It was the Best of Times. It was the Worst of Times.

So my flight was canceled, but good ole Delta was going to check my luggage straight on into Milan, Italy so that I wouldn't have to deal with it at JFK. Unfortunately, something got lost in the translation and the baggage didn't make it with me on the flight. So there I was in Italy for 4 days without luggage!

I will admit that the first day I was really upset. I called home and cried. I was jet lagged and wanted to take a shower, but I had nothing to change into. (No I didn't pack extra clothes in my carry-on. I'm not a girl scout.) I was rather humbled when I had to wash my clothes in the sink with a Tide packet! The hair dryer became my clothes dyer. I got real inventive!

Luggage or no luggage, I was bound to have a good time! And a good time I did have! I shopped in Venice, rode a gondola through the Grand Canal while an Italian singer and accordion player accompanied us. I stood in awe at the site of Michelangelo's David and Sistine Chapel. I stood in St. Peter's square and witnessed the Pope give his weekly blessing to the people. I held up the leaning tower of Pisa. I fought a lion in the Coliseum. I met with ancient Christians in the catacombs, and unearthed the lost city of Pompeii. Words can't describe the grandness of the trip.

4 days into the trip my luggage finally arrived. I ran through the hallways of the hotel announcing it's safe return to me. I think everyone was just as excited as I was. Finally they wouldn't see me in the same clothes! (Not really, my awesome roommate shared some with me.) Then the next day I developed a cough. I wouldn't let it hold me down though. One night I did go to bed early instead of staying up and playing Mafia until 2:00 am like every other night. However, I was still up and raring to go for all the day stuff.

Then the trip was finally over and we were to head home. From Rome to Milan I got stuck in the very last row of the airplane behind a group of Italian High School students. They were so loud and obnoxious. With little sleep, it didn't take long for them to irritate me. The ride from Milan to New York was good. My friends and I were able to get seats all together, so we laughed and talked for most of the way home.

The story goes down from here. At JFK, my plane got stuck on the tarmac for oven an hour. That made my plane late for my connecting flight in Cincinnati to Jackson, MS. Just as I reached the gate, my plane had departed. So instead of getting home at 9:30 on Monday night, I had to spend the night in Cincinnati. I ended up getting home about 1:00 pm Tuesday afternoon.

So Italy was the best experience of my life. The airport system was the worst experience of my life. If I had to do it all again, I would. Except this time I would pack extra clothes in my carry-on!