The gang. Lexi, Allyse, Hillary, Exa, Kalli- these people make living better. Miss you all!

A group photo on the Ponte Vecchio at night (touristy, ja?)

(last photo by Lexi). Typical activity in Florence involves running through alleyways and streets.

I have a confession to make: I had extremely short hair for a long time. I also thought it looked good in a mullet-y, alternative sort of way. It was fun. We had fun. Plus, it was easy to find me- I was the short haired ginger girl with the loud laugh.

For two weeks a group of classmates, led by a fearless professor, ventured to Florence and Tuscany to soak up the delights of Italy (i.e. food, mostly). I roomed with Lexi, a photographic genius, admitted addict to being pale, and all over badass. I made lifelong friends in these two weeks- even though I ate so much that most adult men couldn’t keep up. Lately, I have been feeling wanderlust so deep that it aches, and by doing these sort of nostalgic posts, it eases my pain. Bear with me!

In Florence, we stayed in a nice hotel about one block from the Duomo. We went to the Uffizi, ate Nutella covered waffles, heard pick up lines galore, shopped and bought leather journals and bags. In Tuscany we went to Perugia in time for a chocolate festival and to look at some hybrid Renaissance-Byzantine art that was truly remarkable. In Lucca and Siena we dined at eateries ad sat in piazzas soaking up the late-fall sunshine. We also ate candy, watched other people ride bikes, and bought trinkets for loved ones back home. Along with this were guided trips to churches, museums, and historic areas. It was windy in some places, cold in others, but we all bonded. It was one of the greatest trips of my life- I learned so much, and those two weeks have mattered so much for my life.

Thusly, here is Florence through the eyes of a first-timer, armed with a flimsy Nikon digital camera and a heavy use of contrast! WOO!