Ciao! I’m Lillian Hendel, A Keene State Journalism student spending my spring semester studying in Florence, Italy. I invite you to dive in with me to another culture of food, music and language as I navigate my first time outside the U.S.
So, Benvenuti all to my first week of experiences in this charming Italian city with a rich history and Tuscan beauty that takes my breath away. The first part of my trip was time-traveling 6 hours ahead by flying from Boston, Mass. to Paris, France with my roommate and best friend, Katie.
My first-ever airplane ride showed me that I love flying. When the plane lifts off the ground and ascends into the clouds, all the weight and tension from my body lifts with it. As we get higher in the sky and further from Boston, I look out my window in awe of the lit-up cities in the early morning darkness; Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and finally France are visible even from 11,000 meters above.
While in the Charles De-Gaule airport, I got to practice then butcher my French when ordering cappuccinos and croissants. It was still only midnight Keene time, but 6 a.m. here, and I think seeing the sun come up made my body think it did not need sleep. After 3 hours of waiting, we took off again to land at the little Florence Airport.
Allow me to set the Florentine scene: narrow cobblestone streets lined with shops, restaurants, and cafés, Tesla taxis creeping up on the unsuspecting tourists in the middle of the road and the locals who just do not care, the Santa Maria Del Fiore, AKA the Duomo, in sight wherever you are.
Black sparrows flocking together every night at sunset. Hearing church bells ringing every fifteen minutes, and Italian ambulances rushing down the streets with sirens you originally thought were for an ice cream truck. This bustling city, which feels much like the heart of Boston, is where I will be living for the next 4 months. In the week that I have been here, Katie and I have tried many Italian favorites, including but not limited to pasta, pizza, gelato and cornettos. Everyone in the apartment has gone grocery shopping nearly every day to stock up on the freshest ingredients.
We visited the Galleria Dell’ Academica to see the Statue of David and the Uffizi Gallery where there were stone statues dating back to ancient Rome lining the halls. After a week of no structure and just adventure, we are starting to settle into a routine before classes start this week.
Stay tuned because we just booked our first trip to Rome to soak up even more history and food. Until next time, a presto!
Lillian Hendel can be contacted at
lhendel@kscequinox.com
