After the grand Vespa adventure through Tuscany, I wanted to take it easy and have a day to myself. Sunday was a day for me to sit and write. After going for a nice run throughout the city and not having a clue where I was going- I just kept running and got weird looks from the locals- I sat in my apartment for about four hours writing and napping. Now why would I do such a thing on such a beautiful day in Florence? I asked myself the same question about 500 times that day, but really it was beneficial. I needed to take some time for myself and to think my life through. Sounds way dramatic, but I did take time to figure out what I really wanted to do with my time here and caught on my writing, which is so important! I was the tour guide for my program mates via phone as they made their way through Pisa though, so I did something within Italy just without leaving my apartment ;).
At night, I left the apartment and felt like a nocturnal creature coming out to enjoy the sunless sky...but it was just good old me...the group met to trek to Piazzale Michelangelo across the river and up massive hills. The walk was crazy rough, but the view at the top made every step worth it. There was a wedding going on at the top and it made me want to get married there! This Piazzale Michelangelo overlooked the entire city of Florence with each grand chiesa and building sparkling as the sun set.
This is a romantic hot spot where people of all ages come to spend the night and sit atop this hill to watch the sun set, cuddle with a loved one, marvel at just how beautiful the city is, and of course, eat gelato. The gelateria atop the hill had gelato of all kinds! The flavors took up about three long cases and I got dark chocolate- senza latte! Absolutely incredible and I wish Willy Wonka would create the everlasting gelato cone...oh what a creation that would be...
I captured moments of sheer beauty and pureness of nature and love's magic with my camera... When the sun no longer shined in the Florentine sky, our trek back led me and a few other girls to another gelateria- yes we're addicted- but this time I didn't get any rather I scouted it out and noticed they sold Soy gelato! I couldn't have been happier to see that there is such a thing...now I know where I have to go, every night ;)
Classes started bright and early Monday morning! None of us realized that we had to take classes while in Florence until we were sitting in classrooms and there were actual teachers in front of us assigning us work to do. Not only was I exhausted from a fun and exciting first weekend, but I was also overwhelmed with new things being thrown at me. I took my Italian placement exam and the instructors were impressed with my abilities to understand and speak the language, but were not so much impressed with my grammar- they said I had to work on it, but that's why I'm studying the language! I got through the first class quite successfully and couldn't help but think of how amazing it's going to be when I'm completely fluent in the language. It's only been about a week and I've already been speaking so much and learning so much, so with another four weeks who knows what will happen!
Travel photography was next. I have been anticipating this class since I signed up for it last month. The teacher is a well known photographer from America who has lived in Italy for 12 years and now teaches student photographers, as well as freelances. The first assignment dealt with spot lighting. I figured out things about my digital camera that I never knew even existed! Who knew you could change the settings to do such incredible things? I surely didnt, I definitely recommend reading your camera manual because you will discover a whole other world of photography with a simple touch of a button!
I got wireless Internet after class. I am now able to be connected to the world from my apartment. Good? Bad? I guess it's a good thing because I can write and stay in contact with friends and family in a more cheaper and efficient manner, however I don't want it to take me away from la città that is right outside my door...I won't though- you know that!
I've realized that the beauty of a vacation or study abroad program or a getaway or whatever you want to call this- is that you are able to explore so many different foods, people, sites, traditions, etc. but some people are caught up in a lot of what they'd be doing in America. I'm trying to appreciate where I am right now as much as possible. My biggest fear is that I leave on the plane home in August with tears in my eyes knowing that I didn't do what I wanted to do while here. That being in Florence was something that I did and didn't work to advance myself toward what I want out of life...
Getting homesick was never an option for me, though there are times that I sit here and think of everyone back home and wonder what they're doing and envy them for the time difference. "It's 12am here and only 6pm there! Gosh!" that's usually what it sounds like- to the t...;)...
I made my way to the supermarket here after class and purchased organic, all natural biscotti and crackers...soy yogurt and soy milk...and fresh produce! How exciting! Not very cheap, though it's so nice to buy my usual food products in a foreign country...speaking of food...I had shrimp and prawn risotto at dinner and have been eating my vegetariana paninis from the Oil Shoppe daily. The spicy sauce is just so irresistible- I'm going to start to look like un panino before I get home!
Well I'm off to see the Statue of David at the Accademia...- ci sentiamo!
Check out my pictures on Facebook (Monica Sellecchia) and let me know what you think!...more to come...
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