ATriptoItaly

ThissummerIwenttoItalyforwhatturnedtobeathreeweekstripwithafriendofminefromcollege.Anditwasareallygoodexperience.I'veneverbeenoutofthecountrybeforeandforyearsIwantedtogo.IhadalwayswantedtogoonaexchangewhenIwasincollegebutIcouldn'taffordit.Andyouknow,finally,youknow,IgraduatedfromschoolandI...IdecidedthatIwasjustgoingtothrowallmymoneyintothistriptoEurope.Anditwasdefinitelyworthit.Idon'tthinkIcouldmakethebetterdecisionasfarasthatwasconcerned.

ErweflewintoRomeandwe...we'regoingtobemeetingupwiththetouronourthirddaythere,sowehadalittlebitofleewaywherewewerejustgoingtokindofshowourselvesaround.Andatfirstitwasbitoverwhelming.Welandedina...theairportinRome...anditwasjustanotherworldimmediately,Imean,thechaostherewasjustoutofthisworld,Imean.WehadhadalayoverinHeathrowonthewaythere,andeverythinginEnglandwasjustsoorganizedandso...youknoweverybodywassocordial.AndthenallofasuddenwewereinRomeanditwasjustlike...everyonewaspushingthesemetalcartstopickuptheirsuitcasesbuttheywereallgoinginoppositedirectionsandtheywerejustkindofgettingintoallthesetrafficjamsand...Imean...Idon'tknowwhatIexpected.IthinkIwasexpectingthateverythingwouldhaveEnglishsubtitlesunderneathitorsomething,soIfeltlikethissortoflikethisbarbariancomingovertherelikewhere'smylanguage'.YouknowIdidn'tIdidn'tunderstandItalian.I'dtakenayearofitathighschoolatonepoint,andthatwastheextentofmyexperience.AndI'dalsobeentoldthatSpanishisverysimilartoItalian.SoIwas...Iwasexpectingthat,youknow,IwouldbeabletointerpretwhatwasgoingonjustbasedonmyknowledgeofSpanish.BecauseI,youknow,IfeltlikeIhadsomeprettyextensiveknowledgeofSpanish.Buteritdidn'treallyworkoutthatway.ErmthefriendthatIwaswithreallydidn'tknowanyItalianeither.Andittookus,Iwouldsay,abouttwohourstojustgetourselvesoutoftheairport,getourluggage,andgetontheproperbusthatwasgoingtotakeustoourhotel.Imeanitwas...itwasdefinitelyacrazy,crazyarrivaltime.

AndIdon'tknowas...aswe,youknow,spendmoretimetherewegotmoreandmoreusedtothewaythatthingsworked.Ermwehadabighasslewithapublictransportationonourfirstday,wherewedecidedtotakeabusintotown,anderwedidn'tknowwheretogetoffthebus.AgainIdon'tknowwhatwewereexpecting.IguesswewereexpectingsomebodytolikeholdupanEnglishsignandsay'DebbiandChristine,youcangetoffthebusnow.Butofcourseyouknow,thatdidn'thappen.Andyouknowweendedupjustridingaroundonthisbusendlessly.Andwekepttryingtoaskpeoplequestionsandin...youknowinbrokenSpanish/English/Italiananderyouknow,itwasn'tturningouttoowellforus.Finally,weranintoanexchangestudentandhehelpedus.Hegotusoffthebusatherightstopandpointedusintheproperdirection.Butitwas...itwasreally,youknow,reallyquitechaotic.AndofcourseRomeisareallyreallymaniccity,Imean,erjustthetrafficiscompletelyinsane.Imeanthere'strafficrulesbutpeoplejustconsiderthemtobe,youknow,optionalIguess.Soherewearestumblingaroundthecity,alljet-lagged,andyouknow,there'stenthousandmopedseverywhere.Imean...Ithinkyoucangetalicensewhenyou'relike14todriveamoped.Youhaveallthesehalfcrazedkidsdrivingaroundonmopeds.Andyouknow,theydon'tcare...youcanbeinthemiddleofthestreetandthey'lljustmowyouondown,soyouknow,it'sdefinitelyafarcryfromPrincetonwherethepedestriansallhavetherightoftheway...I'mjuststumblinginthemiddleofthestreetthinkingthatpeoplearegoingto,youknow,letme,letmepass.Butyouknowpeoplearejustnarrowlymissingmewiththeirvehicles.SothatwasaninterestinglittleintroductionintothewaysofItaly.

Buteractuallywhenwewerethere,wewoundupcoveringalotofterritory.Wespendabout3daysinRomeatfirstandthenwemovedontoerFlorencewhichIactuallylikedalotmorethanRome.Ermit'sabeautifulcity.Wewerethereforabout3days.Erm...thetourthatwewereonwasveryfast-pacedwhichwasonethingthatIthinkIwouldchangeifIwentback...Iwouldliketodothings,youknow,accordingtowhenIwanttodothemandnotaccordingtoyouknowwhenthisgroupofpeopletellsmetoyouknowmoveontothenextplace.BecauseinalotofcasesIfeltwedidn'treallygettoabsorbeverythingtherewastogetabsorbinacertaincity.Wewerealwaysjustpiledbackonthetourbusandtakentothenextplace.Wecoveredalotofterritory,butsometimeswejustfeltlikewewererunningpastthings,whichwasakindofcrazy.AndIthinkIalsofoundalotofpeopleonourtourgrouptoberatherembarrassing.LikeIfeltjusttheyshouldjustjustgottenshippedstraightdowntoFortLauderdale.Andyouknow,theyseemtohaveaprimaryinterestinjustgettingdrunkinthehotelbarandlikehookingupwitheachother,nobodyreally...nobodyreallyhadaculturalinterestinbeinginEurope.YouknowIfeltEuropewaswastedontheminaway.SoIguessIwasbeingsortof,youknow,elitistaboutthat.Buteritwas...itwaskindofweirdbeingthrowntogetherwithrandomgroupofpeople.Ermanditwas...itwasatourthatwasdesignedprimarilyforyoungpeople.Itwasverycheap.Andtheyhadusstayinginhostelsandinreallyyouknowinexpensivehotels.Sothepeopleonthetourwereallundertheageof30and,youknow,someofthemwereactingliketheywereundertheageof15.Soitwasdefinitely...definitelyaninterestingexperienceasfarastheywereallconcerned.

But...butitwasdefinitelywonderfultooverinEurope.IunfortunatelyfeltthatIwasn'ttherethatlongenoughtoreallyseeeverythingthatIwantedtosee.Imean,Ithinkthatitwasjustlongenoughformetofeellike'OKnowI'mreadytostay'now...Iwasreallysettledinthenitwaslike'OKtimetoloadyoustuffbackintheplainandgobackhome'.Sothatwasalittlebit...alittlefrustratingforme.AndtheotherfrustratingthingwaserwestoppedinEnglandonthewayback.AndI'vealwayswantedtogotoEngland...IwantedtogoonexchangetherewhenIwasin...incollegeandIdidn'tgetto.SoofcourselikepassingthroughEnglandformewaslike,youknow,danglingacarrotinfrontofmyfaceandthensaying'youcan'thaveit.'Soitwas...itwasreallyrough,youknow,we...wehadourbighourlayoverinEnglandandIlikecouldn'tevenseeoutsidetheairportandIjustreallywantedto...Ireallywantedtojust,youknow,goaroundandseesomething.AndIwasactuallyhopingwewouldmissourflight.Becausewealmostdid.WemissedourflightfromRometoHeathrowonthewayhome.An