on being hard to contact and other things

sorry the title is not any better.. god knows it shuold be. sorry yall. my fingers are having a hard time finding their way around a forgien keyboard, with the "a" "s" "n" and "m" practically gone, i did not realize i would miss them. just another different thing here... anyway, the german girl, Nadina, who lives in the apartment with me showed me to a internet cafe -god bless her soul- and i feel a little closer to home.
so here is how it went down... well, the short of it anyway.
airport in philly:
after getting ready for dealing with the possibility of having to practically breakdown and re-pack my bags at the airport due to carrying too much weight (which could mean so many other things) nothing happened (again.. so many other things)
so, all went smoothly, i got to secruity (a.k.a. the final goodbye to my family) and mom gets teary, i try not to, ruth gets teary, i try not to.. it doesnàt work, i get all teary, dad stays strong, but not completely veiled, and i give lots of hugs, and some other words of strenght are passed around, and i walk away to the security guys, who say, "it is ok, no one will know it happened." to which i respond "yeah, i am ok, but when my mom starts cryin..." to which they smile and check my ticket.

security at the airport in philly:
well, you will all be glad to know that our country is safer because yours truley had to get the full pat-down. people walking by looking at me - barefoot, spread, and clutched - and all i can think back at them is "yeah... i am that person you guys.. i am that person..."
anyway, with that all finished and my things and self re-collected, my gate is two seconds away and i have 2 hours to wait. and... no internet... (i hadnàt realized how connected i really was...)

the flight to heathrow:
not bad.
long but not bad.
sat next to extreamly annoying husband and wife.. do not feel like getting into it..
it is in the past... and thank goodness.
cute british staff on plan sympathized with me over hidden winks and smiles and rolled eyes. oh the brit.s

getting through Heathrow a.k.a Hell:
too many damn people
too many damn people
and again!
too many damn people.
i got to go through so many lines, funny story actually, with a girl who worked at Java. she was also going to rome, but leaving from there for somewhere else.
anyway. we went through lines together.
and then finally, right before the security gate there, it being time for our place to board, i asked some security woman for help, she slipped us through and told us we should run, in an all too calm voice.
so we ran. and arrived to find our flight delayed. so we waited... again.

arriving in rome:
knowing that Micaela (the woman who rents the apartment) would no longer be waiting for me, i knew i did not need to rush for her. thank god. a little less stress.
go my big mother-load of a trunk, and wheeled it to train number one. i talked in broken italian to a very nice young woman on the train and she reassured my directions. then i got on the second train and thank god for italian men. of all the steps i would have had to haul this trunk, there seemed to always be a sweet italian man who after smiling at me and saying "ciao" would grab my trunk and haul it aup for me. "swoon" so sweet those italians...
anyway at this point i am soooo tired, and a little hungry, but not really thinking about anything but a shower and then sleep.
and i find my way to the apartment building. can not get in. wander back down the street to a little butcher kinda shop, and he calls micaela for me and tells me where to go. i manage to get in the door of the building by bzzing a random buzzer and saying in italian that i forgot my key. but then i cannot find my room.
i wander up and down, and finally this younge womand and her mother let me in to this place on the first floor saying yes yes this is it. but i knew something was off. i ask for miceala and she says she will be back tonight or at least tomorrow morning, so i think, sounds good. i go to my room, take a shower, pass out.

the next morning:
things do not seem right.
fredirica knocks on my door. miceala is her boyfriend. am i lost?
aparently, yes.
so she calls my miceala and finds me the right place.
turns out, i snuck my way into a bed and breakfast.
yeah...

e adesso (and now):
the first couple days, aside from sleeping like a madwoman... who needs sleep... were a little lonley. but last night and today have been very very nice. Nadina and i have been spending time together, have rather great conversations for both of our limited italian. i realize how much i really enjoy/want company. i think things will only get easier from this point on. people said that at first everything is amazing amazing amazing, and then it tapers down to missing home, the familiar, etc. but i think i am opposite of that. i think the hard part for me is the beginning. finding my feet again. then finding my mind again. then my mouth, then my smile, my eyes, etc. then it all gets more good-er. :) i am excited for what happens next. and my italian is getting back to where it was! yea!

and then:
i will send more and write more when i figure things out. i think when school picks up, communication will get easier. so, this coming week should be good.
on that note, my neck hurts, and this is costing my some euro. so, goodbye for now.
i will write more when i can.
i love you all.

oh, and p.s. ...the coffee here... too good. just too too good.