I have always been one to travel alone but this trip was different. In a weird way I looking to travel and actually meet people along the way. My first stop was Rome, but I would only stay overnight. When I arrived, it was so late that I hadn’t realized I was staying in the heart of it all (no worries – it wouldn’t be the last time in Rome during this trip). This was the perfect place to end up and taking it easy on the first night.
The next day I caught a train heading to Florence. This was going to be about a 2-hour train ride and I was going to sit by the window and catch every second of it. About 30-minutes out of our destination a train attendant came around to ask for tickets. He went to the cabin across from me first. He kept repeating in Italian “Please let me see your ticket” and a young lady responds, “no thanks”. Just as simple as that “ no thanks” nothing more nothing less and giving direct eye contact. I had to contain my laughter when leaning over to say, “he wants to see your ticket”. A few moments passed, and we were all back in our own worlds. The train stopped and as I was getting off she asked me if I was visiting with a tour group because she was. I told her that I actually came alone – in fact I was going to meet a friend who could no longer make it due to visa issues. Anyone who knows me personally knows what was going to happen next. I asked “Would you like to come with me?”. Full disclosure – I had never been to Florence before but I was open to getting lost in a new city with a new person. So, we did just that. We got lost. We got lunch. We got lunch again. While I am very carefully about inviting strangers anywhere on a solo trip – I was really glad that I did. I met a great friend and no matter where you are from – talking about boys will always be a great way to start a friendship.
After my guest left the next day I wondered the city in search of a café with WiFi. As I sat down I began to think of a good friend I used to have and had lost contact with about 4 years before this trip. However, I always wondered whatever happened to her. Well when in Florence – check Facebook. Guess who happened to be in Florence?! She was studying architecture abroad and just happened to be staying 1mile from my Airbnb. We caught up and she showed me a few spots that I would have never found with a simple Google search. It was great catching up and in fact we took a trip together 8 months later! ☺
If you can’t tell yet – I meet a lot of people and embrace them very quickly. After Florence came my trip to Milan. Milan wasn’t on the agenda, but I missed the train to Venice and changed my plans. I messaged a friend I met back in San Francisco and let them know I was in their home city and was in search of yummy recommendations. To my luck – he was visiting family in Milan and wanted to catch-up over a cappuccino. Crazy how small the world is.
After wrapping up my quick Milan trip I was off to the next city. Fast Forward to the Amalfi Coast. This destination was amazing! I arrived in Sorrento and walked into a dream place. This city included trips to Positano, Capri and a few other surrounding spots. Capri was a literal piece of Heaven. I took the boat over to Capri and once I got off I had no idea of what to expect. Then it came to me, “I am in Italy – why don’t I just rent a scooter!… because I am in Italy and that is the craziest thing to do if you are on an island (you guys try sharing a one-way road with you and a bus…nope – not for me”. So, I went against my gut and walked into a scooter shop and asked if I could rent a scooter. The shop owner laughed and nudged his co-pilot to assist the American girl. Giuseppe came over to help me and actually offered to be my guide. I saw the entire Island and all three lagoons. Such a great experience!
My trip ended back in Rome where my roommate and her boyfriend had to be visiting that same weekend.
This trip was one to be remembered – every second was magical… I feel in love with Italy.
