday morning, I booked a flight to Milan. As I was at the ticket counter checking in, they closed Milan. I knew of another flight directly into Verona, so I ran, literally ran to the other side of the airport to see if I could get on. I couldn't-the bag I had to check wouldn't have made it in time. So I ran back to the other side of the airport (yes, running again) to see if I could get something-anything. I did not want to be on a boat for 18 hours. I bought a ticket to Rome and then into Verona. Not too bad. Waiting at my gate, I watched the other flight that I had tried to get on get cancelled. So I knew then that the Verona airport had closed and I would be training it up to Verona from Rome. Easy. Or so I thought. After Alitalia 'Misplaced' my bag, I headed to the train station. Only to learn that all the trains to Verona were sold out. I was forced to take regional trains all the way and get into Verona at 12 AM. I could handle that. My first train I was not guaranteed a seat and I stood (with a nun) in between cars for two hours. I made it though. All of my trains were late and I ran through almost every train station to make my connecting train. I was on my way to Prato (from Florence) to connect to Bologna to get to Verona. My train to Prato was so delayed that I didn't get into the station in time to catch my train to Bologna that would allow me to get home to Verona that night. Thankfully, there was a train to Bologna later that night because after being told by a random I should just hop on a bus and watching a cross dresser stroll through the Prato train station, I knew Bologna was way bigger and safer. After learning I wasn't going to make it home that night, I had a mild breakdown. But thanks to my credit card ('preciate it Seany), I checked into a nice hotel in Bologna. The only thing missing was my plush robe and slippers. But TV in the bathroom, check. I slept in and cruised home to Verona Tuesday morning. I was thankful I wasn't on a boat for 18 hours and then on a train for 12. I managed to be the 3rd person back out of the people that were stuck in various places. I had never been happier to be in Verona!
I did not enjoy the makeup work we all were required to do, but all in all, I survived. And I'm even more confident that Seany and I would kick butt on the Amazing Race. Just need to make the application video...I kind of figured this out before, but this whole situation made my realize I have the best parents around. For reals. (how about that for a shout out)