Life Here is Temporary

     It is now the Wednesday of my 7th week in Florence. Seven weeks. How did it get to be that long of a time? And how did the time go so fast? I feel like I've only been here a short time yet been here forever. Two weeks from Saturday I will be getting on a train and heading down south to visit my family. And when I leave, nothing will be the same. Even if I were to come back, the people I've met here (well most of them) will be gone and it will be a different time. I know I've posted in that strand of thought before, about how nothing is ever the same the second time you visit it, but here it is especially true. This city is such a youthful city that a good chunk of its residents rotate in and out around every 4 months. In the summer it's an even faster rotation. Most summer programs are only 6 weeks. I was fortunate enough to have a 9 week program and stay a bit longer. It's a fun and fast time but for those who actually live here, it's bittersweet. Sure they meet a ton of people every few months and gain friendships that allow them to visit but really, when are we all going to get the time to travel the world and visit each other. One would hope that would happen but the reality is that only a handful will. A friend of mine moved here from England with his family 6 years ago and he remarked that this life is just normal to him...making new friends every 4 months or so and then watching them go again. Some do stay longer, sometimes a year, but for everyone that just makes leaving that much harder.
    The friendships that I have made here hopefully will be long lasting. I know of a few that definitely will be. You become like family. You have to because in reality you don't have anyone else to turn to when you need that family feeling comfort. You eat together, you go out together, you talk constantly, you share your daily problems with each other and you take care of each other. It becomes normal to see each other on a daily basis and before you know it you've forgotten what life was like before you met all your new friends. I was chatting with a friend from home yesterday and it struck me that I can't remember how it is to be back home. I feel like I've been here so long. And to be quite honest, I'm a little nervous about going home. I feel like I'm going to wake up in my bed in San Jose one morning and ask myself if this summer really happened or if it was a long fantastic and very real feeling dream. Of course, I know it's real and I know it's happening. This post wouldn't exist otherwise. Going home is going to be so, so bittersweet. I love the people I've met here, but at the same time, I know that this lifestyle is not one to live long term. I don't know how they do it here. I'm getting burnt out already (and yes Mom I did just admit to that...which is why I've been taking naps the last 4 days...that and it's too hot to do anything else). Of course, if I were to actually live here and make a living here, things would be different. Much different. And the next time I come back, I will be older (maybe wiser) and have different interests. I wish that I had saved a little more money to come here so I would be able to travel a little more and really see it, but I know that this is far from the last time I will be visiting Italy. I love this country. It's just so gorgeous.
     So as I said, life here is temporary. The people you meet are here on a once in a lifetime meet and greet. You could meet someone by chance one night only to hear that it's their last/only night here. It's a travelers city, a stop on people's journeys. Which is fantastic. I've met people from all over the States and all over the world. We met a group of people who were traveling from South Africa who said that if we were ever in town to let them know. And with the wonderfulness of Facebook, I could very well do that. And friends from Scotland and England and everywhere else. I have a roommate from Israel that I would have never met otherwise because let's face it, Israel is not on my top 10 list of countries to visit. It's there but only as an if something comes up and it's possible.
     To the people I've met and become friends with, thank you. I love you. The next two and a half weeks are going to be fantastic. To the people I'm going to meet in the next two and a half weeks, thank you as well...you're in for a fun time =).