Florence

Last night I was reunited with Florence. The smell of the city swooped up my nostrils as soon as my train stopped and as if traveling alone in europe was a song stuck in my head it started all over with me throwing my daypack on my chest and my pack on back. This reoccurring theme of me leaving the train station with my iPod playing and entering a different European city is growing on me. Each place is unique. The people look different, dress different, and speak differently. But this time I knew the city. For those who aren't aware I lived in Florence in fifth grade. The unconditional independence my parents gave me while living here allowed me to establish my bearings. And like a song you were were taught in elementary school, the layout of the city will never be forgotten. The young mind is so full of room and interest that when you put your mind to learning something it will stick with you for life. My friend Falcone is a prime example of this. His ability to learn English at a young age will forever be an advantage. But last night I noticed it was also beneficial for me. We went to a couple local bars. Watched some soccer and then just toured the city by the routes I know. I wanted to walk in my old footsteps. The Duomo, Santa Croce, Plaza Repulica, and the Arno all brought a rush of memories soaring into me. We crossed the Arno on Ponte Vecchio and stopped by the old calligraphy store that my father bought business cards from during our stay here. The cards are made from top quality Florentine Paper and have astonishingly intricate patterns that border the cards face. I remember more and more with every step. I held the knob to open our apartment building, and I sat on the bench I used to wait for the bus on. I went to the gelatoria that my brother and I used to get fat at. All of them in a way were my mnemonic devices, and before long I was having extreme deja vu. Everything was nostalgic, everything was perfect. Today we are going to go rent 2$ bikes and zip around the city. I plan on eating Il Latini tonight if I find a partner but if not then ill go during the week. My thought is that a saturday night spent alone is not a saturday night at all. If I do today right I will have my blog about Europe turning into a Disneyland almost done or finished, I will have another drawing to add to my book, and maybe go get my Pops a stack of those business cards he adores. But to do it perfectly I will have time for an old favorite art store that my mother and I used to go to religiously. Have a great day guys. Whether your in Miami, Arizona, Minnesota, Connecticut, Israel, St. Louis, Montana, or anywhere for that matter, make the most of the sunlight. Spring is here and we all know thats just the prelude to a great summer.


-Chad A. Dokken

Location:Piazza della Santissima Annunziata,Florence,Italy