The train ride to Venice was amazing. I booked a first class ticket just to see what it was all about. After we took off the attendant came by with a newspaper, I went to accept one but realized I don't read Italian. I pretend to speak Italian, but I don't need to pretend to read. I'll let someone else enjoy that one. A few minutes later he came back with a beverage cart and I ordered a mimosa. He popped the bottle of champagne, poured me a cocktail and I was riding to Venice in style. He came back a few times with more drinks and I ordered a caffé so I would get a boost before I arrived in Venice.

I stepped off the train and had to decide what to do. I had no idea if the city was near the station, at the station or what to do. I decided to follow the crowd. The first step, I knew, was to figure out somewhere to store my pack for the next four hours while I explored Venice. I remembered Becca told me to put it in a locker but all the lockers looked boarded up and no longer an option. I asked a girl next to me who also had a pack. Thankfully she spoke English. I was learning that most everyone does. She was just as confused by the broken lockers. I saw people waiting in a long line by a sign that read "WC." I asked her if WC was for luggage. She laughed and said that was the bathroom. My mistake, well at least learned a new word- Water Closet. I walked a little bit further down the station and found a counter that you pay four Euros to check your luggage for five hours. Bingo.

After I ditched my pack, I started walking toward what I was hoping was Venice. To be honest, I had no clue what I was doing this entire trip. This really should just be called "Aimlessly wandering around the World by Julie Kastler." However, for having no plans, I have to say I think I'm doing alright. I wove through the crowd of people in the station and started to see an opening. I turned the corner and was led to a wide staircase that led me right into Venice. I looked out and the canal was right before my eyes. The Gandalas, the houses with flowers on every balcony. It was the most stunning view I had ever seen in my entire life. I felt like I just stepped on the set of an old movie. I think every person should see Venice before they die. It truly is a sight to see.

The first thing on my list was to find a restaurant on the water and have my first Italian pasta. I found the perfect spot, a restaurant sitting on the canal. I ordered a very basic dish- Spaghetti La Pomadora. It was unbelievable. After lunch I walked down the canal and stopped at a little café and ordered my first Italian cappuccino. This drink was much better than Starbucks and you don't get tongue tied trying to decide a venti, or grande. You just order one size.

I read on my iPad App on train that the best recommendation for Venice was to simply get lost, wandering in the streets and alleys. This was my style anyway, I was thrilled there was a city that specialized in this. Andrew, my co-worker had told me before I left that I should find my "staple" item in Europe. I had decided mine would be an Italian wallet. I strolled up and down the streets, in and out of shops searching for the perfect leather wallet I would hold on to forever. I used the iPod App to learn how to bargain with the shops. The first few times I tried forming my sentences, I failed and the clerks looked puzzled. Luckily there were enough shops that I could practice and try again. I ended up finding the perfect wallet for twenty-two Euros. Walking around the streets of Venice may possibly be my favorite thing so far. There is literally so much to look at that you forget about every single thing on your mind. You are completely lost in the moment- which is a beautiful thing. Hours had gone by and I had not thought about work, responsibilities, or inflating gas prices. I was mesmerized by the streets, the people, the buildings.

This was exactly why I wanted to take this trip. Venice is the secret ingredient to removing yourself from the hustle and bustle of life. It reminds you that every thought that races through your mind on a daily basis is for the most part, unimportant.

One of my clients told me before my trip that I must have a gelato every day. So I got my gelato for the day and headed back to the train station. I forgot to check the departure times but just knew that I should get back to Florence before it gets dark. I didn't have a plan in Florence, but I did book a hostel for one night so I thought it would be best not to be searching for it in the dark with my pack.

At the train station, I was becoming more hip to doing things on my own. I bought my ticket on my own at the automatic machine and had seventeen minutes before departure. I had come back at the perfect time. The next train to Florence didn't leave for another two hours. I picked up my pack from the bag check-in, used the WC- now that I knew what it was called and boarded the train. This time in second class. There was no difference really, they just don't serve you mimosas or caffés.

At this point, I was exhausted. I needed to take a nap but was afraid to fall asleep in fear that I would sleep through my stop. I pulled out the iPod, set an alarm for an hour and wrapped my pack around my arm so that no one could steal it while I slept. Within seconds I was asleep and what felt like a minute, the alarm went off. I must have been extremely tired. When I woke, the girl across from me asked if I was American. I nodded and she laughed. I asked why and she buried her head back in her book. I believe she was making fun of me but I'm not sure why. I'm not wearing tennis shoes so I'm not sure how she noticed. I'm guessing the way I slept with my pack. I glanced back out the window and anxiously wondered what Florence would be like.