Italy
Italy - Day(s) 0; Travel Day(s)
Italy: Day(s) 0 – Travel Day(s)
Ah, travel days—the ones that sound great in theory but rarely go as planned. Our grand adventure began with a much-anticipated 11:55 AM flight out of Seattle, but of course, life had other plans. At 11:19 AM, just 36 minutes before boarding, we received the dreaded notification: delayed due to mechanical issues. The airline was “waiting for a part.” Yes, you read that correctly—waiting for a part! As if the plane had a broken arm or something. We waited, and waited some more. They kept sending out optimistic updates about “hoping to have a boarding time soon.”
Finally, at 1:59 PM, we were allowed to board. By this point, we were uncomfortably close to missing our connection in Minneapolis and were about to get the full travel experience. As we were taxiing to the gate, the flight attendants casually mentioned we had only 31 minutes to make it to our next flight. 31 minutes? But hey, it wouldn’t be a travel day without some drama. The real fun began when we tried to exit the plane. Picture it: us, trying to push our way out of the plane, while first-class passengers—who had clearly forgotten the concept of “sharing the space”—refused to budge. But we weren’t giving up! Luggage in tow, we sprinted like we were in an action movie. And let’s just say, my sprinting abilities after 9+ hours in the air were… not up to par.
We made it to the next gate with minutes to spare (about 8), but then came the ultimate suspense: our checked bag. The AirTag wasn’t responding, and our luggage might end up vacationing in Minneapolis far as we knew. Would it make it? Spoiler: it did. After landing in Rome, breezing through customs (so easy—thank you, Italian efficiency), and hopping on two trains, we finally arrived at our final train stop—Cava de’ Tirreni. …but we had one more challenge.
We decided to walk the one mile from the train station to the hotel, because, well, why not? We were clearly in prime physical condition by this point. With rollerbags in tow, navigating uneven cobblestone streets and occasionally dodging sidewalks that simply… didn’t exist, we were deliriously cracking up. Picture two jet-lagged zombies with rollerbags, barely keeping it together, laughing over nothing, and occasionally praying we wouldn’t twist an ankle.
Finally, we made it to the hotel, and oh my goodness. The staff? They were so sweet. They greeted us with drinks (YES PLEASE) and put together a mountain of local snacks. I’m talking about fresh olives, cheeses, breads, and amazing pastries. It was exactly what we needed after 26 travel hours and 30 hours of being awake. We were ready to collapse…The hotel was lovely—spacious and clean. And the restaurant staff? They were so sweet—they remembered us every time we walked in and were just so nice. Oh, and the food? Unbelievable. Every bite was a flavor explosion. Cin cin! We stayed at the Holiday Inn Salerno - Cava de’Tirreni.
By the end of the day, we’d somehow managed to walk 9,200 steps—half of which were while lugging our roller-bags through the streets of Cava. Those roller bags deserved an emmy! Our bodies were done, but our hearts were full. After a quick shower we collapsed into bed, exhausted and grateful, we couldn’t help but laugh at the chaos of the day. But hey, that’s what travel is all about, right? Adventures, hiccups, and memories that make it all worth it. So, bring on Italy—we’re ready for you (but next time, maybe with a little less running). - Stacii
