L'arte dell'improvvisazone

It happened. I had my first bad day (well, morning) in Florence. It was just one of those everything-is-going-wrong-i miss-my-Mom-so-much-I-want-to-cry kind of mornings. About time too, I was beginning to think this day would never come, and how realistic would that be? Florence is home now; I've settled in, memorized my favorite pathways, seen all of the top tourists sites, decided on a favorite gilato flavor (yogurt and Nutella is the best!!), and at home you have good days and bad days and thats just the way it goes...

Long story short my roommate and I signed up to go on a Best of Tuscany wine and cheese tasting tour today. We made it to the train station 10 minutes too late and the group was no where to be found. Trying very hard to stay positive through the situation, we decided to get breakfast at The Diner, which serves classic American dishes like pancakes and burgers (whenever something goes wrong it's comforting to cling to something familiar). The Diner supposedly opens at 9 every morning but, in true Italian fashion, when we got there the opener said to try back in an hour because the cooks were still sleeping. In Florence, hours of operation are more like approximate suggestions. At that point I was pretty disappointing in the direction the day had gone, and all before 9:30 in the morning!!

In yet another attempt to stay positive, my roommate Astrid and I grabbed coffee and croissants and sat at the Loggia dei Lanzi in the Piazza della Signoria, and that is where our luck began to change. It began with the cutest little old Italian couple you could ever meet. The pair was so sweet and witty and still so visibly in love. The couple lifted our spirits and gave us hope in more than just the rest of our day. The adorable couple led to great discussions of love, family, the past, the unforeseen future, and the decision to attend mass at the Duomo. During mass, which was centered around Christ as the bread of life, it hit me- I am exactly where I am supposed to be. It's easy to get caught up in the fast-paced lifestyle of the city and the so-much-to-see-so-little-time mentality that comes with traveling abroad. With so many things biding for my attention it's easy to get distracted. Everything we have comes from Him, and every now and then I need to be reminded of that.

"Io sono il pane vivo, discenso dal cielo. Se uno mangia di questo pane vivra in eterna" -John 6:51

Today was a good practice in an ancient Florentine pastime, L'arte dell'improvvisazone (the art of improvisation).  Going with the flow, making lemonade, practicing patience- all acts Florentines are especially skilled in. Luckily, this city has so much to offer that when plans go awry there is always another train you can catch, another cafe to eat at, another museum to see. Instead of touring the country side I spent the day bonding with my roommate, dwelling in the presence of the Lord, staring at Botticelli's Birth of Venus, and wandering around this beautiful, spontaneous city.