I wake up around 9AM and get myself ready for my train travel back to Florence. I pack my suitcase back up and leave it at my AirBnb, planning on returning right at 1PM to grab it before my 1:30PM train. I leisurely walk back down the streets of Venice. I found a lovely little place for breakfast, a cannoli and cappuccino. Are you surprised?

I walk along and watch what looks like a postal boat stop and unload a dozen or two packages. Amazon boxes, included. So interesting to watch! Life is different if you live on the water.

Don’t worry, someone was on the other end catching the packages. 🙂

I really wish I had booked more time in Venice. I really fell in love with the quaint feel of the island and the romanticism that goes with so much water.

Everyone was kind and I’ll definitely be returning.

I grab my luggage and head towards the train station, stopping to say “goodbye” to my favorite window cat that I had made friends with.

The train ride was about 2 hours long and I spent it writing up a previously posted blog. About 15 minutes before we reached Florence, I noticed a voicemail on my phone. We had been going through numerous tunnels and my service was exceptionally spotty. I recognized the number and listened to the message, which woke me up out of my sleepy state in seconds.

After arriving in Florence, I rushed to my AirBnb nearby and checked in, so that I could call them back. The call was to Denver Zoo…AND I GOT THE JOB! I had been anxiously awaiting their call for the last 2 weeks since leaving Colorado, and I had been hoping to hear from them while on my trip. It gave me so much joy and relief and wow. I immediately messaged my friends, family, and guy. All of the support! I laid down for a bit before heading out for my reservation to climb Brunelleschi’s Dome within the Florence Cathedral. Reservations were free, but they booked up days in advance (weeks during summer season), so I had to make the reservation for my next few days in Florence.

There were 413 steps up to the top. More cardio. I’ve lovingly nicknamed these exercises as the Italian Stairmasters of my trip. They were always worth it.

While on my trip back down from the top of the dome, I met a fellow American tourist named Doug! He was super nice and we talked about our travels. He had been through a few more countries prior to Italy and he was headed to Rome the next day. I was able to share my tips and tricks from my previous stint there and he appreciated them. We exchanged our social media contacts after chatting away for about half an hour, then continued our descent and went our separate ways.

I treated myself to a nice dinner, wine AND dessert included. I’m so ready for Denver, y’all.