This past week was Thanksgiving in the states and also my first Thanksgiving away from home, which led to an interesting mix of appreciating my experiences here, missing home, and mostly being grateful for the friends I have here. We didn't have the most exciting Thanksgiving but certainly stayed in the spirit of things in that my roommates and I stayed in our pajamas, ordered a ton of food from the nearby American Diner and watched a movie using my roommate's projector! I thought this would be a nice opportunity to reflect on the things I'm most appreciative of here in Italy (and also what I'm going to miss most in one month)!
What I'm Grateful for
1. Roommates that I absolutely love and are as adventurous as I am
2. Any local who smiles when I attempt to order in Italian
3. A winter where I can leave the house without 7 layers of coats on?!
4. The view of the Duomo outside my window
5. My installation and performance art class (who I've bonded with way more than expected)
6. The actual Duomo
7. Pasta and cheese all of the time
8. Bakeries I can walk to
9. Italian Netflix (it's got a pretty different variety than at home!)
10. Walks to the Ponte Vecchio
11. All of the absolutely beautiful street musicians (easily my favorite part of living here)!
12. Florentine sunsets out my window
13. All of my professors
14. My High Renaissance field trips
15. Waffles at American diners when I miss home
16. Walks with friends while eating gelato
17. Cheap local markets with Italian leather
18. Weekend adventures to nearby Italian cities
19. Having a train station so nearby!
20. Narrow sidewalks and cobblestone roads
21. 'Family dinners' with friends
22. Art school and art people!
23. Translating Italian everywhere I go and trying to understand it
24. Being accustomed to turning corners and seeing works by Michelangelo and Donatello
25. Fresh food at the local market all the time (vegetables in Italy are just without a doubt better)
26. Bonding with people I don't know in places I didn't expect to (i.e. cafes and movie theaters)
27. Italian churches and stain glass everywhere
28. Italian rooftops and the color orange
29. The Duomo again (because I'm really that grateful for it)
And, with all of that said:
30. My beautiful friends and family back home