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Day 10 - Arrivederci Italy!5/5/2018 In hindsight, going to a bar the night before our flight wasn't the smartest idea but luckily we all woke up and made it to breakfast the next day. Clearly we were all upset about leaving but it really hadn't hit me yet. I made sure to triple check our room so I didn't forget anything and be that guy who left something in the hotel. Little did we know that once we got on the bus to the airport, Maria and Heather realized they left their passports in the hotel and so we had to turn around. Nice going guys. I wasn't going to complain though, it just meant one more look at the Colosseum as we were leaving.
Rallying at the airport and getting through security, we had about an hour and a half to explore the Rome airport and all we could of Italy before departure. That just meant one last time to eat Italian gelato which was exactly what I did. Some of us tried scouring the airport for some more souvenirs, only discovering all of them to be 4 times the price than they were back in Rome. Nice try Roman airport capitalism but we were not going to bite. Eventually it was time to board our 8 hour flight back to JFK. I took this time to do some reflection on the trip in general. A lot of people back home get so carried away in the day to day tendencies of everyday American life that amazing cultures like the ones we were exposed to become lost in their thoughts. It was scary to think that a good amount of people would prioritize minor material possessions like cars and clothes over priceless experiences like the one I just had. I could think of so many of my friends that have lived such sheltered lives, subjected only to suburban culture, that would have a truly unique perspective at life when exposed to experiences like this. To realize the American way of life isn't the only way of life. I promised myself to get everyone else back in Cincinnati as inspired as possible about my tales in Italy to hopefully spark some passion for travel in them. The flight was pretty brutal considering the person occupying the seat next to me had their light on for the entire duration of the flight, eliminating any option of in flight sleep. Luckily, immigration into JFK was fast and efficient. TSA however was annoying and long, with a line that seemingly never ended. It didn't help matters that we were on a pretty tight schedule. Luckily, everyone made it to the flight without any mishaps and no people left behind. We crowded the back of the plane and anxiously awaited our return home. A quick two hours later and we touched down in Cincinnati. The whole trip seemed like such a dream. Did we really go to Rome? See the Colosseum? Toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain? Eat gelato on a Naples beach? Walk the ruins of Pompeii? Climb the St Peters Cupola? It all seemed so surreal. Yet here we were, back in Cincinnati after one of the most memorable weeks of my life. I claimed my luggage with no hassle awaiting my roommate who was on her way to pick me up. I made it a point to show her all my pictures, including Dr Swansons stellar candid photography. I passed out as soon I got home, dreaming of cold gelato and warm Italian pizza.
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