The door slammed shut and then reopened just as wildly. Abruptly it opened and abruptly it closed just after a person or two danced their way through the doors as if they danced that waltz every other minute. The emergency room in Florence is intense; serious. I’ve been in emergency rooms and urgent cares in the US and it’s pretty much just people waiting. You don’t really get to see that action that you would think you’d get to see. Just a lot of people waiting who haven’t been helped and have serious but not life threatening problems. I couldn’t help laughing when the doors would open and people would quickly go in and out and then they would slam shut again in our faces. We had no idea what to do. Apparently you push a button and someone lets people in and out but to us in the moment it looked like a completely patternless event. My roommate cut her finger deep enough for it to go numb so we went to the emergency room. That happened on the first night in Florence. Fun right? It was ones of those instances where I knew I wasn’t a doctor enough to say, yep this finger will be fine or nope your finger is going to fall off in your sleep and go as still and as orange as a carrot. So I thought if I was in that situation and thought my cut could be more serious I would not want to be alone at night, get a taxi and go to the nearest hospital in a country that I’m not familiar with at all. It’s a situation where although I value sleep I also value a situation based on how serious a person thinks their problem is because it could very well be that serious or worse. It doesn’t have to just look serious on the outside.
I spent more than 24 hours traveling to get to Florence and when I got there is was a process to check in and get to my apartment. I had risotti but I wish I had something just a tad more filling because I am hungry and I am exhausted and it is half an hour until midnight. I’m still at the hospital waiting around, hoping she’s not going to be all night. That would be terrible, because tomorrow is a full day orientation and I’ve got to find a bank to get Euros at. I also need to put my European rental SIM card in my phone.
Now that I’m writing here I suppose I could mention some Florence-specific things that I noticed today. They merge into traffic like nobody’s there but their lil’ cars and mopeds are great for zipping around. The streets are cobblestone, often times super narrow and one-way. So far I can’t figure out how people can tell which street is which. I’m going to have a better look later on this week. A lot of people know a bit of English, but not everyone. I don’t feel as out of place as I thought I would feel. People brought a ton of luggage with them and tbh I probably brought the least of everybody by a long shot. I packed a medium checked bag and a backpack as my carry-on. I think I made the right decision but it worries me seeing everyone’s stuff floating around. We are expected to take the trash out every day so we don’t attract bugs. It smells dank. I mean that door opened and the first thing that hit me was the stench. But after we opened the windows and air-rated the apartment we could breath again at the very least. No dryers because of electricity use laws but we have a washing machine and clothes lines to hang our undies on. Although, it it suggested that delicates be washed by hand, meaning they still need to be hung to dry...
So far culture shock hasn’t hit. Wait for it, because I’m sure it will. Or will it?
Looking forward to cooking in my apartment, walking/running around Florence to explore, going on excursions around Italy, and going to classes.
11:46 PM no movement from the E room. Is she alive? What’s going on in there? Will she come back for me or will she forget about me? Headache developing and worry that this might cut into my sleep time so I can be fresh and ready to go tomorrow. I don’t have a way to get back on my own because no cell phone to call a cab, no euros, RIP I might as well curl up in the waiting room and fall asleep like a muggle. Nothing more I can think to do.
11:50 PM My Fitbit thinks it’s 11:50 AM and just reminded me that I need to get up to walk 250+ steps before the hour is up. Nope nope nope.
12:02 AM I honestly just want to cry at this point I’m so frustrated and I’ve definitely learned that having patience in moments that you don’t want to have patience is true patience. The last thing I want to do is be patient. I have no idea what’s going on behind those doors. Also what if she was let out a long time ago, but she didn’t see me in the immediate lobby so she assumed I had left. I doubt she would have done that when she knew there was a waiting room, right next to the entrance, with chairs for people to sit in.
12:05 AM my ears are ringing, my eyes are blinking in slow motion, yep, I’ve lost my mind. Idk where it went but I need it back. Where is it? Come back here NOW!
12:08 AM still haven’t found my brain. It’s all foggy up there. Can’t think without a brain. How long does it take to stitch up a finger and a nerve and an entire finger (jk) but seriously where is this girl?
7:52 AM We left at midnight. On the literal dot of the moment that I was reading a devotional that said "Be merciful to me Lord," my housemate showed her face to me once again and we were on our way back to our apartment.
It's looking pretty purple outside, I'd better wear a coat.
~Analise
P.S. My Fitbit is now up with the times.
コメント