2 hours and 47 minutes after I stepped off the Leonardo Express from the Rome airport, going up and down multiple staircases trying to find the deposito bagagli section without looking like a major tourist, found the Presiden't House, walked around the main shopping district just looking up and around like my head was bobble head toy and had an entire conversation with a Italian man who could only speak Italian (when I ended the convo with "Grazzi." small smile, shoulder duck, hand wave. "Ciao Ciao!" He just laughed laughed laughed while walking away) but really wanted to tell me all of the important places on the map to go, I encountered one of them.
A greasy Italian man, (actually, this one wasn't really greasy, but he did have pigeon feathers stuck to his head somehow) the kind you are always warned about, right after they tell you that in Rome, you will be pickpocketed because the thieves here are super clever, just accept it, approached me as I was trying to decide if I should take the sign to some building that took me through a dark tunnel, or continue to stay on the large populated road I was already on.
Dilemma, because he was going in the way of the populated... lucky for me, my shoot down of the day (laugh in his face) and then say "No, thank you though. I'm waiting for others." sent him away before me. And I was able to escape unscathed.
If he had asked if I wanted a coffee (which I did) or to sit by a fountain (I would have loved to) and talk and then go for a moped ride like all other Italian love stories go (If this doesn't happen soon, I will be hijacking one), I would have said "YES!"
No, he asked me in Italian (which I don't understand but pretend that I do), then in English if I wanted to give him my phone number so we could go to the disco.
Sigh.
Maybe when I come back on Sunday my Italian surprise lover will be waiting for me.
On that note, I recommend never going to the Trevi Fountain by yourself. Go with someone, anyone.
I'm at my hostel now, an all female hostel.
Hostel life requires all kinds of strange attention.
Unlike where I was in Malta where sometimes I just wanted to hop on my computer... but then this guy from Spain wants to chat, this girl from Italy wants to share a table, the shower just went off I MUST GO BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE DOES and where did my last fruit juice disappear to? Maybe it was the guy who never flushes the toilet and leaves the seat up... I wonder if I can pick out the guy who never flushes the toilet... You know what? I bet he has the bunk beneath mine.
AWESOME.
But I like it. Hostel life is pretty entertaining. And it is cheapish.
All you have to do is share a bathroom (ewww wet dirty bathroom floors are the absolute worstttt), kitchen, and interact with other people.
I think this is something my parents would hate.
Eating by yourself and figuring out a city by yourself are also interesting... mostly made up of the fact that while I sat eating dinner by myself, so were about 5 other people and because you end up taking a lot of pictures of yourself.
When you see something cool, if with a friend - "Hey, look at that! Woooooowwww." or "Ooo will you take a photo of me in front of that? No, actually, you get in here too."
Being with others doesn't result in Myspace photos.
Good thing my parents are coming!!
For other things too - like the fact that Europe ain't cheap.
And because this is their first time with passports and going international.
How exciting!! I'm so glad that they can share this with me this time!
Being on a the train today (just like anytime I'm doing something I can't imagine how/why doing) reminded me of how in absolute AWE I am over the world, and humanity.
Yes, humanity has its pitfalls - people can reallllly suck.
But sometimes, humanity has done great, amazing, mind blowing things that are just wow. Breathtaking.
I'm traveling without the cord to my camera.... therefor I cannot download the Rome pics from today and put them online.
But here is a picture from when I did have my cord and I took a trip to see an artist/sculpter who makes these out of clay, burlap, and chalk.
