Twelve hour flights are like mini vacations of their own when you're used to flying with young children. I'm writing this final blog entry from the plane, and thinking someone should start a sensory deprivation service where you pay to get locked in a room with white noise for a certain number of hours (or until you get all of your goals accomplished). So far I've mapped out lesson plans and brainstormed for Challenge A next year. I've written out a menu and grocery list for when we get home, worked on my last nanowrimo book, written several emails, read a book, watched two movies and took a nap. It's glorious.
Our flight left 4pm and we had a shuttle ride to the airport at 1pm. Hayley and I had a goal this whole trip of stair shuffling up every available stairs we could find (where it was not irreverent or inappropriate). The Spanish steps were the final goal. The ultimate prize. The problem was the spanish steps were always packed with people, so we got up at 6:30 this morning and hustled up there... we even got Trinity to join us. Rome in the early morning is perfecto. Bright sunlight and the city is empty. Not only did we see (and stair shuffle) up the Spanish steps, but we also went to the far (ancient) northern gates of the city and explored Piazza del Popolo. From there we popped back down to the Trevi Fountain and did some shopping and got some breakfast gelato. The whole early morning escapade took little over and hour and would normally have taken 3 to 4 hours.
Everyone was finishing up their last min shopping, pizza eating and gelato consuming. Some of us popped back down to St. John's and the Holy Steps. I prayed up them this time and it was the perfect way to end a perfect trip.
Although I forewent both breakfast and lunch, we got to the airport late, and there are limited food options on this plane so I have gotten to the stage of hunger where I'm chewing madly on gum and fantasizing about fish tacos.
