Back in the 80's I spent a gap year in Belgium. This was followed by a semester in Paris, France. Those months living in Europe shaped me in so many little ways that they make up a big part of me and always remain inside of me.
I was thrilled when Ashley announced she wanted to study abroad in Italy. Attending a parent session, I was pleased to learn the rest of the world discovered what I have known since meeting my first first exchange student as a high schooler -- the more we interact with other people and cultures, the more we realize we are more alike than different.
Yes, that sentence was awkwardly phrased, but still true. It is why I wanted to host an exchange student, and why I still dream about living in other cultures. It is why I spent five weeks in a kibbutz in Israel. The more time I spend fully immersed in other cultures, the greater my understanding about them grows. I still want to live overseas for a longer stretch of time.
Sightseeing has its limits. Throughout our most recent trip I overheard conversations from strangers talking about visiting places as a checklist ("I did Rome. I did Venice. I did Florence."). That's not the same as living like a local.
This month we spent nearly two weeks in Florence living a little bit like a local. We went to the grocery store nearly every day (though we did eat out for lunch and dinner), went to Good Friday service at an English speaking church, washed clothes as they got dirty, and immersed ourselves in the city.
The following posts will be about our adventures in and around Florence in April 2023 as we visited Ashley and got a glimpse into her life living like a local who needs her hot water fixed too often, runs out of toilet paper, and juggles classes and homework, all while exploring much Italy has to offer. While I welcome guest lecturers, this blog is about how life is seen through my eyes.
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