The time I spent in Italy definitely superseded any expectations I could have had. It wasn't perfect every hour of every day, but looking back on it, I'm glad I chose to take time out of my summer to study and explore there. On my final night in Florence, two friends and I decided to do something memorable. We had never been to Piazzale Michelangelo and figured if we were going to experience it, we were going to do it right.
The next morning at 4AM I left Villa Natalia and walked over 5 kilometers to reach the summit that overlooked all of Florence. In darkness and on foot, I trekked downhill, through the city, over the Arno River, and up what seemed to be the steepest paved road I'd ever had to climb. Aside from a few lampposts several hundred feet apart, there was nothing to light my way for the first 20 minutes or so. It wasn't until I reached the center of Florence that my path slowly became illuminated by both city and faint purple morning sky.
I met the girls there. They ran the whole way in probably half the time. I wanted to join, but knew I would not have been able to keep up with Ivy League athletes. I needed a head start (and probably a spare set of lungs).
The sky was already light, but the sun had not yet risen from behind the mountains. We caught our breaths (well, mostly just me) and then waited. It was so peaceful, it was so beautiful, and it was so normal. It's amazing to think how ordinary this is—how the sun rises every single day and will continue to do so until the end of time. Yet that day, we were three of the few people awake at that moment to appreciate it.
My friends ran back and I stayed for awhile longer, then enjoyed a long but leisurely walk down towards the city (where I couldn't wait to grab hold of my favorite coffee). The sun was rising, the day was only just beginning, yet I felt like I had already accomplished so much. Call me crazy (many do), but I'd take hours of heart racing, feet aching, and body sweating and experience what I did over sleeping in any day.
Here are just a few pictures from one of the greatest mornings of summer 2015:
