Nearly two full weeks after we first set out for Italy, Ann Taylor and I are finally home in Brooklyn. Our journey back to the States started with more excitement than we had planned, as we awoke to several e-mails from Delta, informing us of a change in our return flight time. After a few moments of initial panic, we learned that the flight was simply moved a few hours later to accommodate a late-arriving plane due to the storms on the East Coast. Relieved, we went back to sleep for another hour or so, and then went downstairs for our final breakfast at the St. Regis Rome. With a new flight time of 3:30pm, Ann Taylor and I decided to stick around the hotel as long as we could, finally checking out around noon. The ride to Fiumicino Airport was uneventful, although it was interesting to watch pedestrians and scooters dodge our cab, after we had spent a week running through perilous crosswalks. The check-in area was almost completely deserted, and we breezed through the security line and passport control. This time through, the passport control agent looked at our documents, although we still do not have passport stamps from Italy. After a short shuttle bus ride to the main gate area, we looked for the “Platinum Cafe”, where we had been given a free lunch because of the delayed flight. While the meal consisted only of a sandwich and drink, it was plenty to hold us over until we boarded the plane. Due to the storms, there were many delays and the international terminal was incredibly crowded. We popped into the Alitalia lounge, used the last Euros on my Italian Vodafone SIM card to call home and then found our seats on the plane around 3pm.
The flight home was long — about nine hours — but even smoother than the flight to Rome, with just a few patches of rougher air. As a user experience designer, I cringed at the terrible interface for the in-flight entertainment system; however, as a bored passenger, I appreciated the opportunity to pass the time watching J. Edgar and Captain America. After two weeks of eating only Italian food, Ann Taylor and I both opted for steak over pasta for the in-flight lunch. We are both really looking forward to Mexican food, Chinese food and french fries over the coming week. The flight landed at JFK around 7pm local time, and my phone immediately started buzzing with work e-mails after I restored my Verizon SIM card. US passport control was very simple, although the agent remarked that I no longer resemble my passport photo. Given that I had gotten my passport in 2004, I was not sure if that was a compliment or not, so I simply said “thank you” and moved on. We strolled through customs, waited in a short taxi line, and we were back in Brooklyn by 8:30pm. Overall, the entire trip back was very smooth, even with the delayed flight. I was impressed by, and appreciative of, the early notification from Delta, and I later learned that they had also left several voice mails on my Verizon phone. We have a mountain of laundry and mail and errands, but it feels great to be back home, and Ann Taylor and I really could not have had a better honeymoon. From the views of Sorrento to the history of Rome, we explored such an interesting slice of Italian history and culture, while simultaneously resting, relaxing and eating some of the best food ever. As a habitual vacation planner, I already have several ideas in mind for the next trip, although Ann Taylor insists that we get some sleep first. Buona notte!
Take care,
– Dan
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