Wild twenties

Hawaiian moon.

In one of those travel surveys, Maui was recently voted the best island in the world to visit.  David and I have been to all of the Hawaiian islands except for privately owned Niihau and uninhabitable Kahoolawe.  Well, we question the top ranking for Maui, as we prefer Oahu, where we reside.  The two main reasons for this preference are: (1) there are more things to see and do here on Oahu, and (2) our relatives live here.  Two excellent reasons for preferring Oahu.

On another note, I was comparing my young life with my husband’s.  David has really led a sheltered life and never really ventured away from his parents’ home to attend school, travel, or work.  I, on the other hand, led a WILD life during my twenties.  Too wild, perhaps, as well as dangerous.

I shudder at the risks I took while traveling around the world alone between 1968 and 1975.

For example, in order to save money and not pay for a hotel room, I rode the train at night.  On a night train from Switzerland to Italy, I shared a compartment with an Italian migrant worker, who reeked of cheap wine.  He kept sliding towards me on the bench-bed we shared.  Finally, I got up and stood outside in the narrow passageway.  An Italian air force captain wandered over and asked me why I was not in my compartment.  When I explained, he offered me a seat in his compartment.  I thanked him for his generosity.

However, no sooner had I dozed off, then he was on top of me.

“Bella bambina, bella bambina,” he murmured.

I pushed him off.  Just then, the train stopped in Bologne.  He begged me to visit his hometown.  “Please come with me,” he said, “I will show you Bologne and then I will put you on the next train to Rome.”

Baloney, I thought.  Besides, he was wearing a wedding ring.

I steadfastly declined, and finally, just as the train was leaving the station, he jumped off.

Some other air force captain might not have been so “cordial.”