ROMA: earthquake, bad CSer, talking to strangers..
last Thursday, I came home, and luckily the neighbors had the internet connected, so as I usually do, I checked my email. I had received an email from Vueling, saying ´fly last minute this weekend with free tickets, just pay the taxes´ so I took a look. Lo and behold tickets to Rome were included! As further coincidence would have it, Alessio, a CSer that I had met in Madrid last year, was online and he said that maybe I could surf his friend´s couch.. so done! I booked the ticket for my 1st solo trip ever: ROMA
My workmates thought I was crazy when I randomly went to work on Friday with my luggage. Well, to be honest, I did too, but hey, gotta take advantage of good flight offers, and furthermore free accomodation, no?! I took off right after work and after arriving there at the airport had to catch a couple of trains before meeting my CS host, Giovanni. It was a little nerve-wrecking how the trains worked, but luckily for me, I found a couple of Italian guys who helped me out. The 1st one left his route, grabbed my luggage and ran with me to try to catch my train, though unfortunately it had just left. Then I was unsure of which part of the train to get in, and another left his seat and his friends, to run down to the other end of the train with me and he stayed there with me until the next stop, when he rejoined with his friends. What nice guys I thought! I was a little nervous when I finally arrived at Gio´s station, especially as this was only my 2nd time (1st time alone) staying with a CS person in their house. He picked me up at the airport, we headed to his house, he showed me my bed, we talked a little, then I hit the sack. I was wiped out!
Around 8am I was sound asleep and dreaming when I heard a huge noise.. and then felt my bed shake, and we´re not talking about a little shake! I suddenly awoke and wasn´t sure if I was still in a dream, or what was happening.. then Giovanni came out and said that we had just had en EARTHQUAKE. An earthquake?! I thought about it for a while and replied ´Wow, an earthquake, how cool!´ jaja My 1st big one ever (3.8 on the richter and the epicenter was literally, right by his house in Ciampino!) :P
After a little more sleep, Giovanni and I went to eat awesome pasteries for breakfast and then I headed into Rome.. alone. Gio had told me about a few of the main things to see, so I got a map and off I went. Down to San Pietro then near the Colosseum, but since the lines were long I went to the Palantine Hill/Foro Romano line. As I was waiting there, I heard a couple of guys a little ways behind me speaking American English and tossed the idea of talking to them back and forth a couple of times.. should I talk to them? Will they think I´m a nerd for being alone? Would we get along? haha Yeah, I know. So, finally I broke the ice and started talking to them and right from the beginning, 1 of them, Chris, invited me to join them. We enjoyed the rest of our waiting time being entertained by the other, Boris, as he was doing coin catching tricks jaja Once we entered, the guys and I joined an English speaking tour and then went to visit the Foro Romano. There the guys invited me for an impromptu picnic in the ruins! How cool!
As more coincidence has it, the guys and I were both planning on visiting the Colosseum after, so we went together. How cool! I could just imagine fighting there! American Gladiators duh duh duh! jaja In all seriousness, this was probably my favorite thing, even despite the fact that the events were free for the Romans while we had to pay 11 Euros to enter! :P After visiting the Colosseum, Boris, Chris and I split ways and I went to meet with Gio, who had planned on meeting other CSers for a dinner. First we met with another Roman, Max, and then with some Turkish girls, Sybel and Darya, then a Romanian guy, Horia, and finally Paolo, who I had also met last year in Madrid and his gf. Talk about a CSing group jeje We all had a great time talking and eating and then later 4 of us (Max, Horia, Gio and I) went out. Max had offered to host all of us as Gio lived a little ways out of Rome and there weren´t any more trains. Chris also came out with us and off we went.
Max took us to a cool bar, with a live band, in which I talked a lot with Chris. After a while though, he left, and when he said he didn´t want to leave me alone, of course, I told him that I was fine and not to worry. Fast forward a few hours and I was super tired and I had fallen asleep on the couch. Then Max came up, and asked where to go next. I wanted to go home, but he was down for more bars. He kept asking me what time the next train came and I kept saying 6 (it was currently about 3.30) but he didn´t comprehend as his alcohol was in full effect. He started to yell at me, telling me that I didn´t know how to express myself and told me that I couldn´t wait at the train station because it was too dangerous. Then when I asked for help in finding a hostel he told me ´to find a f-ing hostel myself!´ At this point I was sooo scared and nervous. As the other 2 weren´t doing much, I was thinking the worst.. what´s he going to do next? Are they gonna leave me here, where I have no idea, and it´s dangerous? Chris realized that something was not right! I swear never to CouchSurf again! All these thoughts running through my head at 3.30am, in the middle of some street in Rome.. how could I go from an amazing day and knowing so many great people and being on top of the world to feeling like the most vulnerable person on earth?!
Horia came over and comforted me as Max yelled some more and then ditched the 3 of us. By that point, I wouldn´t have stayed at his house if he let us as I was super uncomfortable. The 3 of us ended up going to cafes, chatting, waiting for the 1st train in the morning..
Sunday I was dead tired. Normal when you go to bed around 7am, and sleep badly on top of that :P I got up around 12 and had lunch with Gio and then headed back into Rome alone. I was still shooken up and wasn´t in the mood to talk to people. I just went with my map and tried to see as many things as I could before my evening flight.. looking for the Pope in the Vatican, seeing the Steps in Pl. España, Fontana de Trevi, Piazza Navona.. I did a good job hitting most of what I had missed. I had planned on gelato but missed my opportunity as I would have arrived late to the train station. Just made it!
We arrived back late to Madrid so I was dead on Monday. Needless to say, between the lack of sleep and bad weather back in Madrid, I got a cold :P blah! But reflecting on Roma, I thought many things.. for being my 1st solo trip it had went quite well :) I had met many nice people and had made some new friends... as for CS, luckily I was not in the house of this bad one, but yes, it makes me realize that you do indeed need to be very careful, esp. as he´s got nothing but good references..
..as further luck would have it, Chris´s plans were to come to Madrid so we met up again last week. We had a nice night out, visiting cafes and talking about traveling, love, life and whatever else came about. He is truly awesome. He left for a few more days to continue traveling, but then came back again on Friday, this time with his friend Ish, from back in the US. Hannah and I went out with them for tapas, then for a little dancing and to the karaoke bar. Unfortunately, we were unable to sing, but we had sooo much fun with them! They´re just 2 high energy, fun loving, interesting guys. I hope to meet with them again tomorrow as they´ll be in Madrid for 1 more night before heading back to the States. Who would have ever known, that back in line in Rome, when I started talking to them, that not only would I spend the afternoon with them, but that I´d meet with him several times the next week in Madrid and a nice friendship would be created! Funny how things like that work out. Lesson learned: it´s ok to talk to strangers, especially if they all turn out to be so cool! :)