Farewell, Florence

FLORENCE, Italy – The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of travel, both within and outside Italy.

Last weekend, I traveled to London for a 24-hour trip to visit someone very special. Then, four days later, I climbed aboard a flight to Edinburgh, Scotland, on a planned weekend excursion with five adventurous students from our IU program.

Returning from both trips back to Florence made me finally realize how much like a second home this place has become. The feeling of stepping off a train and quickly, assuredly walking back to our beloved Hotel Villani emits a confidence and familiarity that we did not even know we had achieved.

On these side adventures, I stare out the windows of the trains and planes. I see the alien countryside flying by as I daydream and listen to music that reminds me of so many things I miss. By this time, our second home is almost done with us, and it is almost time to return to the States.

Just as we became comfortable, it seems.

There is something about Florence and our small hotel where we could look out over the city together. There is something about the old, romantic mysteries behind a city that has stood so long and seen so much.

You can hear it in the air at night, when everyone is chasing after the fun to be had here. You can smell it as the shops open each morning and release the scents of their pastries, glistening under the glass. We will miss this, but we are also grateful to be returning to our lives back home, where the people who love us are waiting to see us again.

Perhaps the best memories were captured within the dozens of drawings, watercolors and inkings we have toiled over.

Every vision of Florentine life imaginable is held somewhere within the sketchbooks of these IU students. Even photos cannot match their worth, because creating art requires us to stop and truly look, not just see something long enough to click the shutter.

We will miss our terrace, the endless vino, exquisite dinners with friends and guests – including IU Provost Karen Hanson – and the sheer magnitude of history and culture around us.

It is time to move on, however, so we can take our international experience back with us and try our hands at the next challenge.
From Florence, Italy, arrivederci.