7:43am
Currently: On TRENITALIA headed northwest to Rome, Italy from Bari, Italy

It is about 8 am and I am on the train headed to Rome. We departed from Bari at about 7 this morning where Megan and I were lovingly sent off by Michele with cappuccinos and croissants for our 4 hour journey to the capital city in Italy. Sorry if this post is repetitive, but I finally have a chance on the train to write about the past week. The next couple of days are going to be filled with a lot of sightseeing, as we have more than 5 places to see in Rome before our departure Monday evening. We will be meeting up with Melanie around 7:30 this evening. She is coming in from L.A. and will be joining Megan and I for majority of the last half of this trip.

We left Aarhus on Friday the 19th. I got about 2 hours of sleep because of the celebration that took place the previous night. Meeting so many great people in Denmark made saying goodbye difficult, even only after 2 days. I made some good friends and luckily I can now travel to France, Spain, Canada, and Croatia to visit them. We took a bus 2 hours to the airport, and flew Ryanair to Milan. I sat next to an Italian man who insisted on the window and got up every 10 minutes, even though the flight was only 2 hours. I’m sorry to say, but he was obnoxious. If you have a small bladder, sit in the aisle. Well, it was a journey, but regardless, we made it to Milan.

Milan was a small city, but still vibrant and very beautiful. It was far from what I expected, mostly because I know Celeste, and was expecting an energetic atmosphere with a crazy night life and tons of different things to do. We still managed to have a blast and make it to all of the main attractions. Milan is one of the largest shopping destinations in the world, which was made very clear when we took a stroll down one of the streets filled with designer brands, Ferraris, and women wearing fur coats with way to much makeup on. It was still beautiful and memorable.

Spending Christmas with Celeste and her family was unforgettable. We participated in the traditional 13 course Christmas Eve lunch that began at 9am and ended around 11pm. It was delicious. Christmas day also included a lot of food, family, smiles, and laughs. Surprisingly I only got a little sad once, and that was when I was writing to my mom wishing her a Merry Christmas. I can honestly say that I celebrated Christmas with the people and in the place that made me feel most like home.

During the evenings in Bari, Celeste brought us to some local pubs where we had drinks with her friends. The first night we went out, we were with her best friend’s sister, her name is Bianca and she is a famous Italian actress. I was told by Celeste, but didn’t know what to expect. It was definitely an experience to see traffic stop, people scream her name in the street, and of course to go to a packed pub and only wait 5 minutes for a table for 9. It was a lot of fun for us, but I’m sure very difficult for her to deal with. Anyways, we are arriving in Rome now...

I will write again after I can catch my breath from all the excitement.

but.....Finally we are on a train with heat, TVs, comfy seats, and lights…