When I drop my low-carb diet for Italy

thestudyabroadlife:

The two main food groups are pasta and pizza

The Last Days

My last week in Florence was a blur, an amazingly fast few days jam-packed with museums, dancing, exams, late nights, shopping and excitement. It was also a week of conflicted emotions.

Don’t hate me but I was SO EXCITED to leave Florence. But I knew the second I left I would miss it! My amazing host family (a statement which encompasses everything including my wonderful roommate Ellen, the perfect food, my sweetheart host parents, and even their ever-present grandchildren, of which there were 12) most of all. So I went into the week saying to myself forget how much you want to be home and thoroughly enjoy yourself! Did I ever.

That Saturday the 21st I was super pumped because we went out to a highly anticipated family style meal at Florence’s Gatto e la Volpe. Words fail me. The food, the wine, the people, were all just the best.

The next few days, and by few days I mean Monday and Tuesday, I had to complete and hand in: four papers, a take-home final, and take an Italian oral exam as well as the epic Italian written exam. I literally do not know how I did this.

Monday morning I still had so much left to write but I also had so much exploring left to do in Florence so I decided what the hay, and jetted to the city with the lovely Mariel. We hit up the Brancacci Chapel and saw some of Masaccio’s best, and then the Ferragamo Museum which was an unexpected delight, full of beautiful footwear designs! We had paninos and little bicchierini’s of vino in the street right by the Or San Michele. Perfetto! Then I had my last day at the world’s coolest internship, the library of the Uffizi Gallery. I left my boss a gift and a letter and zoomed home to finish my papers before Tuesday, the day when everything was due.

Don’t ask me how, but somehow I managed to finish all of my papers, and some were actually decently written. Win!
That night I went out with some of my favorite ladies! We went to YAB and broke it down on the dance floor, discovered new and delicious drinks, and as per usual, broke a couple hearts. To be honest I actually think a night out in the city is the best way to study for an oral exam. Practice!

We then had the epic written exam, and after it was over, some friends and I magically found each other in the garden of our school the Villa Rossa, and realized that we had finished all of our work. All of our work for junior year. We were done. Were we seniors? WUT??! This called for some sparkling wine in plastic flutes and a celebratory toast to our combined excellence.

The quote of the semester occurred this day on our walk back to the garden: “champagne flutes, the red solo cups of Italy”… we were looking for cheap cups but the store literally only had classy champagne flutes. It’s Italy. How did we expect any else?

That night we went out …so did our entire program. We danced, took pictures in front of the duomo and FINALLY FOUND A SECRET BAKERY! I don’t think I’ll ever forget Hayley and I singing and dancing around to “Singin in the Rain” before the group of us obtained delicious chocolate confections at 2am in the streets of Florence. We had chocolate all over our faces and it was raining and we did not care one bit.

The next morning I went to lunch at Pizzaiulo with a great group. After lunch, Rosie and Mariel and I went shopping and I finally went to the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens. At the end of the day we split a bottiglia di vino on the hill in front of the palace. It was quite the day, and too lovely for words. I met Ellen at the San Lorenzo Market and we took photo booth photos and caught a bus home to make it home just in time for our last meal together as a family.

And that is what they truly became. I’ll always think of them as my Florence family, my Marco and Cristina and Ellen. We had a wonderful meal and then spent the night packing endlessly! Ellen left early in the morning and I woke up to hug her goodbye. I hugged my host parents countless times that morning and when I finally took the taxi it didn’t seem real. I spent my last €30 on a taxi and a water bottle and took off on my flight back to the US.

It all seems like such a dream, now in retrospect. I’ll forever treasure the memories and love the friendships and experiences that Florence brought to me.

Grazie mille!!! Tutto il mio amore…

When I buy a fresh loaf of bread at the market every day

thetimeistudiedabroad:

My friend is all:

And I’m just like:

Love Notes from Italy

Dear Florence,

Thank you for all the good times. I love you a lot.

I want to thank you for the AMAZING host parents I had here. The sweetest, best people ever! Marco is so funny and Cristina is the best cook. They care so much, and make me feel so safe and taken care of. And instead of judging me when I “go out dancing” they are really excited and tell me to have fun!

And the people here. I love all my amicis! U kno who U are. But really, I’m so happy I met you all. It kills me we are all spreading out across the Stati Uniti but that’s why geniuses invented skype and texting. Stay golden!

Thank you especially for my roommate Ellen. She’s just the best. My seperation anxiety will be rough considering we share a room, dinner every night, many laughs, and walk 30 minutes to school together every day.

Sincerely,

Your Four Month and Forever Florentine