The Kindness of Strangers...

So. Where to begin.

The train to Milano from Torino I needed to take was packed. So packed, in fact, that every stop took longer and longer, just to allow people to get off, and the people trying to shove their way on the time to maybe, perhaps, find some room. A mini place to stand.

I myself, was lodged between two men, the bar used for stepping on and off, and the door. My stuff was stacked in front of me and I was basically hugging it to my body. This was okay for most of the ride, but, maybe two-thirds of the way through I started to get dizzy, feel nauseous, and my arms started feeling tingly. A man saw me and asked me if I was okay and I said I wasn't feeling well and just started to sit down. The people around me all told me to sit down on the steps and made room for me to go there.

After awhile I started feeling better and a young lady in front of me was asking me when the next train to Mantova was. I knew the one I needed to catch was the last one and was saying I was going to have to make a run for it. She wondered if they would stop the train for me and asked the conductor (at that point it was clear we weren't going to make it for my transfer) who said it wouldn't be possible.

When we got off the train she helped me get my ticket signed by the conductor and said if I needed a place to stay, not to worry, I could stay at her place. We went to the ticket office to see if anything could be done and they started saying there would be a solution for Mantova. I got prematurely excited, thinking I might actually get home that night. The solution was to take a train to Cremona, which is a town an hour away from Mantova. So Elisa (the girl I met in the train) told me again that I was welcome to stay at her place, even though it wasn't in Milano. At that point I had thought of going back to Biella to be with Domi, but the problem with the train from Torino was related to construction work on that route, and if I had returned I would be facing the same sort of train problems I'd had when I left. I took Elisa up on her offer, after asking repeatedly if she was sure it was alright and that it was extremely generous and kind of her.

In the train to her place I discovered that it was the night before her first day at university. We chatted in English, and had a nice time. We ate with her brother and then went to bed. I had the spare room to myself.

I woke up approximately 4 hours later and she made me cappuccino. We had to run to catch the first train to Milano. I had no time to buy a ticket, but lucked out on the train because apparently the machines hadn't been working, so I didn't have to pay a fine, and it just so happened that I had enough change to pay for the ticket.
I made my train to Mantova with a minute to spare. I got into Mantova and lugged my bags to the bus stop where I took the bus to school. I arrived only an hour later than I normally do.

Twas an adventure. I hope I never have to do it again. :P