19 January

Arrivederci Mummy

The final goodbyes were said to my family, and I walked
through the international airport doors by myself on the 18th January 2013 at 3pm, ready to start a new adventure as a 16 year old girl without mummy to hold my hand, like I know she would have been! On the flight I was seated next to 2 gorgeous girls that were also going to Italy- Baylie and another girl that we decided to call Peggy! We had so much fun flying 9 hours from Melbourne to Bankok with Thai Airways, I also had Tahlia from my school and Grace an old time friend that I talked to the whole way!

Sts Girls- Tahlia, Peggy and Baylie

After running through Bankok airport with Peggy and Baylie looking for Grace to say my final goodbyes we were now on the long 13 hour flight to Milan, 4 hours total was slept on the plane, not a smart idea for preventing jetlag! We were finally here in Italy we had to go to the luggage carousel without our Dad's there to lift off our heavy bags, and the 11 of us dressed in yellow got all our bags off eventually with many funny looks! After saying goodbye to Tahlia and Peggy, Baylie and I along with a few other got on a bus to go to Milan Train Station, here we met Silvia, Italy's STS co-ordinator who we sat with in the very cold station and helped us catch the train! I was on the train with 1 other girl from Australia, who got off 40 minutes before me! I then was all alone in Italy and was forced to attempt to use my little Italian that I should have payed much more attention to in class- I tried to enter the bathroom so I would like half normal for my new family that I was about to spend my next 6 months with, this didnt go as planned as I could not open the bathroom door and the whole train stared at me laughing at the stupid Australian girl. I got off the train in Florence, Italy and was greeted by Enzo, Sonja, Luca and Linda my "italian family" we drove home with many laughs from the language barrier to Città di Castello 1 hour away by this stage it was 6pm Italian time, and my 30 hour trip with 4 hours sleep had definetely worn me out