Where in the World is Dakota?

I’m waking up somewhere over France right now! 🇫🇷 AAHH!!

Okay okay… I’m getting ahead of myself—let’s take it back to yesterday.

First off, I’m proud of myself for calmly (and mostly anxiety-free) navigating my way into Canada 🇨🇦. Let’s be honest… I’m thankful for the abundance of arrows, signs, and partition walls. 😂 But really—for anyone who’s traveled with me in the past—I was ACTUALLY cool as a cucumber (thank you, mental health work!). I did get a bit turned around, but I used my big girl words and asked for some assistance.

Anyway, the Canadian layover (5 hours) was NOT as arduous as I’d imagined. I walked a few laps of the entire area—much to my back’s dismay. Still haven’t mastered packing light yet… keyword: yet! 🙂

I met a lovely, well-seasoned-in-life couple from Iowa (I won’t hold that against them, since they aren’t holding it against me that I’m originally from Nebraska… hehe).

While waiting to board, I met another lovely human on her way to play violin at a wedding in Italy—literally for just three songs! I bet it’s going to sound absolutely beautiful, and I can’t wait to search the internet later for recordings of her playing. I hope she enjoys her vacation before heading back to work!

On this flight, I’ve had the pleasure of sitting in front of a newlywed couple from St. Louis on their honeymoon! How exciting!! With the stress of planning a wedding (they were just married—literally), they don’t have a ton of plans beyond their general itinerary. So of course, I’ve been happily sharing a plethora of my Type A, thoroughly researched ideas. 😂

I seriously wish them the best as they start this new chapter. I pray they always keep dating each other, communicate openly, and remember they’re a team—no matter what life throws their way. Hopefully, lots of delicious food and beautiful memories await them!

Travel tip for my tall friends: Pay the slight extra for the exit row—major leg room! The only downside is that the bathroom is usually nearby, so it can be a high-traffic area. Honestly, it hasn’t bothered me at all (and no unpleasant… um… odors either 😅).

Also—I’M FREEZING. Yes, I know… a very rare moment for me. But here we are.

362 km until we land—about an hour! EEK!! I’m eagerly checking out the window as we descend. Still just lots of bright, white clouds. I’m glad my body woke me up when it did, even though I only got about 3 or 4 hours of sleep—way better than the 20 minutes the night before!

Once I land and handle all the airport things in this brand-new country, I’ll have to figure out how to navigate to and from the train station (treno stazione). I’m instantly reminded of a VERY WRONG stop I once made on the New York subway at 2 a.m. 😬

It’s going to be just fine—promise. And if not… well, I’m sure an entertaining story will come out of it. I’ll definitely keep you posted on how it all goes.

We’re descending more now, and the Swiss Alps are just below. Come on clouds—move over! I’ve got new things to see!

Ciao for now! 🇮🇹✈️