Airports and Scooters

WOW! I'm here and ready for bed?? It's only a little after noon and I'm spent. I guess that's like 5:00 am back in Texas.

My morning started off with a bang. Craig came to get me to take me to the airport and treated me to a Starbucks. Thanks Craig! I had a little breakfast at the hotel and waited for my flight. Once I made it to JFK I called Brian and told him I was there. We decided to meet in his terminal at 3:00 pm. I made the journey over there to meet him and ended up running right into him as he was saying goodbye to his parents. They were very sweet and wished us a great trip.

Brian and I decided to get me something to eat because I was starving so we got some food, a drink, and started planning our meeting time once we get to Rome. We've decided to meet at Treve Fountain at 2:30 pm.

Me and Brian at JFK

I sent him on his way to his security point and I went back to my terminal. I had a text to take for my History of Psych class so I go to it. Once I finished I put my text books in my prepaid Fed Ex envelope and sent them on there way back home. Won't be needing those books anymore! Whoooop!

While waiting for my flight, I met a very interesting man named Kyle. He was actually a captain for AA. We talked for quite some time, well he talked. This guy has lived an incredible life. He was born in the US but raised mostly in Europe because his father took a job when Kyle was young. He went to college in Florida, dropped out after finding "beer and other things" he said. I laughed. He originally wanted to be an engineer but ended up a bum living in someones basement and working at a hardware store. HA! He said eventually he got talked into joining the Marines, so he did and somehow ended up in the infantry division. I'm not kidding ya'll. So he did that for four years and later got married, then learned how to fly because his wife's father was a pilot. Well, the later divorced, he continued to fly, got married again, then divorced again.....and now he's homeless as a reserve pilot going from one airport to another and helping out some lady who bought a farm to retire on near DC. He's like her helping hand when he's in town...free room and board but doesn't get paid. 

I told ya'll he talked a lot. He ate a lot of beef jerky, gummy worms, and twizzlers too. 

Moving on.....I boarded my flight, it was a little late getting out. I swear, I always end up next to the smelly guys. This one was no different. It wasn't that bad but I could have fared better to say the least. I tried to sleep most the time anyway but it is so hard to sleep sitting straight up because if ya'll are like me, those seats don't lay back far enough at all to really "rest your head". I made it thru the flight though and once we started descending I really got excited. It was absolutely beautiful!

On the way to the hotel, after I found my bags and my hotel shuttle, I was overwhelmed with trying to figure out what to watch...the people walking, cars, or the dang scooters zooming by. One even scraped the side of the van I was in. It was unbelievable! EVERYONE drives scooters here ya'll. I LOVE IT! 

I'm in my room now and ready for a shower, but I have one final quiz to take for school. Once I get that finished I'm taking a nap....I called Brian at his hotel and told him we need to meet at 4:30 pm instead. I'm WIPED.....and so is he turns out. He was sleeping when I called. WHEW! Below are a few pics of my room. I'll take some of the view from the rooftop later. I'm very, very close to the Vatican and I am pretty sure I'll be able to see it from the rooftop bar.

My Room Key

View Out My Little Window

CIAO!!!!