Firenze

Walking around Florence is such a surreal experience.  The amount of history that I am surrounded with is amazing.  I feel like a little kid and get so excited at every new street I walk down and building I see.  I wish there were some way for me to capture everything I see and hear and smell so I can take it back to the U.S. with me.  I find myself wanting to take pictures of everything, because it is all so beautiful and novel to me.  As exciting as the city is during the day, it takes on a whole different feel at night.  It seems as if most of the tourists turn in for the night, and the locals come out.  The streets are surprisingly well lit, but not with harsh florescent light like we often see in the US, but yellow light that creates a relaxed, cozy feel about the city.  The American pop music coming from the stores and market vendors during the day is no longer heard as the acoustic guitar players and jazz bands form in the pizzas at night.  The music and lighting creates an atmosphere like of a dream.  As magical as Florence is, I feel as though I am still an outsider.  I suppose I always will be.  However, I would like to find a way of integrating myself into their culture a more than would be possible if I were just visiting for a day or even a week.  The problem is that I know almost no Italian, but I have decided to speak with the resident director of my study abroad program.  I have asked her to help me find a place to volunteer with young children for the weeks I will be staying in Florence.  I hope that this will allow me to make some personal connections with the residents of Florence, and put me on a schedule that is more similar to the one I have in the U.S., especially once classes start.