Travel Update! - October 22nd

Okay. I truly actually suck. I've been writing down quite a bit during the travels, I just haven't posted much during the travels. I'll work on that, I promise.So. On October 22nd, I was halfway through my stay in Barcelona. Right now, I'm halfway through my stay in Lisbon. Let me get you caught up.We stopped around Rome, yeah? I was ridiculously hungover from a forgetful night of Roma chants, awful dancing, remarkably short football matches, blurry snapchat videos, and embarrassing attempts at speaking Italian. I am a mess. Truly. A phenomenal night, but a rare one. I woke up early enough to stumble my way to the bus stop. And I say this genuinely, it is possibly the lowest I have ever been. I woke up sick, hungover, tired, bleary eyed, coughing, and with a questionable case of pink-eye. I'm pretty sure my dress reeked from spilled beer, and my mascara was giving me a permanent panda. You should have seen the look on the receptionist's face when I checked out. He was actually concerned that I wouldn't make it a block. After rubbing my snotty nose on my arm, hefting my massive bag to my shoulders, and giving a very quick and very nasty goodbye hug to the gang, I set off. The bus ride was a godsend. Sleeping was a comfort from the pounding headache, and not consciously worrying about where I was going to blow my nose was a relief in itself. I would not recommend the hangover/sickness combo.When I finally made it to Florence, I went directly for the hostel, eager to find a bed and sleep it off. I must have spent the entire first day in florence alternating between snotty tissues and passing out under a pile of blankets. I wonder if Florence would have been more glamorous if I were healthy, but alas. It is what it is.I spent the first day in bed, and the second day wandering the streets. There's something about Florence. I get it. The cultural history there is unbelievable. Almost every renaissance influencer contributed something to the city of Florence. There's the Galileo museum, Michelangelo's David statue, Brunelleschi's Duomo, and countless other important historical art contributions. And it shows. You walk through the narrow little streets, gazing in awe at the wealth and power of the medici family. The whole aura of the city is one of importance. It truly is one of the most culturally significant places I have ever been. Even the street musicians were beyond anything I could have imagined. I ran into a violin/bass duet that were just casually playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Phenomenal. If you go anywhere in Italy, go to Florence. You'll fall in love.The only problem I did find with Florence though, was just how many people fell in love. I'd say 55% of the city is American tourists, or American exchange students. No hate, but if I wanted to hear the American accent everywhere, I would have stayed in America.When I was finally well enough, I met up with Tabea and Jamie again. They were staying in a different hostel across the city and met up with me on the most amazing bridge. We sat and watched the sky fade to black. And as the sun fell below the horizon, the tiny little lights flickered on, anticipating the night to come. Tabea, Jamie, Mitchell (random new friend from NZ), and I headed across town to some hole-in-the-wall pizza place. Truly unbelievable food. If you really want to get fat, but also really want to be happy, go to Italy. It's amazing.The next day, we were headed to Venice. Florence is beautiful, truly, but I was getting a bit stir crazy. I'm used to open oceans and high mountain vantage points. Walking through tight (but lovely) streets for hours on end gave me a bit of a headache. If that doesn't bother you, go to Florence.So yeah. Super quick and uneventful stop in Florence. I also may have had the best food of my life in Florence. Some solid photography options though. 10/10 place. Off to Venice!