I left...and I'm back.

The adventure has begun before I've even left. If you're keeping score at home, I technically should be in the Bassano del Grappa train station waiting for my train to Vienna. however, Corinne and I (alone with our huge backpacks) went took a bus to the train station (the normal city bus was transformed into a school bus because of all the loud, chattering 13-17 year old italians. corinne thinks they were making fun of us and our big bags).

I was prepared and printed out the timetable because the ticket booth man doesn't speak much English. Things were fine until he realized the computer wouldn't let him give us tickets for the train because we didn't "reserve" it in time. The next train is 5 am. We bought tickets for that one (they ended up being half the cost of the night train tickets we were trying to get) and we trekked our way back to Paderno. The same bus driver who dropped us off was the one who took us home, and he asked why we were back. Corinne explained the ticket drama.

God bless a boy named Tim (who reminds me very much of my cousin Michael and is very nice) who called the taxi to make a reservation for 4 am. Corinne speaks a little more Italian than me, and the extent of mine is ordering a beverage at a cafe and introducing someone (thanks to all the dialogue practice in class). We will be getting up extremely early, but at least we can catch some sleep in our beds and nap during the nine hour train to Vienna.

Everyone warns you that something will happen and things won't go as planned. During our Town Hall meeting Wednesday, the director of the program said he wished for us to be on the wrong train going in the wrong direction at the wrong time because you learn a lot. We didn't exactly get that far but we did learn a shortcut to figuring out which buses go to Paderno, and that overnight train tickets can't be purchased on a whim.

I still have my money belt neck pouch on under my clothes, so I'm gonna take off the bull's eye that says I'm a tourist. My room mate Carolyn and I are going to watch The Apprentice on the Armed Forces Network. Just be jealous you aren't having the opportunity to watch commericals about putting your 4 foot 8 inch child in a booster car seat.