Unplanned Happenings

Sometimes I think that it is amazing how we find ourselves in unexpected places in life, and that there is very little that we can truly foresee and plan. I chuckled to myself tonight as I was ragu sauce in my yellow kitchen how funny life is--I could never have imagined even a year ago that I would find myself working as a teacher in an Italian school, attending teacher and parent meetings in Italian. I could not have foreseen working as a copy editor for an art magazine. I could not have foreseen finding such a cute apartment with two very lovely and interesting roommates and a kitchen at my disposal to make my Italian experimental recipes. I really could not have foreseen falling in love with someone in this country--meeting him, in all places, on a train.

In fact, the day that I met Matteo on the train, I wrote a poem as he got off the train as I continued on to Milan. Our encounter had obviously intrigued me enough to write about it.

I debated taking the train
wanting to stay in Genova city
but what does 1 hour serve
with my heavy baggage burden?
Drinking a cafe
watching the beautiful day pass by
outside of the train station doors.
Enough daydreaming, catch the train!
The wrong train, the wrong ticket
Returning to the city, hot and tired
Scanning the train
with disinterest and fatigue.
Then I see you.
Stop.
In front of me,
Behind the dirty window,
Reading a book.
Decision made-easily.
I have no shame to sit close.
You start the conversation.
Yet unaware that I'm foreign.
Italian boy meets American girl.
Journalist meets traveling artist.
Lovely exchange of ideas.
You want to learn English.
I can't stare directly
into your orange eyes.
You give me your number.
I will call.
Intrigue on the train this day.

There is my silly "poem" that I wrote after Matteo got off the train.

In any case, I guess I can admit that I really care about Matteo, and I might be falling in love with him.

It is too late to continue writing, but tomorrow I will write about my school week and another great weekend spent with Matteo.