homeless for a few hours

Siena, Italy. Hm. Where to begin, Courntey is on a plane. Atleast I hope she is. I am in an internet cafe in Siena, Italy. Rome was nice. However, I am much more comfortable in this small city. I arrived via the train yesterday and just started walking around this morning. The train was a little difficult. I think I will begin with the fact that I didn't sleep much my last night in Roma. I was staying in a hostel that advertised itself with three words, drink, drink, and drink. So, obviously you can tell why I stayed there. Really, it was the cheapest place in Rome, atleast according to hostelworld.com. 12,50£ a night, not too bad. There were lots of Americans there, as usual-which was a little disapointing. However, I was the only one from the northwest, so i just pretended everyone else was from another country-because they are. I met two girls from WI who later invited me to go get icecream at mc donalds, I pointed them towards a gelato stand. see, they really are from another country. i recieved more proff that you should never talk about people behind their back and that indeed this is a small world when i found out that the girl sitting next to me (she is from york, penn) is best friends with the girl who sat one row in front and one seat to the left of me in psychology last spring. I guess even in a city as large as rome there are moments when this world feels really very small.
Siena is small. Not too small, really the perfect size. Yesterday I was so tired when I arrived. All the drinking of others the night before had kept me awake until late hours of the night...and i got up at 6. When I finally arrived I just wanted to curl up in my hostel bed and sleep. To my good fortune the hostel was not opening until 3.30pm. It was 1. So, I wandered around looking for a grassy spot to sleep on. There were none. My hostel is kind of removed from the city center, well, really removed from the city center so there are no parks. Finally I found some grass beind a bank. A little sketchy? yes. But, it was sufficent. Until I realised that there were ants and dog poop everywhere! At that moment I realised I was truely homeless no bed, no food...nothing. dramatic, i know. some how i managed to pass the time, and it wasn't too bad. i checked into my hostel right at 3.30, found my nice bed, have a nice american roommate, we both went to bed at 9 and woke at 8.30am. so, i am feeling much better today.
I have been roaming the city. i see a sign pointing to something interesting so, i walk towards it. works well. i am trying to make it to the big cathedral, well see if i make it there today. i walk about one block, stop for some food, journal time, a nap, a cite. just something. i guess since i am alone, people assume i am not a tourist. really, i am not. i am a traveler. again someone last night asked me if i knew how to get to the pam supermarket. i didn't so i flagged down an acutal italian and he helped us out. most people think i am a student here, and ask what school i am atending. really, you know...i am a temp college drop out. which, by the way is really nice. also, when i get home on october 29 you probably will not recognise me. this will not be because i changed my style dramaticaly or something along those times...really, i am just going to be obese. i actually looked into buying running shoes today, they were way to expensive, so i went and ate a third breakfast instead. yes, i am become obese. it is really sad. i told myself no gelato today, hmmm. that lasted until about 1pm. no pizza, nope. no chocolate, hahah NO. i have been doing ab work outs, but, i think i am too fat for those to do any good. Since courtney is not with me i have no reason to move my mouth, but, it still needs to move, so i eat instead. makes sense? plus, everything lookds so good. not all of it is, i still haven't had bread as good as portland bread..pearl bakery...great harvest...grand centeral...they need to teach this country a lesson in bread making. but, everything else is amazing, such as the pizza. maybe when i get to austria i will stop eating gelato, but for now i cannot. that would just be wrong.
warm weather. lots of churches. joe biden was at wooster and i wasn't.
love,
claire