Repost of my old post...WACK

So what you're you're reading is actually from June 20th. I had an old blog...but google f'd everything up. Long story. Ask me about it if you're curious enough.

Here is the link to the old blog and you can check it out there but if not just read below.

Jetsetting Begins - LA, Amsterdam, Florence & Siena in 48 hours - 3 day post

2 days ago my customary tardiness nearly screwed me out of about $1,000 worth of airfare, but more importantly, the good graces of Annie's parents. While first impressions are the most important, my brief "hello" at graduation to Annie's mom didn't amount to much, so I can imagine how showing up with only an hour and twenty minutes before boarding at on a crowded Monday at LAX probably gave Annie's mom reason enough to worry since prior to that, Annie had assured her mom that she would be in good hands traveling with me. Maybe i'll get another chance?

11 hours after that we are in Amsterdam. What is it with their apparent infatuation with cows? They have cow pictures everywhere and their duty free shops display more dairy products than brand name clothing. On a side note, Annie freed 2 Euros that were stuck in a slot machine at a casino at the airport. Came up!

Florence is where the fun began. (4 hours later)

A prolonged wait in a sweltering baggage claim area and a swerving bus ride around the tight streets of Firenze that nearly sent me into a state of apoplexy had my nerves a bit high-strung as we deboarded the bus and got our bearings.

I like to consider myself fairly apt at finding addresses on a map and figuring out where to go. However, it wasn't until yesterday that I realized how your sense of direction is only good relative to your knowledge of how addresses are read. I still have yet to figure out how to read Italian addresses. Why do they have a degree sign damnit!?

To make a long story short, I had us on a forced march up and down Via de Pansanini for about 25 minutes with the sun beating down hard on us and the humidity wrapping itself around our whole bodies like a boa constrictor, only to finally stop and climb 3 flights of stairs while Annie waited outside and randomly knock on a door where a Cantonese lady answered and called her landlord to help me out. Who needs to learn Italian when Cantonese and English are good enough! (All of this was done while I was lugging around a 30 lb. backpack and a 50 lb. duffle - Annie was fortunate enough to have luggage w/ wheels. Damn myslef for thinking I didn't need it.)

I'm sorry for putting you through that Annie.

Well here I am in Siena on day 2.5 (I don't know if i should count all of that travelling time w/ the time zone changes and all) with an awesome host mom who made an awesome salad for lunch. It is just about as cool as a place with AC in this house and there is free internet. What more can I ask for. I just need a US-Euro plug adapter...

Damn this post was long. Shows how noob I am at this. Hopefully i'll get better. Pictures to come as well!

Ciao, arrivederci
- Teo (don't worry i'm not gonna actually legalize this name like nata did...)