My First Adventure

I hesitate to tell this story because I know my mother will have a heart attack. But I'm still alive, so I'll tell it. 

First a little background. My friend Lisa is intrepid, truly. She's lived far away from home, alone, for almost two decades. Nothing spooks her and she believes everyone is as fearless and as confident as she. Her mother Isabella says to her, "you don't believe in luck, you count on it." And since Lisa lives in a destination city, she's always hosting company in her apartment. Her motto to all her guests: "I can't take your vacation for you." 

Okay, so remember Lisa took me to the restaurant on my first day of work? We took bus #30 from the piazza near her apartment (Piazza del Navigatore -- not in the main part of Rome, so it's not on most tourist maps). This first day I worked a double shift, lunch and dinner with a 3 hour hiatus in between. The shift ends about midnight, but I leave at 10:30 p.m. Lisa insists I take bus #30 back to her piazza (why spend $25 when you can go for one Euro?), I call Lisa from the restaurant so she can meet me at her spot.

I leave the side door of the restaurant. It's raining softly and the ally looks like a movie set with its shiny, wet cobblestone pavement. 

I find my bus stop and hop on. I ride the nearly empty bus for three stops before asking the bus driver in my broken English/Italian how far away am I from Piazza del Navigatore. It turns out I'm at the end of the line going the wrong way. I get off the bus (it's now 11:15 p.m.) and I get on three-passenger #30 going the other way (the buses stop running at midnight). Finally on the right path, I've backtracked and finally arrive at my stop at about 11:30 p.m. 

In the meantime, the handsome, young bus driver starts a conversation. He actually wants me to go with him to have a drink and "conversation." I tell him thanks but not thanks, but I'm flattered (Lisa says there's nothing like Italy to make a woman of any age FEEL like a woman). 

I get off the bus. No Lisa. 

I have to think. I remember somehow how to get home, ring the bell and Lisa buzzes me in. It's close to midnight. Hyped with the day's excitement, I'm awake nearly all night. 

Tomorrow I go to work alone.