So since I've been here around 4 or 5 weeks (I've lost track) I have made some other observations about Florence. I know my last post was supposed to be about my "observations" but something struck me today. Florence is a BIG little city. By that I mean that the actual land size of it is not very large but there is just so, so much packed into it. And it works so well. From the street, all you see are little shops. However, once inside you see that they go on forever and many of the larger stores are multi level. H&M for example (what, a girl's gotta shop) doesn't look like a big store from the front but then it goes back and down. The main floor is below street level. All of them are like that. Take one of the pubs I went to a few weeks ago. From the front, it looks like a rinky-dink pub (and yes I did just use those words in an actual sentence). Then we went inside, up stairs and into this HUGE open upstairs room. It was amazing. It's the outside of the buildings that gets you. You don't realize it but many of them are complete squares so they have a lot of room inside. And the buildings are TALL. Shops are always on the first floor and here and there are scattered doors into the apartments. There are no apartments on first floors. Anywhere. Which is why the "first floor" here is actually the second level of the building. So when I go to my friend's place on the 4th floor...it's really the 5th. Oof. And I wonder why my legs are looking so great. Last time they looked this good was when I was at water polo camp like my sophomore summer and had to climb a staircase of 115 stairs up and down 3 times a day...before and after workout. Whew. And my clothes fit better. And I'm more confident. I love it.
I feel more free here. Maybe it's the spirit of summer and the little to no responsibility that I have right now. Sure I'm going to be stressed about money when I get back home but I will deal with that when I get home. Although I do have to start sending out my resume soon...I want a better job when I get home. More like need a better job. It's a necessity. Especially if I want to move back here with a sufficient savings account. I know it's a funny thing to say I want to move here after only being here for a few weeks but it really feels good. I love walking around here. And being here. I want to be able to experience it in the winter too. I think it would be just as beautiful in the winter as it is in the summer. Of course different styles but... I don't know I just really like the thought of it. And I will. I may not be able to get back here for a year or two but it will happen. And my friends will be here. The group(s) of people that I've been hanging out with are people who repeatedly come back here. Go home and work their butts off for a few months and then move back and live freely.
So I guess this was more of a two part post. My love for the big little city and why I love it so much. It kind of reminds me of San Jose State (go with me here....) in that it's a BIG place but in a small space. SJSU is crowded but comfortable. It's a set block. Like Florence, which once had city walls (they all did). Of course those walls only remain as the "doors" and it has overflowed but not by much. Sorry I get a little carried away with all the history of this place. It's so freaking fascinating to me. If I did live here, I would be sorely tempted to take an Italian "history of Florence" class. Maybe even in Italian. Probably not though. There are plenty of university satellite campuses here, including NYU =). Oh yes that dream is still alive and well. And since they have a campus here, I could literally have the best of both worlds. And I think I will. Ok well, we're going out for the night....a post will follow on that subject soon. Like I said, I just feel more free when I'm here. =).
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