Giorgio and I left Mantova at 6 am and got to the Venice airport at exactly 8am. The night before, he showed me how to put the boarding pass on my phone as he didn’t have a printer at home (no one in Italy does!). I am just so technologically savvy! With a little help from my friends, of course.
On the way to the airport, I watched a spectacular sunrise in the east. I would have photographed it but G was driving too fast. I told him to just leave me off in front of the airport but he wouldn’t hear of it. He found a parking space literally right in front (he has the same Parking Karma as Charlie) and insisted he would carry my luggage to the gate. He was amazed I spent 5 weeks in Europe with just carry on. He tells me next time I must teach Sara how to pack light.
He, of course, could not carry my luggage to the gate so we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. He is such a wonderful human being, generous with his time, smart and very funny. I miss him already.
The flight was pretty uneventful, I ate too much, I alternated between napping and watching 2 really awful movies. I had enough time to watch a third but decide not to risk it. It would be more interesting to just stare at the seat ahead of me. And think.
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I’m home, my plane arrived 20 minutes early, I was the first person off the plane(!) and there were no lines at Passport Control. I breezed out of the airport in record time and Kate was waiting for me. It was all too easy.
I texted my family in Italy that I was home and got some really sweet messages from them. Federico told me to start planning the next trip. Now.