I made it

I made it to Italy.  What a long journey of airports and airplanes, over 26 hours of travel to get here.  Let me just tell you if you are planning on traveling through the Frankfurt, Germany airport is crazy big and hard to navigate unless you ask lots of people.  Next don't bring lots of luggage to Italy because they don't believe in elevators and to get your luggage anywhere you have to get it up flights of stairs.         I'll try to recount my trip once I arrived in Verona, Italy.  Once I stepped off the plane in Verona I came to the problem that I had no idea how to find the bus to take me to the train station that will take me to Trento.  I did what anyone would and asked the information counter.  They were somewhat helpful but their directions of outside to the right left me a little confused.  I went outside and to the right.  No sign with train on it.  I saw a large group of people gathered around an area and went to stand next to them.  After ten minutes of awkwardly just standing there I finally asked the man next to me if this was where the bus stopped then would travel on to the train station.  In broken English he said yes it was.  Something happened and he yelled at me in Italian then people started to move.  I followed.  Finally the bus came.  I didn't realize it was a fend for yourself kind of moment.  When people started shoving and putting their luggage in an open spot on the weird trunk area I moved to put my luggage in.  It was all full and people were pushing now to get in line to get inside the bus.  What do I do? I just stood there with my luggage utterly confused and slightly worried now.  After everyone had climbed aboard now the bus driver motioned something and said something in Italian and closed the door and left.  I still stood there.  I vowed with myself that when the next bus came I would do everything possible to get on the bus, and put my luggage in the trunk.  I didn't have to wait long before the next one came, and the growing crowd around me started to surge.  I hurriedly moved close and started lifting my luggage and shoving it inside the trunk.  Then I made my way through the bodies of people onto the bus.  I asked the driver if it went to the train station which he said yes to.  Then I  asked if i needed to pay.  He said no.   I went and sat down on the next available seat.  I watched as others came on the train.  They were handed a paper, and were paying him.  Now I'm super confused on why I didn't have to pay.  But oh well I guess.  A girl sat next to me, and I just stared out the window in an exhausted coma.  When we stopped everyone was getting off the bus so I did.  I grabbed my luggage and headed inside the building.  Thankfully it was the train station!   Beautiful cobblestones were on the ground, but as beautiful as they were they were merciless to my hands as I dragged my luggage awkwardly across them.  I found the ticket counter and bought a ticket to Trento.  I walked for a bit until I found an officer and told him I was lost and where was the train to Trento.  He took me to a screen displaying the trains and departures.  Told me it was number 11 and left.  A side note about trains in Italy.  They don't display any stops, only the final destinations.  So the screen didn't say Trento, it said some other town, but if this officer said it was train 11 then it must be right?   I started walking down a cobblestone corridor with people bustling around me gawking at all my luggage.  I found where it was marked number 11 and looked at two flights of stairs.  Yes stairs with no elevator.  I tried dragging my luggage up the stairs.  I packed so freaking much!! My suit cases weighed a ton.  An attractive gentleman saw my predicament.  He was also on my same bus from the airport and carried his own SMALL luggage with him.  He set down his suitcases and heaved mine up the steps.  I walked to the train and guess what, another set of steps inside the train.  He walked up to me and again helped me heave my luggage up and inside.  Then put my small carry on suitcase which weighed about 50 pounds on the top rack and motioned for my huge luggage while speaking in Italian.  I told him it weighed to much and crammed it in the aisle between seats that faced each other.  He motioned for my ticket which I showed him.  He muttered some Italian and went outside the door and off the train.  Well I better follow him.  So I ran and caught up. He showed me how to punch it into a machine that marked that I  had punched it.    We walked to the train.  I took off my jacket and set my purse on the seat beside me.  He awkwardly slid into the seat facing me with my suitcase jammed in between us as a barrier.  He tried talking to me in Italian.  That darn CD my mom gave me was zero help and I said "sorry I don't understand"  There was a pause and I called Ilaria to tell her I made it on the train.  He continued to try to speak to me with hand gestures but I just shrugged my shoulders and repetitively said I didn't understand.  He then brought up facebook and pointed to me.  I said yes I have it.  He picked up a piece of paper and said "penne" which I assume was pen and motioned for writing.  I told him I had no pen.  He grabbed a marker from his bag and motioned again for me to write.  So I wrote my name and pointed to me.  Tessa Farmer.  He wrote something in Italian and said Alfred.   Okay so his name is Alfred.  He pointed to my tags on my luggage.  I tried telling him I flew on an airplane here.  We both stared at each other not understanding one another.  So I looked out the window at the scenery.  Which another side note is absolutely beautiful! Castles and cathedrals passed by as well as small towns that housed acres of vineyards. Also they don't announce their stops.  You have to pay attention to the signs.  He pulled out two phones and started talking really fast Italian, and texting in the other phone.  Then we sat in silence, until his phone started ringing.  He held up a text for me to read.  It read "where are you from?"  I typed on my phone Utah, America.  He seemed really excited about America then called on his phone again.  You know when you can tell people are talking about you? Yeah I could tell he was talking about me to someone.  Then more silence.  More towns passed, and a couple of stops.  Then another text message "Are you married" not spelled correctly but well enough I knew what he was asking. "No" I replied then asked him.  He said "no."  Another phone call more silence and towns flew past.  I practiced keeping myself awake as I stared out the window.  I told him Italy was beautiful, and America was beautiful.  He seemed to understand that.  He pointed to the mountains outside and motioned like he was skiing.  I replied yes, and he was excited again pointing to me and then him and then the mountain.  I assume he was suggesting we go to the mountain together.  I replied no I have to work.  He looked confused.  Then said Hotel and motioned at me.  I said no I stay with family to work as au pair.  We both smiled he shook his head still not understanding.  Another text message with the question of "can I have your phone number?"  Not wanting to be rude, and needing his help to drag my luggage off the train I said yes.  Then the confusion of getting each others number and getting it to work.  Finally it worked and at last we pulled into Trento.  He helped me off the train.  Ilaria was there waiting thank goodness.  He seemed sad to see her waiting there.  He gave me a hug and shook my hand getting back onto the train.                                                             Ilaria helped me with my carry on and we set off.   Down two sets of stairs where I awkwardly thumped my big suitcase down.  Walking down a corridor until more stairs.  Stairs how I loathe you!  I dragged my suitcase up, which is so heavy and set off trying to catch up.  Finally to the car and then the house. They live in a beautiful house on the hill that overlooks the entire valley.  It is so beautiful!!  I played with the children Gabriel, and Beatrice after eating a delicious pasta dinner.  Then went to sleep.  I am still exhausted but am finally getting the hang of the time difference.  Tomorrow Ilaria is taking me into town.  Which will be another adventure full of misunderstandings and lots of confusion.