Vacation on my Vacation & Story within a Story

{So I'm going to Italy. 

Today. 

It's been a process let me tell ya. I would not have ever been able to do this without the help of my loyal companion Jacob. I wish I were perfectly capable to navigate from one station to another in Paris and ask for directions on how to receive our train tickets with less than five minutes to spare, I have discovered I am not that person. 

For those at home who really know me it will come as a shock, and distrust my conclusion, but as it turns out, when it comes to traveling.. I am a detail person *gasp*. Like actual details. And planning. And being.. On time... Wutt. 

I mean, my entire persona has not been compromised because, as it is, I have quite enjoyed the thrill of having no earthly idea on what we are doing and the foreign feeling of it all. 

But, alas, it is true. I have found the hamartia to my untimely nature. 

We are sitting in an airport outside of Paris now with no wifi, (this will be posted later) but as of now we are alive and well. 

(And having the freaking time of our lives)}

This was written 12 hours ago. Oh my geez a lot can happen in 12 hours. 

It began with a flight delay, surprise surprise, and lack of wifi. 

The lack of wifi affected the fact that we couldn't get a hold of the other girls in our group who were at the hotel all ready waiting for us to check in (it was on Javob's card). So we still don't know what happened to them. 

The latest check in time was midnight at the hotel we had planned on staying at (and had booked). As it neared 11:30 WHILE I WAS STILL FASTENED INTO THE PLANE I began to panic (due to the fact that our hotel was 30 min away). We got off, found each other and tried our best to make fast, smart decisions. 

The first step in this long line of logic and survival mode was to try and reach the hotel by phone and beg them to wait for us.

Only we don't have a phone that works here so that left us to the mercy of the two pay phones by the back door. 

It ate 1€ and each time I put in more it said it costed another and another. The other just didn't work all together. Having given up on this, we just decided to hope for the best and race outside to hail a taxi. There was a very long line of other clueless tourists. We were the last ones in the clueless tourists line. A single taxi came approx. every 15-20 minutes. 

Initiate full panic mode. 

At this point I'm not sure what I thought I mean besides, "dear Jesus I still trust you and all but uhh you are going to keep us safe right?" 

Jacob had wifi at that airport so he searched for a good half hour for hotels we could check into that late. We found a few (with my help) and just chose one. 

There was a legal line for taxis and a spot for illegal taxis. 

I counted three legal taxis all together. 

At about 12:45 I was set on sticking with the legal no matter what. By 1, as the line slowly got smaller, both taxis started to dwindle. When there were four of us left standing on the curb I was almost convinced that was it, we would have to either walk to a hotel nearby (this airport is not in the center of Rome it's on the outskirts, we were not in a city scene) or huddle together somewhere and miserably (yet adventurously) take on the night (as scenes of mafia crime flash through my head). 

After an eternity of waiting, one beautiful illegal taxi comes around the corner. Now I said there were four of us. One other couple were ahead of us. However, I was not, not getting in that taxi. So after they pointed to their address for Luigi (I don't know his actual name, if I had a guess though it would definitely be Luigi) I barged my way in and pointed to my address pointedly. Short convo between the French couple and us and we were on our way. 

The Frenchies were staying at a five star hotel, but they were open this late. I wanted to ask if they had any availability so Luigi was all like, "oh-a no-a problem, I'll-a wait here."

They said they didn't have availability. They were liars and I hate them. Yeah I had been traveling for a good 7 hours so I didn't look on my a-game but I was willing to pay. 

So back to Luigi, with some address to a hotel we found online. 

May I just say, Luigi's driving=impeccable if you are concerned about time. We drove places I didn't know you could drive, especially at certain speeds. I mean we flew over curbs, through lights and on tram tracks. 

At my attempt to be helpful I ended up backing out of the page with our hotel's address. We now had no idea where to go and no idea how much it was going to cost for this ridiculous taxi ride. 

Luigi was very helpful. But I still can't tell if he wanted extra cash or he genuinely wanted to help. Either way we were just driving looking for hotels when we stumbled upon Hotel Bled. 

Yeah I was a little skeptical as well. 

I ran inside and behind the desk is the cutest old Italian man you've ever seen. 

There was a room available. 

Maybe I was a little flustered, maybe it was because I'm young but as Jacob went to pay Luigi, this man told me I could pay the next day (as I am trying to count my euros with a shaky hand). He took care of everything. And handed us the golden key. 

 We finally made it safe. And we laughed at the fact that both of us thought we would for sure be sleeping in an alley. 

So today I'm in Rome. 

And though tired, thoroughly excited to browse the city.