Reunited... and it feels so good!

We departed the hotel on time Sunday morning and made our way to the Florence airport. Our taxi driver was quite chatty and kept us entertained until we reached our destination.

International travel is a game of hurry-up-and-wait, arriving 2 hours early to get checked in and then wait until the shuttle takes us to the plane... late. It was a short hop over to Paris, only a couple of hours. As we got close, our concern began to grow. We were touching down as our connection began boarding. Not good. We had to deplane, board the shuttle and ride from Terminal C? to 2E, get through immigration, through security, and make our way to our gate. Thank goodness we didn't have to pick up our luggage and recheck it.

The first snag came when there were two signs to Terminal 2E, each pointing a different way, but we didn't realize that until we ran down one hallway, up the steps, and back down the hallway only to find the line for immigration at the top of, yes, an escalator. The second snag: We stood in one line for immigration while we watched the guard guide at least 10 people through from the other line before Scott tried to step forward to the window. The guard made him step back and let another person from the other line through. Then Scott went. Then I had to wait for 3-4 more from the other line before I was able to go. The third snag: Security. Enough said. Laptops out. Liquids out. Belts off. Shoes off. Come on! No time to put the belt back on, so I ran with it in my hand. The fourth snag: Air France staff were incredibly polite and helpful. Shocker. So nice that each gate employee would yell at us to ask where we were going. "Philadelphia!" Then they would yell back: "You'd better run, they're calling your names!!" Yea, no shit! That's what we were doing before you yelled and stopped us!

Last snag: Our luggage didn't get the message to run and spent the night in Paris. In fact, one of my bags like Paris (or Philadelphia) so much that it didn't get home until this morning. Such a rebel!

I have been reunited with my black jacket, my Tuscan cookbook, my parmesan cheese blocks, my study abroad notes, and my dirty clothes. Now all is right with the world. Happy Thanksgiving!