Even though I have been here in Italy since September, and it’s been nearly three months, I still struggle to adapt to the amount of free time that seems typical in Italian culture. Growing up in the United States and being involved in many clubs, activities, and rigorous coursework, I always knew there was something I should be doing, and so I constantly had a goal set out for me and a plan for how to complete it. Even in college, being in many clubs, classes, and jobs, I was always active, so the lack of predefined structure is new for me. 

In Italy, there are times where I am bored, but this boredom motivates me to try new things and places. This boredom typically allows for more ideas to generate, whether it’s for a startup business or new project or craft. For me, the new ideas came in the way of a different type of traveling. It was out of boredom that I started exploring more, and out of boredom that I began looking for more “local” events to do in the city I have been calling home. These events have been some of my favorites though. I have gotten to explore Christmas markets in Florence, ridden the newly opened Ferris wheel and skate in the new ice rink. I have gotten to explore performances even though I didn’t think I would be able to understand the dialogue. I have even been able to take in more museums than I ever thought possible because I can see more than just the “highlights;” I can see all of it. I even got to cheer on Florentines participating in the Marathon because I wanted to see what events were happening around the area.

This thoroughness in exploring has also made me realize just how much occurs in a city that separates the locals from the tourists. While for a typical tourist, the activities don’t really change between the checklist of art museums, churches, and must-try cafes, for locals there’s always a new performance. The ability to study abroad and learn to look for more than the tourist attractions has allowed me to experience a city from a more local perspective and find fun in activities I never considered before coming to Italy. By looking more at community-oriented events, I also am finally learning how to further engage with the community–whether its people around town who I can now strike up a simple conversation with or getting to pet the dogs who pile on top of each other to be first in line for belly rubs.