Reconfirming Truth

There were several moments this last weekend that reiterated for me that there is a God in heaven looking out for me. A loving Father who kept me safe while on my own in a foreign place. Let me first say that going to Florence and Venice was a dream adventure and absolutely lovely. I saw, experienced and ate such amazingly wonderful things. I walked around 10 miles a day, give or take, for 4 days and I will post pictures and stories eventually... But this is not the time.

I have had something on my mind during this time and have needed to write it down. In the midst of this I will start by saying I am:
1. A dreadful klutz and uber dependant on my phone or other people to guide me to where I need to go. Unfortunately, I dont get phone service in Italy and I was alone for a large chunk of it.
2. I am a paranoid crazy.

Keep that in mind during my tale.

My intent for this trip was to meet up with my friend Morgan in Venice, (she was touring Europe at the time), and I found a cheaper ticket to take me to Pisa the day before. So I opted for that ticket and took a bus to Florence and leave for Venice the next day. Mind, I would be doing this on my own. All my current adventures to this date have involved other people that I was staying with and that took me around. This time I wouldn't have either of those things and it kind of freaked me out. Especially, since I am a cheapskate, I was staying in a hostel sharing the space with 3 strangers while in Venice. I had also made plans to stay at a campsite in Venice. A-campsite. (Again, cheapskate.. 'But what was I thinking,' I thought as I booked the place...) Can I remind you about my paranoid crazy bit? Oyvey.

When in Florence, I wandered aimlessly, but always got to where I wanted eventually. I had made plans to get back to my hostel before it got dark so that I would be safer, but I got distracted by beautiful things and wanted to see them all.. and then realized how dark it was. The city lights had deceived me. After being slightly turned around, I made it back rather easily to my hostel, after only getting slightly turned around...

The next morning I would aim for a direction and think I knew where I was going and suddenly make the correct turn into exactly where I wanted to be.

When I was in Venice, I ended up being out later than I expected and ended up barely catching my bus to my campsite. I made it in the perfect time for my first bus, but I had to transfer to another bus.. A less reliable bus that I had already had poor experiences with. So there I was on this random street waiting and praying for the bus to actually come.

The bus that I needed to take to the airport, and the only one that I could find to get me there, was late (as all buses were, come to find...) but because I was on the lookout for it, the driver saw me and just motioned to me to ask if I needed the bus. He didn't even stop really.. It was just because I had been looking for him...

And when I got to the airport, after having been stuck on a train between my gate and security, I missed my bus to Baker Street. Thankfully, I made the next one and caught my night bus home just in time to get home. The next bus didn't come for a half hour. That would have been 30 minutes waiting out in the cold at 2 AM.

Throughout this trip, I had an overwhelming feeling that this peace and comfort I had came from God. Also that my mom was praying for me. I was very grateful. So for every leg of my journey, I thanked Him. Someone could chalk this up to luck. I call them tender mercies. Evidence and comfort of a loving father who was looking out for me.