Backpacking around Greece in 1990!
On the way there, my friends and I were all stuffed in the back of the train surrounded by people smoking. We decided to all get off at the next stop and run up to a different car together. Well, I got off and the train took off! This was before cell phones or email. I was in a tiny Italian town with adorable train workers playing cards in darling uniforms and they didn’t speak a word of English and at that time I didn’t speak Italian. So I pantomimed being left by saying “Mi amigos! Ch-ch-ch (pretending to be a train) ArrivederciI!” (I waved here, then mimicked crying) They thought I was hilarious. We all had a ball pantomiming different things and laughing as we had no idea what each other were saying. I got on the next train heading south and hoped I’d find my friends, but knowing I may be on my own now. As it chugged along the Italian countryside, I looked out the window and saw a massive field of sunflowers and it calmed me and made me realize no matter where I landed I’d be okay! I arrived in Brindisi at 3am, 6 hours later than my friends. As I was walking through the Brindisi train station, looking for a place to lay my weary head, I overheard my friends talking about how worried they were about me. When I came around the corner, they cheered. Ever since then, I have loved fields of sunflowers.
