Day 39

Day 39
Firenze, Italy

Okay, so on one hand I feel like I have been completely remiss in keeping up with my travel updates. But Vox is but one outlet I have chosen, and the micro-blogging aspects of Twitter and Flickr have been enough to scratch the itch and to let people know where I am and what I am doing. And it's enough so my dad doesn't worry. ;)

I arrived in Italy on September 30, and I landed in Pisa. As soon as I stepped out of the airport, smelling the diesel fuel exhaust and hearing the distant buzz of countless scooters, I felt instantly at peace with my surroundings. Having been to Italy twice before, albeit for very short visits, I was supremely comforted by even the least bit of familiarity.

Ireland was indescribably gorgeous, and definitely fit in with my expectations...somewhat. The people I encountered, while friendly, did not go out of their way in any form to initiate conversation. I know that description for my purposes emcompasses a whole country, but without exception, people were only...cordial. Of course I have to underscore that observation with the fact that I had just left all of the comforts of home behind; including my job, my apartment, my car, and of course my nearest and dearest.

Looking back, I realize that I was in shock and in a bit of a tailspin that took time to recover from. So it's safe to say that I retreated into myself greatly and probably wasn't the most approachable person. So I guess I can let Ireland off the hook, for now. :)

But then there's Italy.

*sigh*

I love Italy.

And Firenze...oh my god. I decided to spend a month here purely on whimsy. This city houses most all of the Renaissance art that I learned about in my art history classes in college, so why not? Most of the buildings, with the exception of the substantial number that Hitler blew up in WW2, were built between the 12th-17th century. The Uffizi is here, Michelangelo's David is here, Santa Croce, San Lorenzo, the Arno...need I go on?

I found an apartment on CL, and based on the few low quaility pictures that were available, I surmised that it wasn't a flophouse and sent in my deposit. When I arrived (and hiked up the incredibly steep hill with my suddenly ridiculously heavy backpack), I met the owner at the door, walked in and grinned hugely. The apartment was BEAUTIFUL! Wooden ceilings from the 16th century, brick floors, wooden cabinets and fixtures, a modern bathroom, a stove, a fridge, quaint decorative items...utter and complete perfection. And so I moved in for the next 4 weeks.

At first the number of tourists here was alarming. Everywhere I turned, there were families with cameras and backpacks moving around errantly. Now I acknowledge that I too am a tourist, and as soon as I got my bearings and settled in, I found that I was extremely comforted by all of the visitors to this city. First of all, there is almost no language barrier to contend with. And everyone, without exception, looks up instead of down when they walk. They, like me, are in absolute awe of their surroundings and it is all they can do to just take it in. It makes me grin and giggle every time I see it, which is all the time. :)

In a stroke of complete seredipity, my friend Joanne was here at the same time, and her apartment was just around the corner. We hadn't spoken beforehand, there was no coordination...we found about about each other's travel itinerary from our mutual friend Wendy. I actually had met Joanne only once before last year, when I was invited to spend Thanksgiving with Wendy and her family and friends. As with all of the people in Wendy's life, we felt instantly connected. We were also going through extremely tough years in which we had lost those closest to us. So Joanne and I had conversations while walking along the cold, beautiful, Oregon beach that instantly connected us for life.

And here she was in Firenze. You can imagine my huge delight at having someone to talk to after 12 days of virtual silence in Dublin and Mallow. Our time here overlapped for two weeks and we spent time together each day, taking in the sights and having more of those heartfelt conversations that I was sorely missing. It was lovely.

She left almost two weeks ago and I have been back on my own. At first I was a little nervous, already having flashes of more lonely solitude, but it hasn't been that way at all. She asked me to promise her that I would speak to at least one stranger a day, even if it was to just ask where the bathroom was. And I've totally taken that to heart. I've spoken to travelers and Florentines alike. I've been invited to and gone to events and places with the people I have met. And it's all been wonderful. I definitely feel like I've gotten back the spark that I thought I had lost.

Every day, I walk. I walk and walk and walk. Most of the time I only have a rough idea of where I would like to go and sometimes I stick to the plan. But there are times when I let the proverbial wind at my back push me along. I have been all over this city, and there are very few parts that I don't recognize. Of course I haven't seen everything; I've been deliberately holding back so I can see some things for the first time when I return with a love (or lust or friend or family. :) )

But I find myself moving around with more purpose than I've ever had. It's simply the pursuit of delight and wonder. It's so deliberate. Some days are better than others, of course, but I feel myself shedding layers. Only with the advantage of retrospect am I able to begin to comprehend how much I protected myself. Against getting hurt, getting close, against loss, against gain... I still have a way to go, but I am closer than I've ever been to the truest version of myself. And I am beginning to uncover exactly what it is I want from this life and how I am going to get it.

Before I go, a list:

• Everyone here, regardless of their country of origin, says "Excuse Me" in Italian
• Florentines have green eyes
• There are 200 castles in the Tuscan countryside
• Wine just tastes better here
• Capcuccinos do too
  
• Walking through museums with my iPod is one of my top 5 most favorite things in the world
• Traveling with vibrant, red hair is fabulous for meeting people and for being remembered
• Seeing Caravaggio's works in person made me swoon. I don't know if I've ever really swooned before. To Self: I have to do that much more often
  
• The Arno is deliciously romantic
  
• Firenze is alive and bustling with art students of all ages, from every country, and all walks of life.
• After going to the Mercato Centrale and cooking the beautiful food I picked out, I don't know that I'll ever set foot in a "supermarket" again

More soon.

xo.