Two coffees down, who knows how many to go. My eyes are weary, my head is going 300 km on the autostrada. It is only the first week of class and I am jaded. My first encounter with the Poste Italiane left me in need of recuperation from the anger and embarrassment. Also, the adjustment to losing the American privilege of air conditioner is definitely a learning process. The benefit of cooler weather during the night is dismissed by the unwarranted proclamations by drunks who often wander my street at night. In essence, my morning cappuccino is my best friend.
Moving to a new country is never initially blissful. If someone implies the opposite of this, they are most likely lying or too nonchalant to be my friend. Blunt, I know. You cannot deny the validity, though. As I sit here, rehashing today’s events and recalling the remaining bullet points on my to do list, I am frantic and unwilling. It is the first day where I wanted to take off running towards one of the hovering mountains, where it is not 34° and there are no angst -y Florentines in sight. Who would think that calling a taxi would result in the most abrupt, rude conversation of your life?
I do love Firenze and its people. Hence, I understand the short temper at work, especially when confronting a mediocre Italian speaker. It was only 12 pm. I would really understand if it was 6 pm. In short, bring an extra bag to the airport and pay the fee of 100 U.S. dollars. I insisted on doing this, but someone insisted otherwise. Tariffs, USPS fees, and a trip to east bumble Firenze, here I am, still in awe.
I decided to treat myself to a sit down lunch to calm my rattled nerves. I chose to try a small restaurant 15 feet from my front door. The small trattoria I wished to try was oddly closed. The second choice was straightforward and the staff modest. Although it was overpriced in certain areas (2,50 for an espresso is unacceptable,) it was still cheaper than New York. Therefore, I do not lose at all.
This post is in no way attempting to discourage others from moving abroad. It is also not identifying Florentines as angry, rude, and closed off people. These are just typical experiences for a person in a foreign land where, despite multiple trips to the country, is still learning the customs through trial and error. With much thanks to those who work at my study away program, I am back at my apartment, safe. That is all that matters. I will return to that post office and redeem myself, one day. You need to take one day at a time. Right now, I cannot look at this screen any longer. My eyes are actually burning.
Goodnight.
*The cover photo is of my walk back from class around 6:30 pm. I decided to walk as opposed to the bus to wake myself up. Yes, a great piece of advice I received was to take a simple walk if you need a quick boost of energy. Also, I apologize for any typos, I hope to correct them ASAP tomorrow after a full night’s rest!