Last Day in Italy

So, today was my last day here in Florence.  Tomorrow I get on a plane and fly back to the UK and the name of this blog will finally make sense, as "Clare" will actually be "in Cambridge" tomorrow night.

I was planning on going to Siena today, but decided not to, mostly because I needed to figure out how to pack all of my stuff back into one little backpack, and I thought (correctly) that this would take quite a while.  I considered going to try and get into the Accademia (where they have David) late in the afternoon, but the line was so long that I decided I didn't really care and got gelato instead. I'll go next time I'm here.

Next time I'm here.... It feels kind of strange to be thinking like that when only a year ago whether I would even be able to be in Europe this year was completely up in the air.  I've had a great time here these past couple of weeks, but I think that I still feel like I'm on vacation.  It may take a while until it feels entirely real that I am here to stay for at least a year!

So, all in all, my trip to Italy has been wonderful.  I've gotten to see a ton of amazing art, eat a ton of food and gelato, walk around a beautiful old city and be (for a little while at least) part of a great Italian family.  This trip has been a great re-introduction to Europe.  I remember things that I used to love about Italy as a kid (once again, the food) but I've also been able to engage with it in a new way since I'm in a different place in my life than when I was here last (7 years ago!).

I'm not sure if I'll feel the same way about England since I've only been there briefly, but I do know taking this vacation has made me feel a lot more comfortable about my ability to live on my own in a foreign country for a year, and now I'm excited to get on to Cambridge!!!