To-Be-Bottled Memory Days

For a Monday afternoon, I left school particularly happy last week. Maybe it was being school-free the next day (Italian Labor Day), maybe it was the city sunshine or maybe I've just generally chilled out.
Arriving at my bus stop, I watched a typical scene play out before me. Two backpacked tourists fresh off the train from around the corner stood with a map in their hands and a lost hopelessness in their eyes. By the NorthFace gear and general composure, I could recognize them as "my people" immediately.
"So, are you a little or completely lost?"
My English startles and relieves them, "Oh my gosh! You're American! Could you please help us? Do you know the area? Where are you from? What are you doing here?"
Psh, well by know I better know this place well enough. I explain that my route home from school would be useful to them, bringing them straight to the center of the center.... I would have suggested following me but they've already agreed so willingly that I might as well have had been glowing with a light sent by the gods.
This mid-40s Oregon couple celebrating 15 years of "togetherness" has been travelling with little guidance or agenda. They're just goin' with the flow and lovin' every minute. As they kept up with my New York-paced stride, we got to know each other a little bit.

I missed that about the States. As cranky as everyone thinks we can be (or as cranky as we really can be), striking up conversations with strangers is a lot more rare here. There isn't a beauty comparable to that of a ten minute friendship.

My easily distracted free-ness has me shining in my Bologna pride. I'm twisting and turning to point out all the touristy goodies when...
"Oh, mi scusi!" I apologize to the couple I ran into in my circling who happened to be... Jake (IL) and Chloe (PA)? And so I just happened to bump into two American AFSers. Jake and I go way back - we do all our regional camps together and he's always good for pastimes like "what the heck is there to do in Illinois?" or "why is there no Snapple here?" Chloe, however, I haven't seen since Rome!
What a reunion. So, Americans - meet my other Americans. The five of us, quite a sight to see, continued towards the main piazza...

Jake, Islay, Norway,
Yours Truly & Chloe

...Where we met Norway and his will-be host sister next year.
That's Bologna's charm (or curse?). You can't get anywhere without seeing someone you know. We had a lovely little meeting blessed with spontaneity.
We explain a few key Bolognese things to our Oregon friends at this point. Don't leave without climbing the towers. Tortellini and lasagna must be eaten. Avoid certain streets and their overpriced coffees (we learned the hard way). Get lost. Love this city as I do.
I left them at the tourist center in good hands. We shared a sweet goodbye as I wished them good travels and they wished me good...living. We hugged. The end - I'll never see them again but hey, we spent a fun hour together.

So that was that. I walked home. I had lunch and coffee like a lady with my bros. I dined in church with the kids. I spent the night in the club. We drove home at 3:30am in a mom's van with music of my father's generation and a car full of sweat and laughs.
By now, I've got two months left and it's these sweet little moments that are really making it count.

"If only there could be an invention,” I said impulsively, “that bottled up a memory, like a scent. And it never faded, and it never got stale. And then, when one wanted it, the bottle could be uncorked, and it would be like living the moment all over again."

Daphne Du Maurier