ciao down, bella

adventure #2 was incredible.
INCREDIBLE.

i have never felt that free and independent before. i met so many people and fell in love so many times and laughed so hard and even learned how to ride a bike! it was so incredibly romantic and exciting.

although i have tons of adventure tales, i will share my favorite story. It happened just after i had arrived from Milan, and was on the train from Bologna to Senigallia. I was stranded because my train got delayed, so I made friends with the guy next to me, Andrea. He didn't really speak english, but was very handsome and incredibly sweet; i called him "cute andrea". Because we couldn't communicate, we just made fun hand gestures and everyone stared at us because we looked so ridiculous but we just laughed. he took me on an adventure around Bologna to get food while we waited for the train, and showed me a really beautiful palazzo that i think he used to visit when he was little. when the train came, we were on separate train sections but i think he was really worried about me actually making it alive (haha, i am a bit free-spirited and i think he sensed that i trust people too easily) because he actually searched the train until he found me after we left the station. he had brought me a lemonade, and i snuck him into my compartment with all these old italian women and even though no one spoke english and i couldn't speak italian, we had the most amazing time! we all played chess on my iTouch and giggled and told broken language stories. the woman next to me braided my hair and i taught them all how to make string bracelets. i didn't want to leave, they were all so warm and loving... and that was just one story, i have fifty others just like it. i guess all i can say is that i was so blown away by the compassion and warmth of the people i met, and how interesting everyone was. i loved hearing their stories, because truly everyone had one.

on this trip, i also realized that i am much more european than american (probably thanks to my parents). i had so much in common with all of the kids my age that i met, and i really just felt at home. it was weird, but i almost felt more at home by myself in a foreign country than i do in New Jersey with all my friends. is that normal? is that even ok? i don't know why, i just love loved it. every single bit.

this summer is the best.