add another stamp to the passport

today started out like any normal day. wake up. shower. breakfast on the go. class. but it ended much different.

class was shorter than usual. we talked about cherry orchard. and then about travel week. our directors are very good at trying to instill fear into our little hearts. they do a fairly good job i must say. the best part was when phil taught us how to say leave me alone in french followed by how to say f-off, if they dont leave after the first one. i died laughing. 

we then rushed home to pack, get ready, and say goodbye to people. and then it was off to victoria station. we made a pit stop at tesco for some last minute chocolate. i got a kit kat, i heard they were supposed to be better here but i think i like the ones in america better. and some cadbury eggs (still on sale) for the week in italy. at victoria we tried pastys for the first time. they are kind of like a calzone but have mushy yumminess inside. they were delicious but way hot (temperature wise) and afterwards we were soooo full.

the group.

on the gatwick express the people next to us were speaking what we think was italian which made our excitement even greater. i passed out on cali's shoulder about ten minutes in but woke up when i got run over by the drink cart. silly me. my leg was poking out and i didnt know to move it. when we got off the train and into the station who did we run into but phil, rodger, and delys. we realized in that moment that we would have a very different relationship with them after this trip. phil is hysterical and will use antibacterial wipes all the time to avoid getting sick. and roger will just make fun of him like no other. it is amazing.

trying pastys

i love this girl. we are cool.

we made it through passport check just fine, but i got stopped at security and was patted down. my first thought. hysterical. once in we realized we had an hour before we would even find out what our gate number was, but luckily gatwick basically has a mall in it so we went exploring. cali and i found some computers with internet and being the ridiculous girls we spent a pound to be able to go online and say goodbye one more time. silly. yes. we then had a major dilemma on whether or not to get cadbury egg mcflurries, but we finally went and they didnt have cadbury which was the saddest. and cali thought i was ridiculous. other side note about gatwick. the bathrooms were amazing. they smelled like tropical fruit and were painted to look like an island. i was in paradise. literally. we also went into a few stores, where we found the most expensive clothes i have ever seen. honestly who buys expensive clothes in an airport.

yay for internet computers giving one last chance to say goodbye

sad to be with no contact for the week

but so so excited to be going to ROME

cali's 249 pound shirt/dress

our gate number was finally posted an we made our way to the gate. luckily i had extra room in my backpack because you are literally only allowed one bag so you have to fit your purse inside your bag. and considering my purse is the size of china, i was very grateful i underpacked for once in my life. there was a mad line slash rush to get to the plane because there arent assigned seating, but it was exciting and we got to walk outside to get to our plane. there was a very attractive italian flight attendant that we all immediately swooned over.

waiting at the gate in the mad rush of people. not so happy to be standing for so long with a heavy backpack.

about to board!

the plane was exciting because they announced everything in italian and then english. i had no idea what the were saying. i loved and hated it at the same moment. feeling completely clueless was awful, and it made me realize what other people must feel like coming to the united states, but it made me finally feel like i was in a foreign place. the plane ride was grand. with sleeping. reading. and cadbury eggs.

yay cadbury. boo failing at eating.

we got to campino and the weather was perfect. we got off the plane and then onto a bus which took us to the airport where we went through customs. it was crazy. one minute there were a but load of people and the next everyone was gone. they were very efficient. after that we got on a bus which took us to the city center at termini train station which was a two minute walk from our hostel. rodger was a doll and wanted to walk us to our hostel. the hostel was wonderful, and we actually got upgraded for free. originally we were in a 6 person room, so there would be two random people, but we were upgraded to a 4 (so just us) and we had a bathroom in our room. it was grand. while were were checking in there were some people from london in the front room watching tv and drinking who invited us to come have a drink with them. we declined polietly.

our hostel

the room itself was great. we had bunk beds, i called the top and cali indulged me. yes, i am ridiculous and always wanted a bunk bed when i was younger. silly, right. i regretted this "dibsing" when climbing up and realizing how they were not very sturdy and very squeaky. and i mean squeaky. any time anyone moved an inch there was a lovely squeak. but it was still sooo exciting to be so high. the room didnt have any curtains, and either did the bathroom, but luckily it just looked out to an alleyway and the windows of the building across the way were frosted. when you flushed the toilet it sounded as if there was a waterfall- it scared me the first time, but it was cheap, and a great location, and the people were absolutely wonderful and helpful. i would recommend it to someone.

the very unsteady, squeaky bunk bead.

that night we went around and all talked about the blessing we had seen that day, and what we were grateful. i am always amazed at the blessings i can see in my life. that night cali and i did scripture study together because we only brought one pair of scriptures. it was wonderful. i felt like i was back at efy as we looked at the chapter and really studied it. we talked about what it meant to us, and person application. it made me sooo very excited for efy where everyday all day is filled to the brim with scriptureness. 

that night we fell asleep to the sound of squeaking beds and loud music from the club below us. a perfect lullaby