SURPRISE!!!

HAHA! All you people thought I was going to Italy this morning. GOTCHA!

Well, actually, GOTME! too. We thought (because we apparently cannot read or understand written things) that the flight left at 7:20 AM, not 7:20 PM. Well, SURPRISE! We have finally been revealed for the morons we really are. Whoops.

So let me describe the scene for you. The freeway is pretty much empty, except for the occasional semi-truck. The airport is sensationally empty, except for the occasional international visitor whose flight just landed. There is NO ONE at any of the check-in kiosks for any of the airlines. And then there's us, my mother and father and me, with two suitcases (which are very heavy by the way, but NOT over the weight limit...HURRAH!!) a ludicrously heavy carry-on (which has all my books, notebooks, some clothes in case my suitcases don't make it on time, my make-up, and some other random things) and my new zebra print backpack. We look like death, as we've been up since 3:45, we're crabby and tired, and confused as to why no one is around. Hmmm...

So I text Alyse and ask if she's at the airport, because we were planning on meeting between 4 and 4:30, and it's already 4:45. No response. Hmmm...

Then I start talking to my dad about how long the flight is and what time I'll be there. He figured that I would be there at 2 AM on Friday, which I know is not right, so I get out my ticket and look it over. And then I see it. 7:20 PM. PM. Not AM. PM. Good Lord. I stare at it for a few seconds, in utter disbelief. Then I stare at it for a few more seconds and will it to change to AM, but it remains PM. Perfect. I look at my parents and just start laughing. This cannot be real life. Oh, but it is. I tell them and we sit in stunned silence for a solid half an hour with the occasional incredulous laugh to break the heavy silence. So what do we do now? Our options are: stay at the airport until the correct time, which is 12 hours away (this option elicited a very finite "NO!" from my mother and I) or call Jean Beaudoin the French Canadian at 5 o'clock in the morning, wake him up, and tell him how impossibly, embarrassingly moronic we are, and then beg him to let us take over his house for the day while his family is gone at work and school. Obviously, we chose option two. (We're not very tactful sometimes. Or maybe tactful isn't the right word; maybe the right word is respectful.)

And so I am sitting on Jean Beaudoin the French Canadian's couch, watching some tennis (Dementieva v. Bartoli in some random US Open series tournament), and waiting for 4:00 PM to arrive.

You can laugh. In fact, please do. It is a very funny situation. Unfortunately, my parents and I have not reached the point where it is funny yet. Maybe in a few days. It could take longer. Who knows? But for now I will nap some more and retain the thought that it's better we were 12 hours early than 12 hours late.

What a trip already, and it hasn't even technically started. The lesson for today: go with the flow, find the humor in life, and make the best of every situation...later flight = more sleep for me!

So long my darlings. I hope I've given you a good laugh this morning. I will talk to you soon, from ITALYYYY (for real this time)!!!!

Peace
Love
ITALY