All (Not) According to Plan - Week 3

I've started to get into more of a routine here which has been very helpful for me both mentally and in terms of adjusting to being here in Florence. However, as much as I love routine and its predictability, I know I won't always have that here, and if this week wasn't an example of that, I don't know what is.

My second week of classes went smoothly and I've started to get into the grove of how each class opperates. I had no problem with assignments or anything else within my school life here. It wasn't until I left for my overnight trip that things went a little sideways. While on the train to Naples, I was making sure I had the right address for where I was staying and realized my travel plans had me going to a different place on the coast from where I was staying. I very quickly had to make adjustments to my travel plans. I got lucky that I only needed to get off a stop later than I was originally supposed to and take a commuter train from there.

After I arrived I had planned to go to the beach and swim but the water was unfortunately too cold and I managed to cut my toe as well. Thus my planned beach afternoon turned into a reading and naptime, but I had a great dinner! Thankfully getting to and spending the next day in the ruins of Pompeii went smoothly. I never realized how large the city was. I didn't even manage to cover it all by the time I needed to leave to walk to the station. I was supposed to take a bus from Pompeii to a station in Naples and on the map that my ticket was on it showed the bus leaving from the main station. Now I know that I had to reserve a seat for it but I couldn't do that until I got to the station. Would you believe that the app didn't put the correct spot for the buses? The look of pity I received from the lady I spoke to at the desk after she told me it was a 25-minute walk in the direction I had just come from was like a slap in the face. At that point, I had been on my feet all day and didn't have the time to run to the other station, so I had to reroute myself again and ended up taking two commuter trains to the station I needed to get to.

It mentally and physically drained me but everything did turn out ok and I was never stuck for long. Problem-solving has always been a strength of mine as long as I don't let my anxiety win. In those moments it was difficult not to but I did my best to remain level-headed and optimistic. I got to see plenty of things and people when moving between stations and when out walking around. For my first trip away from Florence by myself, not exactly ideal, but I was always safe and healthy. Couldn't ask for more.

-Kit

Week 3 Photos