With our bags in tow the six of us (five ECDC staff and myself) hopped in a rental car early this afternoon and took a four hour drive to Toronto. We saved a lot of money flying out of Toronto, but it was an added leg to a long trip as it is. We got a bit lost in Toronto as our mapquest instructions took us to a subdivision instead of the airport. Luckily someone at a gas station could point us in the right direction and we found the airport easily enough. Lines and more lines before we finally reached the gate six hours later. Tired, but still holding on to a lot of excitement, we eagerly awaited boarding. I couldn’t help but take a photo with this charming penguin! The ECDC staff talked about their learning objectives for the trip and what they were excited to see most. I worried about finding internet as my main job of this trip is documenting it.

Before we reach our hotel in Florence we will have literally been on a plane, a train, and an automobile. After we get off our flight 8 hours from now we’ll have to find our way to the train station for a 2 hour ride to Florence. Quite the adventure before the real adventure begins!

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