It's Christmas Time in the City

Ciao, amici e buon natale di Firenze. :) The streets of Florence have never looked more beautiful, and I have never been so happy that I decided to study abroad in the fall so I could experience Christmas time in another culture. Starting in late November, the streets began to be strewn with lights. Typically, the lights are connected  to the tops of buildings on either side of the street and have some type of lantern, fleur di lis design, or chandelier-like light fixture hanging in the center. This continues down each street to create an enchanting, Christmasy feeling as you stroll through the city. Even though it's still 60 degrees here on a daily basis, Christmas is in the air in Italia!

 
Tuesday was my friend and housemate, Kate's, 21st birthday and so we celebrated on Wednesday by having a little party at our house then going to Club 21 (ha. 21 at 21.) for a little bit of dancing and hanging out. I had a great time with everyone just relaxing in our apartment and bonding with people I may not see again after we depart from Florence next week.  The birthday girl seemed to have a fantastic time, which I am so happy about. She got a few bottles of wine, some olives, and cheese and crackers for everyone (precious), so it was super classy. I debated going to the club, though, because even after the few times I've gone, I've just never come to love clubbing. But I went anyway, and my friend Kalani kept me company while many of my tipsy friends made me laugh hysterically. It was pretty crowded, sweaty, and gross in the club, but I still had a good time just spending time with everyone during our last full weekend in Firenze.

Yesterday, we had some more housemate bonding time. Almost all of us, plus our friends Amy and Jenny, decided we would spend the day out and about in Firenze getting lunch and going to the local Christmas markets. Let me tell you, EVERYONE else known to man had the same idea. Because it was a national holiday (Immaculate Conception), no one was at work or school, so being out in the city was like being at a psychotic Italian  carnival. It was a blast, though. We went to Gusta Pizza, a study abroad student favorite, and then we trekked on over to Santa Croce for the international Christmas markets that were set up. We were jam packed in the aisles between the little stands and could barely look at anything they were selling because of the crowds, but it was still festive, fun, and interesting to experience. I may go back one day this week in hopes that it will be less crowded and really get a good look at the stands. There was chocolate covered fruit, apple strudel, candy stands, German pretzel stands, and more, in addition to all the unique multicultural gifts available. I definitely have to go back for that at least! After a long day of browsing and dodging Italian children and parents all over the city, we headed home to relax for the evening.

I'm down to my final 8 days in Florence, and I started packing a little bit today. It's a little heartbreaking, a little stressful, and a little exciting. It's heartbreaking because clearly, Florence has become my home in the past three and a half months, I love my housemates, and seeing places all over Europe has been unforgettable. It's stressful because of finals, but embarrassingly enough, I may be even more stressed about the weight limits of my suitcases going home! It's exciting, however, because I can't wait to be back in a familiar place, see everyone, enjoy the holidays, and return to my beloved Marist College (especially because of dance!). I know the next week is going to bring a lot of frustration because of finals, but I'll just try and remember the good times I've had this semester. Thanks for reading, everyone! Expect my few final blog posts chronicling my experiences abroad to be posted in the next week.