The next morning, I took a stroll throughout the streets of Rome. Passing cafe's and fruit stands setting up for the day, I decided on having a little fun. I set my day bag aside hoping to blend in with the locals and walked inside the coffeehouse. As I ordered my expresso, I spoke only in Italian the entire time. As I walked out and bid Grazie, the woman behind the counter replied with a bold and full voiced "Prego"! I am still not sure if either she was so proud of her language that an overemphasized good buy is common, or if it was so obvious that I butchered the language and she was teasing me. Well, at least I tried, and had fun while doing so!
As I walked into the hostel, I entered through the private garden and was greeted with warm welcomes by the staff. I was introduced to the area which included an organic cafe, breakfast nook, single and double rooms, and apartments. For me, it was dorm rooms I was after. Set up with a locker and bunk bed, I was happy to share a room with 7 other people; and the guest list changed nightly.
I met people from all over the world, as well as from the four corners of the United States. The first person I met was a 72 year-old woman from Australia and she had an incredible passion for adventure. She was at the tail end of an eleven week whirlwind tour of Europe which included volunteering, joining an archaeological dig, and exploring on her own. The next day, we ended up going to Ostia Antica and view the remains of the ancient port town. The day trip was quite a workout given the intense heat, but was well worth the time; especially being with someone I just met a day ago who shared the same vigor for life and exploring as I did.
That evening, I met two younger ladies also staying at the hostel. Both were finishing up college and were very eager to meet new people as well. One was studying English in Canada and the other about to be a music teacher in Australia. They were both very nice and approachable, so I asked them both to dinner, my treat.
We found a beautiful outdoor restaurant just a few blocks from the hostel. It was funny how one of my dinner guests said in her soft and surprised voice, "Ooh, you know you're Italian" when I responded that I am deciding between the pollo fritto and tacchino arrosto. Just as the waiter came out, I greeted him with a proud "Bonjourno". The waiter was a bit angry at my failed attempt at the language and roughly corrected me by saying "Buonasera, Buonasera" while waiving his hands. Apparently, they take "good day" and "good evening" quite seriously.
That evening, while hanging out and talking in the private garden, we originally planned to go to a nearby pub. However, after meeting more people from around the world including New Zealand and South Korea, we decided to stay in that night and party among ourselves. We found a store that sold wine, and the hostel already had cheese, bread, and veggies; so from 10:00 PM until 2:00 AM, three continents of people were building friendships all in the same room.
After waking up just before the breakfast kitchen was closed, a group of us made our way to the onsite cafe. We spent the next half hour talking about our day trips and other plans for that afternoon and evening as well as our overall European experiences. Knowing that I had several days left, I spent the rest of the morning casually reviewing my guidebooks and meeting locals at cafe's.
Of all the great experiences during my travel, the most memorable began early one morning while walking toward Trastevere; a favorite neighborhood of both locals and travelers alike. Starting near the Spanish Steps, I walked along the Tiber, making random stops along the way. As I am crossing the river, I hear the faint sound of dance music. Naturally, I am curious!
Following the beat, I stumble upon a group of young folks tending a professional bar and dancing on stages to club music. After watching the party unfold, I was invited to join on stage drinking and dancing. I was immediately welcomed and offered drinks and snacks. They were so eager to hear that I was from America and happened to stumble upon their party so randomly. I was even invited to join them at a beach party the next day. After a final 10:00 AM beer, I continued on my journey.
After a tour of the National Museum, my final evening in Europe was spent sharing a meal with some of my fellow hostel friends. We shared plates of appetizers and carafes of wine; and the table was ours for the next two hours. As we left our restaurant and headed toward the train station, the group wanted to continue their adventure. I had an early flight, so my evening ended with a final stroll through the streets of Rome before relaxing in the hostel garden with a cafe'.
I am thrilled that I took this plunge and decided to travel to Europe for these last three weeks. From seeing a portion our beautiful Earth, to meeting people from all over the globe, I accomplished so much in such little time. The "travel bug" certainly got the best of me and I cannot wait to return again and again. I am thankful for Rick Steves' and every person involved for giving me the courage to travel independently and providing the skills and confidence to do so in a fun and meaningful way!