Getting there.

Got through a long line at the ticketing counter and another long line at security at Sky Harbor and arrived at my gate right as my flight began boarding.

In New York, I had a five hour lay over. I took the Air Train to the subway to try to cross Brooklyn to meet Kailas for a beer and a bite to eat. Got on the train going the right direction, but thought I was going the wrong direction, so I got off and got back on going the other way. This time I was definitely going the wrong way but there was no exit where I could get off and turn around until the Rockaways. Got back off the train and back on another heading my original direction. This train was an express and did not stop at my desired exit, so I got off at the next stop a few blocks away and got on another train heading back the other way again. This time I got off the train one block away from my desired exit and called Kailas. He picked me up in a cab and we went to the restaurant where his friend had already ordered us a round of drinks. Ordered a sandwich and called a cab at the same time. At the time my flight was scheduled to begin boarding, I was in a cab, somewhere between west Brooklyn and JFK. Luckily my cab driver was one of New York's finest and got me to my terminal faster than legally possible. I already had my boarding pass and the security line was short. On top of that, my flight was delayed about 15 minutes. I arrived at my gate, once again, just as my flight began boarding.

I expected to sleep on the flight to New York but did not. I was certain I would sleep on the transatlantic overnight flight to Venice but did not. After my water bus ride from the airport to the island, I walked around with my luggage for about two hours before I finally located my hotel hidden in a tiny alley. I checked in, dropped off my luggage and then went for a walk around town for a couple hours. I finally went to sleep around 5:30.