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instructions on how to turn her phone on.  She added the time to it,
and plugged it into the wall so it could charge as she talked.  She dialed her
home number with the codes that the woman had given her to dial first, and the
phone rang.
    “Hello?”
    “Hi, mom.  Sorry I didn’t call yesterday.  There was a lot
going on, and by the time it was over I was dead tired.”
    “It’s ok, honey.  We were a little worried when we didn’t
hear from you right away, but we don’t want you to spend all your money calling
us all the time, either.  I know it’s really expensive.”
    “I know, but I just wanted to check in.  The bank is over
in another area, I guess the base is split into pieces, so I’ll have to get
over there when I can.  Maybe I can have Elena pick me up during lunch one day
and help me to open an account.”
    “Who’s Elena?” her mother asked curiously.
    “She’s the girl that was waiting for me at the airport. 
She’s Italian, but she works in the same company I do, and I think maybe even
in the same building.  She showed me where most of the essentials are, and it’s
really right across the street.  I have an address for you, too, if you want to
pass it on to anyone.”  She rummaged around for the little slip that the post
office had given her and waited while her mom got a pen and paper.  When she
was ready she read it off.  “I’ll let you know when I get a bank account, and
I’ll have my wireless internet set up in a week or so, so I’ll be able to email
you, too.”  There was also an internet installer that worked out of the phone
kiosk, and she’d set up an appointment with him while she was there.  “Ok, mom,
well, I’m going to let you go and try to get some things unpacked before I pass
out again.  I love you both.”
    “We love you too, honey.  We’ll be thinking about you!” 
Rachel hung up the phone, and looked at her two suitcases, staring at her
accusingly.  “Oh, I will get to you, tomorrow.  I’m too tired.”

 
    Chapter 6
     
    Rachel woke up on Monday, still a little disoriented,
but she was on a mission.  Today was the first day of the weeklong course that
would help her to get acclimated to Italy. She was determined to learn as much
as she could.  Rachel wanted to fit in well, since this is where she was going
to be spending the next few years of her life.  She put on a black pair of
slacks, and a red and white blouse with a star pattern on it.  She looked down
at herself and sighed.  Compared to what she’d seen at the airport, she was
nowhere near as dressed up as the Italians were, and she was sure that they
would notice it.  She ran her brush through her long hair and left it hanging
down in waves.  Her hair was her best feature, in her opinion.  She put on a
little bit of makeup, then grabbed her purse, added some pens and pencils to
it, tucked a notebook under her arm, and left her room.  She heard no sounds
coming from her roommate’s bedroom, but she was quiet as she left, all the
same.
    When she got a chance to get outside, she could see how
close the mountains really were to the base, and she could see slight tendrils
of mist curling over the grass.  It had an enchanting feel to it, like the
marshes in a mystery novel.  She made her way to the sidewalk, and checked both
directions for traffic before she crossed the street.  There really weren’t
very many cars moving.  She found it odd since this was the center of the
biggest piece of the base.  When she pulled the door open to the building, she
saw a reception desk and an older woman sitting behind the counter, hammering
away at her computer.  She noticed Rachel and looked up with a smile.
    “Good morning!  Can I help you with something?”  The woman
had a deep, jovial voice.  It made Rachel smile back at her easily.
    “Yes, I’m new here and I’m trying to get to the Right Start
class.  I was told it was in this building, but I’m afraid that I’m not