Elisa K: Florence - Beyond the Tourist Life

Over the past month in Florence, I not only discovered new places but also experienced many differences between Italy and Austria. One of the things I noticed most was the Italian traffic. Drivers seem to be much more impulsive, there is a lot of honking, and unlike in Austria, cars often do not stop to let you cross at a zebra crossing. At first, this was quite unusual for me, but after a while I got used to it.

At the same time, I found people in Italy to be much more open and likely to start conversations than people at home. For instance, one day we were on the bus when a man who worked as a waiter noticed Teresa and me speaking German. Since he knew a few German words from his job, he started a conversation with us. Experiences like this showed us how friendly and open Italians are.

Walking through the city, I quickly noticed how international Florence is. Especially in the city centre, we heard people speaking many different languages, with many American tourists among them. It was interesting to see how many different languages and cultures you encounter in the city every day.

Since we are both under 18, we could visit many attractions and museums for free, so we took the opportunity to see some of the major sights on our must-see list.

Another thing I definitely had to get used to was the heat. Even though I got used to the high temperatures and really enjoyed spending a month there during summer, I was looking forward to cooler nights and more comfortable weather back in Austria.

Looking back, I am really glad that I took this opportunity. During this month, I learned how to handle unfamiliar situations by myself, became more independent, and gained much more confidence when speaking Italian. I also made many great memories, saw so many beautiful places, and experienced things I will remember for a long time. Although I was looking forward to being back home, I already miss Florence and discovering something new every day.