My first challenge arose rather quickly at check in, I checked my bag in (on par with weight) and sighed a breath of relief the first hurdle had been crossed.... and then attendant looked at my rolling carry on.... "now lets weigh that bag" he said. I have in the past ten years only ever had my carry on weighed in Florence, of course it was overweight (by ten pounds - blame the cheese my parents wanted) and he told me that I would have to throw stuff out. I started unloading my bag, out came the apples I packed as a snack and my sandwich I made for the airport while I waited for my flight. Under those I spotted the traditional Italian cake I had gotten for my father. It was a gorgeous piece of craftsmanship if I do say so my self, a masterpiece of chocolate, cake and hazelnuts. I gave a big sigh as a rather distastful plan started forming in my head.
"Here you go" I said to the attendant
"what is this" he asked
"Well, I was bringing this cake back for my dad but, my bag is over weight and I can't bring home anymore. I would much rather have someone eat it than just throw it out"
"Madame," he said looking skeptical " are you trying to bribe me?"
"of course not sir," I responded looking apropriately shocked "it simply doesn't fit in my bag any more"
He continuded punching numbers in his computer as I ruffled through my bag looking for items to remove that I wouldn't be too heartbroken to leave behind. I saw him look at the cake on the desk next to him thoughtfully every once and a while as I futzed around with my bag. After a minute he said to me "you can go now". As I turned away, I saw him put the cake on a shelf behind him.
I moved on through security with no more bumps, to the waiting room. Flights came and left and I was still in the airport my flight was delayed by two hours, but fortunately I prepared with fun activities so I wasn't too bored; Sudoku, my sandwich, iPod, games on my iPod, friendship bracelets, my apple, and the four hours in the Florence airport passed with no incident. I arrived in Frankfurt for my layover just 45 minutes before my connecting flight was going to take off. I bolted to the departure sign looking for my flight... JFK, JFK, JFK, I scanned the board unable to locate my flight to New York. Did it leave already? No, my flight wasn't listed, and I couldn't even find another flight back to New York at a later time, much less a flight to the US. I headed over to the service counter to try and rebook a flight back when the attendant told me due to snow delays there was no flights leaving Frankfurt that night. I sighed, I did only have 13 days with my family, but really there was nothing I could do about a cancelled flight so there was no point throwing a hissy fit about it (I am not so sure some people got that message). I can't tell you the amount of angry individuals who were screaming or being unnecessarily rude to the attendants at the desk, attendants who I am sure had full power over the weather and were just holding out on letting people get home. I met a really nice group of kids my age from Canada who had been studying in Norway, which was really cool. We hung out in line and had nice small talk until it was our turn at the desk, which took just under two hours, but its not like I had anywhere pressing to be. By the time I made it to the desk the line for rerouting flights was wrapped all the way around the airport and in my estimation would take hours to finish, because ALL flights were cancelled. I felt so bad for the attendants, people can be so nasty when they feel slighted, so I made sure to be extra nice to the man who was assisting. He was originally from Kenya, while he was processing my ticket he told me a nice story of his home town and how he came to move to Frankfurt ten years ago. Thankfully the airline was providing me with a hotel room and a voucher for dinner and breakfast as well as a transfer to and from the airport so I didn't have to sleep on an airport floor or spring for a hotel room. Before I left I stopped at the gift shop and picked up some goodies and a shirt for me to sleep in as my clothes were all staying in a storage bin in my luggage in the airport.
I went outside in the freezing cold to wait for the airport shuttle, after waiting around for a bit I saw a boy who looked my age and asked him if he was waiting for the hotel shuttle I was waiting for and he yes so we started talking about where we had come from and the whole way to the hotel. He was from Canada and had just moved into the city with one of his old friends and was loving it. He had traveled to Malta for the weekend for a family wedding and was on his way back home. It was really nice to find someone to hang out with as I really assumed I was going to be alone for 24 hours while I waited for my flight back. It turned out to be a great night, we sat together for dinner, which was again nice, I have no problem eating alone but eating with friends is always better. I tried schnitzel (which is totally gross by the way, its a thin slice of beef that is deep fried in a sweet batter) and a good German beer from the tap. The bartender was really nice and let me try all the beers he had in a tiny beer mug! The beer may have come from a Ramada hotel tap, but hey, it was still beer and it was still good. We ended up talking until midnight before I had to peace out as I had a 6 am shuttle back to the airport (lame sauce). Before I heading back to my room I explored the upper floors of the hotel first, there was a rooftop hotel that had an amazing view of Frankfurt(closed) and a pool with jacuzzi (also closed, not that it mattered as my bathing suits where safe and secure in Florence). I went back to my room to find the beer I had bought from the airport gift shop and I already knew I couldn't take it back with me #TSAproblems so I had to drink it that night because I was not drinking a beer at 5am. Then I realized the beer was not a twist off after tearing up my fingers a bit. I really didn't want to go back down stairs to the bar to ask the bartender to open my beer(even though he was really nice and I am sure he would have done it). when I saw the TV desk, on it was two beer glasses and a bottle opener, I couldn't believe my good fortune! Only in Germany would a room at a Ramada come with a bottle opener, and so I drank my lukewarm beer as I got ready for bed. Well, only half of it I was pretty full and the beer was really full bodied. They really do make beer better there.
The next day I woke up closed my bag and made my way onto a sweet breakfast buffet and then the shuttle back to the airport. The rest of the trip was smooth sailing straight back to New York, I slept most of the plane ride home so it flew by (ignore bad puns). Of course there was a huge line for customs so that took a while, but the line was always moving so it didn't feel too bad, but the line for non-Americans was even worse so I was grateful. The guy at customs didn't ask me how much stuff I was carrying over, what I had done abroad or how long I was there but he asked me if I had lost weight and asked me to take off my glasses so he could see my face. I was a little thrown off, I mean I was 17 when my that passport photo had been taken but I didn't think my face changed all that drastically. I guess it did, but I don't really see it. On my way out of customs I literally tripped over a girl. She was having a bit of a rough time, she had bags all over the place she was a bit of a mess and was dropping everything, and the heel of her shoe had fallen off. As I only had the two bags(my checked and carry-on) I helped her get out to the arrival area until she could find her friend who was picking her up. She had been studying in Florence through a different university and was on her was home. I didn't even have to look around, my dad was right there next to me before I could blink. It was so great to see him and we chatted excitedly as we made our way to the car.
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