My name is Jeff and when I was 18, after graduating high school and before starting college, I went to Italy by myself to do some solo traveling for a few weeks before meeting up with friends later in the trip. I had learned a bunch of Italian in high school, and was looking forward to immersing myself in the language to really learn it. I was nervous though too, as I had never traveled alone, and was going to have to negotiate everything in a language I only knew in the classroom!
I started off in Sicily. I aimed for a small town literally underneath a volcano that, according to my guide book, had a pretty good youth hostel. It was in late May (my private high school graduates early), so there were very few travelers, and I was actually one of the few people at the hostel. I got in late the first day and just wanted to check in and crash. The guy at the desk that night was surprised to see anybody checking in that late and actually seemed excited to have some business. He spoke English well and took a lot of time to show me the place, where my room was, and where I could put my bags. He seemed nice enough, older than me, in his late 30s-early 40s, in shape and just starting to go gray around the sides. He asked if I wanted anything to eat or drink and I was actually pretty hungry so I said sure. He lead me to a small kitchen off the main entrance and actually made me a small sandwich and gave me an orange "Fanta". Fanta was big in Italy I guess. I gulped it down while he talked some more about the town. He was very friendly and put me totally at ease.
In a prolonged pause in the conversation I said, "Well I guess I'll take the keys now and go to bed."
He looked embarrassed that he hadn't given me the keys yet, and handed them to me, saying goodnight. I was the only person in my 8-bunk room and I just put my stuff away and crashed.
The next day I did some sight-seeing, and ended up getting back to the hostel in the late afternoon. I was expecting to meet other travelers, people to hang out with, maybe hit a bar or something, but the only other people there were some hard-core mountain hikers from Portugal that were setting up for a big backpacking trek. Needless to say, we didn't have much in common. I ended up grabbing some dinner from a grocery store and watching TV, alone, in the common room for the evening trying to understand what was being said in the weird Italian game-shows.
As it got dark, I was getting kind of bored. What was I thinking traveling 1/2-way around the world alone? I was plain bored without anybody to hang out with. I heard the front door open and all though I couldn't see anything, I heard what sounded like the check-in guy from last night's voice. I guess he was coming on again for the evening desk shift. He rustled around with a few things and walked into the common room.
"Oh hello!" He said in Italian and seemed pleasantly surprised to see me. I smiled and said hello back. He started talking to me and I thought that this would be a great chance to practice my conversation...at the very least it was something to do. I told him (in Italian) that I was traveling and where I wanted to go in Sicily and how I was kind of bored and looking forward to meeting up with my friends in a few weeks. He humored me and spoke back in very slow, simple, easy-to-understand Italian. His name was Nico and we were getting along pretty good, he was a totally cool guy and was being really friendly, even offering to drive me at some point to the various places I wanted to see in Sicily! He talked about how he owned several businesses in town and that the hostel was one of them. He took the evening shift here sometimes to go over all the book-keeping. He was into hiking, cycling, and mountain climbing. The conversation drifted quiet and out of nowhere he invited me to a party that his friends were having that night in town! I was actually pretty tired by that point, and despite my earlier boredom, I declined. I didn't want to be all awkward in a room full of Italian people. The thought did cross my mind though that this cool athletic Italian guy might know some hot Italian girls. He said it was my loss and went back to the front desk and I kept watching TV until I went to bed.
The next day I did some hiking up on the Volcano. It was a great day and I was tired and dirty when I got back to the hostel. Again, there was no one around so I ate dinner from the same place I did the day before and started watching TV. Nico came in again that evening and I found myself glad to see him...he was kind of my only friend there. We talked a bit and I mentioned that I was really sore from the hike. He said that he had some well-tested post-hike stretch routines he always did. He sat on the floor near the couch and started to show them to me. I didn't want to be rude and figured it might actually help. So, I got off the couch and sat on the rug next to him, trying to mimic his poses. He had some reverse figure 4 thing going on, with one leg out straight, and the other bent and pulled behind him. I was kind of embarrassed at first because his shorts weren't all that long and stretched out like that they didn't do much to hide his anatomy. I tried to do it with him but I wasn't quite getting my leg around. He moved over and put his hands gently on my thigh and ankle to move it. I didn't think much of it as I figured this was Italy; straight guys hug and kiss and stuff here...when in Rome right? He let his hands linger just to the point where I was feeling weird though and then he let go.
"Good, that's right," he said as he got up, "Work on that a bit and you won't be sore tomorrow." His hand was on my leg though just long enough to weird me out. I started thinking...was Nico gay? He didn't really seem it, I mean, not like the gay guys you see on TV and stuff...all flamboyant and with a lisp. He seemed really manly. But what was with the near-caress and all this special attention? Was he coming on to me? I had never been hit on by a guy before and while my head totally rejected the idea and I quickly pushed it out of my mind...a part of me was strangely flattered! I was as straight as they come, played varsity basketball, and never even looked at another guy before. While I had sex with a 2 chicks in high school, I was looking forward to all the freshman pussy I was going to get in college! I erased any gay thougths from my mind and went back to my room to take a much needed shower.
As I undressed for the shower, I couldn't help but think that if Nico was gay he would probably love to watch me shower. I mean, why wouldn't a gay guy want to hit on me? I was lean, tall, not with bulging muscles, but toned anyway. I didn't have much hair on my body, save for a little happy train from my belly button down to my pubic hair, and I don't know if gay guys like smooth guys or what... wait, what was I thinking! Why do I care what gay guys like or not? I pushed the thoughts out my head and soaped up and rinsed off, letting the hot water cascade off me, lingering a little. It felt strangely good to be naked and alone in Italy with nobody who knew me around for 1000 miles. I quickly pushed more thoughts out of my head about if Nico was thinking about me being naked and alone as well.
After the shower, I grabbed this journal I had bought and went back to the common room to write in it about my trip so far. I was sitting at a desk when Nico came back into the room and said he was going home.
