Trapped on the train to nowhere, well actually going somewhere, I just had no idea where that was because I was supposed to be off the train by now, my cousin Judit calmed me down to a few steps below full on panic. She told me I was going to have to get off at the next stop, turn around and come back to the stop I could not get off at. At least now I knew if nobody was departing the train from hell I was going to get somebody to open the door for me. 

Panicked about the next steps, panicked about being asked for a train ticket, not having the right one and trying to explain my horror via google translate to an unsuspecting train conductor was freaking me out.

The small Italian town train stations are unique, when changing trains you have to walk down the stairs, under the track and over to the other side and hope you are on the right platform for the train you need. With Judit on the phone I manoeuvred my way down, under, over and up to the correct platform, I hoped. 

Then she said the one thing that put my mind at ease and made me feel like all would be Okay…. 

“Find someone who speaks English?”. 

Are you kidding me? Find someone who speaks English? How the hell am I supposed to do that exactly? I just got off a train where not a single person spoke English and now I have to search the train platform, before the next train arrives, explain my dilemma, have them understand and explain back to me what I need to do all before the next train arrives. Sure, no problem, what could possibly go wrong?

So I did what any normal freaked out American would do… 

I yelled, “Excuse me do you speak English, does anybody speak English?” 

A young man who clearly looked afraid to tell the crazy woman he spoke English, spoke up and acknowledged that he did. 

OMG… 

“Can you help me?” 

“Would you mind talking to my cousin, she speaks Italian and she can explain this better than I can, would you talk to her?”… as I waved my phone in his face like the crazy woman I was. 

The nice young man, hands the phone back to me, clearly horrified that he even decided to help in the first place. Judit explains that the kid is going in the direction I need to go and will help. 

“Thank you so much, I really appreciate it. If it’s ok I am going to follow you wherever you go”, horrified, he agrees. 

The stop approaches and I ask, “would you mind showing me how to open the door? I have a problem with the doors”…. Hesitantly he agrees… he is not getting off at this stop but I am going to make him open the damn door.

Off I went and off he went, thankful I was getting off the train, I think. 

I disembarked the train with many other people and the next thing I know I am alone. I am not sure where all the people scattered to but now there was no one and I am not sure what to do but know I have to get on the right train to Buonconvento or I am going to be sleeping on a bench.

Judit’s advice was ringing in my head… ‘find someone who speaks english’. I look to the right, nobody, I look down the platform to the left and there is one older gentleman sitting by himself… ok here goes nothing. 

He does not speak English but through a few hand signals and one word sentences he understands and walks me over to the board which tells what platform each train will arrive at. I go down, under, up and over but I am still not sure what I am doing. There is nobody to ask, nobody working at the station and nobody else waiting on that side. 

Wait, there is a board of sorts, a schedule of sorts (yes, we all know the schedule is just a suggestion but at least it is something), so I start reading the board like I know what I am reading, like I know what I am looking for like I know what I am doing. I was badly faking my confidence because the very kind gentleman who spoke no English walked over 2 sets of train tracks to help me be less confused. 

Thankfully there was another train in route after missing the first connection so I was not going to have to sleep on a bench I was just going to have to wait a bit. 

As I was waiting, hoping I read the signs right, hoping the kind man understood and hoping I was in the right spot, what I was really hoping for was somebody else to be on the train with me because, remember, I can’t open the doors. Even if I am in the right spot, waiting for the right train to take me to the right destination, it is not going to matter if I can’t get off the train.

Then I heard it, it was like angels singing… out of nowhere a man talking on his phone appeared… like in the movies… there he was… a very attractive, Italian man, possibly taking the train with me and he spoke English. Ahhhhhhhhhh…. Can you hear the angels singing?

I quickly pushed past my comfort zone and started chatting with him. Partly because he was the only other person standing there and it would be rude not to, partly because he was super cute but mostly because I needed someone to open the doors. If I am being honest, the super cute part was more than partly but I mostly needed help with the doors and I am not sure you can have one partly and two mostly-s  and have them add up to an entire situation??? 

I was in the right spot waiting for the right train and he was taking the train too just not getting off where I was but that was good enough for me.

The smallest, oldest, 2 car train I had ever seen pulled into the station, the doors opened on their own and we boarded. Thank god he was there because nobody else was on the train. We settled into our seats and without being too stalker like I sat on the opposite side of the car from him and tried not to stare. Before my stop I asked him if he wouldn’t mind helping me with the door because of the last fiasco, he agreed. 

It was a good thing because this time the only way to open the door was to push the obvious big red button.