End of Phase One. Beginning of Phase Two

The end of phase one. Today we try to cram everything we've accumulated(sp) into two suitcases each and a carry on. I think I can do it, but am a bit worried about my daughter. I think this will be her third round of throwing away things.

In a bit we are going to go to the Post office to send out two M bags. (bags of books sent at a special price) One to Italy for my daughter, and one to Sweden for my friend Annika who has been so patient. I've been telling her I would send books on Italy for a couple months now. "Annika, I am finally sending the books!" I think there are six or seven, including Living and Working in Italy and a novel. I swore there were more novels, but it looks like mostly tour books and language books. I hope you aren't dissapointed after all this time. I think they are great books, but I think you wanted more about life in Italy, for dreaming. ;-)

Well, tomorrow I leave here a bit more jaded, if that were possible at my age. :-) I've been very dissapointed with the whole experience. So much money and time down the drain, but hey, nothing in life is perfect.

Tomorrow morning I pick up our SUV from the rental place. SUV you say? *L* I know, but we are taking the cats to the airport in the kennels they'll be flying in, so they will need more room.

I pick that up at 10:30 I think, then back to the hotel to pack up, which will be sooooooooooo much easier this time, everything will be in the suitcases.

Then we drive the 4 1/2 hours to the Detroit airport, hang out til 7:35 pm when our plane to Italy leaves. Direct flight to Rome. (yay!)

Thanks to information on both the Slowtrav and Expats In Italy site, I called one of the Rome limo services, who will be waiting for us outside customs holding a card with our name on it. (shades of being a movie star!) We booked a van into Rome to drop us off at the rental place rather than trying to fight the crowds in the airport. (ok, now I am just starting to be proud of all I actually learned from the sites)

THEN from the car rental place we pick up another small van and drive to Perugia.

NOW comes the scary part, driving. Oh my god, if it hadn't been 600 euros to have someone drive us, I would have gone that route. I've just posted a note on Expats, so we'll see what they say.

The best I can hope for is to be able to endure the screaming of my daughter as I drive!

Ok, off to the Post office. Later!