Travis in Italy

Sounds like a good title to a novel, right? Well, after his adventures, he could probably write a novel, or at least tell me and I can write it on my blog! :) So, I just got off Skype with him and this is what I know....

I took him to the airport yesterday. We arrived the "mandatory" 2 hours early, got his bag checked in and walked around the airport til it was time for him to go through security. About 45 minutes before he was supposed to take off, we said our see ya laters and off he went. I left the airport and needed to stop at a store on my way home. In that time, the skies opened up and it POURED!! I kept thinking, oh, I should have stayed at the airport...there might be a delay.

After the unsuccessful shopping stop, I got home and quickly logged on to Skype and aa.com to check the status of his flight. In BIG RED LETTERS it told me that the flight had been CANCELLED! OMG! My poor husband! I tried calling AA, no answer. I rechecked his itinerary with his Mileage number and luckily it told me the new story. He was going to be going to Chicago, then to Rome. I knew he was probably NOT HAPPY at all. We had picked his flights so he wouldn't have to go west, to come back east. *this next part is from Travis* apparently, they got his baggage, he collected it, went BACK through the ticketing process (and oh, btw, they booked him on the chicago flight without telling him), BACK through security and got him on the plane. That flight was delayed about 20 minutes, but then they got off the ground.

Because of weather, and such, they had to make a HUGE circle over Ohio to delay their landing in Chicago. Instead of a pleasant 2 hour flight, it became a 3 hour flight. Not horrible, but considering he was only supposed to have a 1 hour flight to New York, that kinda stunk. Anyway, they got to Chicago and he boarded his next plane that was luckily taking off from the same terminal he landed at. That plane was delayed *this info is from Travis too* because some idiot luggage carrier ran into the side of the plane - the luggage door - and they had to make sure the door would close. After that debacle (like my big word?), they got off the ground and made the 9 hour and some minutes trip to Rome.

They landed (according the website) at 9:35 a.m. which is 3:35 a.m. here. I woke up at 4:30 and started Skype on the now "asleep" laptop. Nothin'. At about 6, I got a text from Anisa. She had gotten off of work, and had run home to take a quick nap before her Daddy got there. She got online and we talked for a bit. It was about noon there and she hadn't heard from him yet. She said she was going to get up, shower and go look for him. After about an hour, I texted her again. She still hadn't heard anything and I sent her directions to the place he is staying. That was 7:30(VA)/1:30(Italy) time. I could picture him lost, wandering around Italy, dragging his big ol' duffle bag around the cobblestone roads yelling for his baby. Possibly even crying a little, and he didn't take a pack of Kleenex, so he would have had to wipe his nose on his sleeve.

Still no word. I played on Facebook and my friend Mary Jo and I made up some of the novel I would write about his adventures (the lost, cobblestone and kleenex parts are from that).

FINALLY at about 9 (va)/3(Italy), I got a text from him. He had made it to Anisa's apartment. Safe and Sound and tired and grimey. He logged onto Skype and we talked for a little bit (that's how I got some of the adventure info). He was sitting out on her little patio outside. He said it's nice there, but different temperature. Things are shaded there, so even tho it's almost the same temp as here, it feels colder. Actually, right now, we're having a heat wave, so it IS colder there, but anyway....

Now, they are at Zeppelin, the restaurant where the team eats/works/schools. Travis is talking to the chefs, probably filling them in on every detail of his adventure so far. After the visiting, they're gonna go find the Bed & Breakfast (without the Breakfast) that he's gonna be staying at for the next couple of days, then I'm guessing he'll take a shower and a nap, maybe not in that order, but both will take place. THEN, they can go play. They eat dinner about 8, so that doesn't leave much time for too, too much, but definitely the shower and nap. :)

That's mostly what I know...most of it is what I can gather from the website info. A little bit of it was provided by Travis.