So I was looking at one of the vendors’ booths today and some guy comes running up to the vendor (who is in front of me) and pushes me out of the way knocking me onto the ground while he then starts fighting with the vendor until the police come.
Luckily, however, that did not happen.
Sooo I was crossing the street and being the law abiding citizen I am, I jaywalked. They have like metal chains up so that you either have to walk over them (they are only about shin height) or walk around to where they stop. Seeing as how there was a mass of cars coming, I figured I would just hop over it. I had done it many times. Apparently, I did it one too many times.
So I lift one foot up to go over before I jump but I didn’t get it high enough. Since my other foot is still on the ground, I try to quickly push off that one more but by then my foot was tangled in the chain and I was already falling forward. This was a total faceplant!
Keep in mind that this is in one of the most crowded places in all of Florence and as I fall, I can hear gasps. And then luckily I manage to get my elbows in front of my face so that it wasn’t a total faceplant but can I just add that the concrete here seems to be much harder than American concrete? Can I also add that my feet definitely went OVER my head.
So right after I hit the ground (I also landed on my knees) my book bag which had all my camera equipment weighing about 30 pounds catches up with gravity and me and falls on me putting the exclamation point on wipeout! My sunglasses also fell off my head. So I’m basically lying in the street on my knees and elbows with more people watching than I can count in Italian (which is a pretty high number might I add).
Being the quick thinker I am (and lots of experience in the falling/tripping area) I start laughing before I hit the ground (cause I see it coming as soon as my foot hits the chain). So I grab my sunglasses and stand up and try to nonchalantly walk off but to no avail as a concerned citizen (yes an italian actually being nice to an american) asks if I’m alright. I say yes and at this point, Megan (who walked AROUND the chains) caught up with me and we walked off together.
I can barely hold my sunglasses cause my gripping muscle is malfunctioning so after we get around the corner I stop and hand them to her but at this point I can’t even hold them up (or my arms for that matter) so my poor sunglasses fall again.
Luckily, I know nothing is broken so I tell myself to suck it up and use a trick I often find useful in tennis to block out pain. It worked and the initial shock disappeared and I slowly got my grip back.
So I get back to the apartment to lick my wounds…
Other arm
Yes this scratch is evidence that my hip hit the ground
while my feet were flailing over my head
but don’t worry I didn’t cry and I just have the stings now!
Oh but as always, I look on the bright side of things sooo the good this is I already took my shower today so I have a good 3 maybe 4 days for this to scab over before my next shower…
don’t worry, I’m joking (kinda)