So, not all trips go to plan, not all trips have a plan, and sometimes, you can't quite prepare for the situations that you will get yourself into. Having said that... let's swing into the story.

Sitting on a train between Munich, Germany and Verona, Italy I was standing in the doorway looking out of the window when a man walked up to me with a beer in his hand. He held the bottle out to me and offered it to me in German. The bewildered look on my face gave away the fact that I didn't speak German, so he repeated it in English. "You want a beer?" he asks me. At first, I said no because taking booze from strangers rarely ends well. He offered again, holding the beer out closer to me.

Seeing that it was unopened and judging that he didn't look like an ax murderer, I figured, why not and I accepted. He pulled an opener out of his pocket and cracked the beer for me. It was tasty and didn't taste like arsenic, so I figured I'd keep drinking it. He asked me about what I was doing and I told him I was backpacking. He invited me to join him and his friends to finish my beer.

We weren't far from the train cabin they were in, which totally gives the wrong idea. It was like the little cabins in Harry Potter, with windows and glass and not something secluded and dangerous. This definitely qualified as a public place. I just don't want you to doubt my character here.

I walked over and they were asking me about my travels. There was another backpacker sitting with them also. It turned out that they were a group of friends who traveled to the same town every year for a week of vacation and they like to get random travelers drunk along the way. So, I'm sitting here with another backpacker and this group of friends as they taught me a couple of things in German. We chatted and drank for the rest of the trip.

I ended up hopping off of that train with them and getting on the next one, wanting to keep the party going, so to speak.

As I type this, I realize it sounds a little crazy, so forgive me, but it was a very good time. Sometimes, impulsive moves don't get you killed and this is one of those times.

After we hit their destination, they bought me a slice of pizza (because ALL Americans love pizza, according to them) and sent me on my way. Slightly lit, I wandered back into the train station and got on the next train leaving the station. Here's where the planning fell through. I didn't know where I was going and was a little too tipsy to pay attention. I ended up grabbing a quick nap and was woken up by a very agitated ticket lady.

Next was a minor freak out moment as I sobered up a little and realized I had no idea where I was going. I was convinced that I was going to end up in the middle of nowhere and just about lost my mind. The train pulled into the station and I hurriedly ran to the train schedule listed on the wall at the station.

If you want to hear this story straight from the horse’s mouth, don’t forget I wrote a book about my adventures. I even narrated the audiobook myself.

A tall, gorgeous Italian woman got off of the train right after me and in a moment of desperation I asked her where I was. She told me I was in San Candido, Italy. Having no idea where that was, she was kind enough to walk me into the center of town and point me to the main hotel. We talked about what I was doing in Europe and where I was going. She was very kind, too kind. She insisted on helping me out with the hotel and tried to give me 50 Euro to help with the cost. I tried to refuse, but she insisted and I humbly accepted. There are a few moments in your life when you realize that the genuine nature of some people is too kind to overlook. This stranger's kindness helped me in a way I cannot describe and I owe her to this day. Remember to be kind to others, y'all.

She went on her way and I walked to the hotel. It was closed. Of course this was my luck in this situation. I looked around to see what else was around and I saw two young girls walking past some store windows. I walked over and asked if they spoke English, to which they replied, "Of course we do, we're kids!" I laughed at that one, not understanding. Apparently, most German children learn English in school these days. Yay, facts!

I asked them if they knew where I could find a hotel and it turned out that their grandmother had a small hotel a short distance away. They walked me to the hotel and I got to see some more of this town along the way. This place was small and there weren't a lot of stores. It struck me as a quaint little Italian town nestled in the middle of nowhere and I kind of liked it, but it didn't bode well for room prices for me. I would be on the first train out in the morning.

We get to the hotel and the young girls explain that I need a room, to which their grandmother lets me in and hands me keys. It was only 35 Euro, which surprised me, to say the least. The room was nice and the bathroom was private. There were french doors that led to a balcony, I assumed, but I was tired and it was time for bed.

After some calming down and some sleep, I woke up and wanted to see what was on the other side of the french doors in my room. I open the doors and step outside and I was met with a breathtaking view of the Alps.

View from my balcony in the quiet town of San Candido, Italy

I was so blown away by the view that I was looking at that I had to at least walk around a little bit and see what San Candido was.

This is the hotel that I stayed in for 35 Euro with the gorgeous view

This town, though small and quaint, was beautiful and colorful. It had wonderful people who were kind and generous. It is a ski town where travelers come from far and wide to enjoy the snow on the mountains. Everything that led me to this town was an accident. Everything was almost a mistake. Almost. That seems scary at times, to think that your path is so random and so indeterminate, but in this case, it was beautiful. There were circumstances that presented themselves in such a way, that I couldn't say no at the time. The culmination of those circumstances ended with me in this beautiful place.

After my walk, I came back inside in the hotel and sat down to breakfast. I saw the girls from the prevision night, sitting with their parents eating breakfast. The girls waved and I waved back. It was nice, they were genuine. One of the girls' father got up and walked over to me with his daughter. She said hi and introduced us and told me that her father wanted to practice his English and asked if I minded. I said no and he sat down. The girl went back to the rest of her family while her father and I spoke.

He asked me how I got here and how I came to meet his daughter. I told him part of the story, being the father o such young children, it was the delicate version, but we talked for a while and he asked what I was going to do about getting back to the city. I wasn't sure, but I told him I would figure it out. We smiled and he left. He thanked me for practicing English with him and told me to enjoy my breakfast. Of course, in this twisty turny story, there is more.

A younger couple sitting at the table next to me overheard the conversation between myself and the Italian father. It turns out, they were an Austrian couple, living in Germany, vacationing in Italy and happened to be sitting next to me. They heard me tell the father that I was going to head for a major town and offered, very politely, to give me a ride to Bolzano. It turns out, they were visiting a father of their own in the nearby city that morning.

Gauging that these people did not look like serial killers and going off of some antiquated instinct, I reluctance agreed, but kept my guard up nonetheless. We rode along the Autobahn and chatted while driving to Bolzano. It turns out that these two were both engineers, which is what I was in school for at the time. We talked at length about Thermodynamics and vehicle design and it was wonderful. After getting to Bolzano, we had a cup of coffee while they waited for their party and then we parted ways.

The funny part is I am in no way making this up. These are real events and they really happened and I really loved it. Every second of it. The point of these stories is to illustrate that there are good people in the world and that not everyone is out to hurt you or rob you. Be careful, though. Many people are out for themselves, but not everyone. Use your best judgement and don't be afraid to try new things.

Thanks, y'all!