Again, But Better(26)

Inside the Vatican, we climbed this endless winding staircase. The steps actually twisted sideways and up onto the wall as we reached the uppermost domed portion of the church. I loved it.

We were all out of breath when we finally reached the top. The path led us outside, onto a narrow balcony that encircled the tip of the dome. The four of us diffused, spreading out among the rest of the tourists. When I spotted an open area of railing, I flung myself against it to stare out at the city. I tried to memorize the view, the feeling of wonder and accomplishment, the joy pumping through my veins.


We Saw the Pope

Back in St. Peter’s Square, there was a massive gathering of people looking up at a taupe-colored building. We wandered over to see what the fuss was about, squinting our eyes against the sun. There, five stories up, looking out over a balcony, arms extended, was the Pope. What even!

I can’t believe we were only gone for two days. We saw so much. I never dreamed so much could be done in two days. But it can! I can’t wait to do this in other countries. There’s so many possibilities. I’m so much more excited about my Packed! For Travel! internship!





11. What Comes Next?



January 17, 2011

Mom and Dad,

I got an email this morning confirming that I got the internship at the magazine, Packed! For Travel! I start next Tuesday! I’ll have to lie to you about where I’m working when we Skype, and I’m not looking forward to it. I hope BBQ this past Sunday went well. Did anyone notice I was gone?

XO,

Shane




I slip today’s postcard in with my growing collection as Professor Blackstairs hands back our first assignment. I almost leap out of my seat when mine falls onto my desk. I got an A.

An hour and a half into class, Professor Backstairs dismisses us for a fifteen-minute break. A lot of students head out into the street to grab a snack or some air. I guess I could do that. There’s a Café Nero down the street, and I could go for a latte. I push up out of my seat and make my way outside.

“Shane?”

I pause on the front steps of the class building, my gaze snapping up to find Pilot ten feet in front of me on the sidewalk.

“Hey!” I walk over to where he’s stopped.

“Are you done with class?” he asks, confused.

“No, I’m on fifteen-minute break. I was going to grab a latte,” I tell him, delighted I decided to leave the classroom.

He shakes his head with a disbelieving grin. “Dang, me too. I guess our professors coordinated today.”

He’s all casual, hands in his pockets, hunched slightly against the breeze as we start down the block. I stuff my hands into my pockets too.

“So, Rome for the weekend is over,” he says, a half smile on his lips.

Residual Rome hype spills out of me. “Yeah, it was so fast, but we saw so much stuff! I mean, yeah, the Sistine Chapel was closed but—”

“But,” he interjects happily, “we got to chill with the Pope.”

“That we did, that we did.”

“How would you rate it out of ten?”

I consider this for a moment, pursing my lips. “Hmm, eight out of ten, I think, which is excellent, but leaves room for improvement. If there’s ever a trip that’s out-of-this-world superb, like if we got to hang with Taylor Swift and the Pope, that would be a ten.”

Pilot nods approvingly.

“And what would you rate it?” I ask, raising my eyebrows.

He answers in a cheeky, over-the-top version of his voice. “I mean, I’m pissed Taylor Swift wasn’t there, but I guess I’d give it an eight out of ten too.”

I snort as we come to a stop, waiting for the walk signal to cross the street. “Where else do you want to travel while you’re here?”

He jumps at the question. “Oh, man, everywhere! Scotland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary, Denmark, Austria. I really just want to go as many places as I can.”

I bite back a smile at the enthusiasm in his voice. “It’s so cool that everything’s so close. I didn’t realize we’re like two hours from so many places.” The light changes, and we scurry toward Café Nero. “When do you fly back to the States?”

“I don’t have a return ticket yet,” he says.

My head whips over to meet his eyes as we reach the sidewalk again. “You don’t have a return ticket?”

“Nope. Playin’ it by ear. We’ll see what happens.”

There’s that phrase again.

“Wow.” I pause as he pulls open the door to Café Nero. We step in and join the line. People go places without getting a return ticket?

“I never even realized that’s … like, an option when you travel,” I say slowly.

“What countries do you want to hit?”

“Um, I don’t know. I didn’t think about it enough because I didn’t realize everything was so close, and now I want to go everywhere I can.” I meet his eyes again.

He smiles and straightens his arms, stuffing his hands farther into his pockets. I float a few inches off the ground. His smiles aren’t like mine, which typically etch themselves onto my face for various stretches of time. Pilot’s are fleeting; they come and then they’re gone again, and he’s back to his normal resting chill expression.