florence, italy
unpolished from the journal
saturday the 26th
twelve hours of travel eventually pass bruises and small scrapes signify a job well done my stomach stirs awaiting the first proper meal of the day. there’s a method to my methodical madness of packing reorganize to the point of comfortability to feel whole, a quick shower and venture out to explore lie in the accomplishment of the day. the past month was spent ingesting dorm carbs, subpar mac and cheese with fries at every meal, our intestines ached for a vegetable and yet i suspect my next five days will be akin to julia roberts in Eat Pray Love as she fills herself with dreamlike pastas of every variety and pizzas that taste like a cloud. i would be right. allow yourself to just be, there’s no rush consume the scenery whilst being a spectacle myself. it’s like a mass of travelers the ear locates at least seven accents and five languages, and counting- mine is boring. every fourth person stops me in my tracks as someone i believe to recognize a rare smile returned, i ooze with satisfaction. the infamous leather market resides along the path of my hostel, there isn’t a fist of space left in my suitcase.
sunday the 27th
i would do anything for a water except pay for one what to do after being out for four hours and thirty dollars spent but it’s only 1:30pm? i’ve strolled like a madman craving air conditioned bliss mastercard suspected fraud, the idiots- the sun beats down, interrupting assumed shade. ~ later that day ~ it’s lonesome travel, not school, which fills the pages of my journal that’s sat incrementally barren for weeks a need to pour out reflections in a mad dash. pressure to fill the time meaningfully rings in my ears i’m not favorable to the hard sell of street vendors, in fact it annoys me away. akin to spanish culture i respect the slow pace of meals, but notably feel the loss of siesta thank you for allowing me to digest at my leisure. handsome coats the streets, a lazy heat behind my eyes.
tuesday the 29th
being so intentional with my shopping im practicing procrastination in fear of overconsumption i turn to reddit threads instead of friends, the time difference doesn't help freeing myself from expectation redeems leftover woe. so horned up but uninterested in apps that lead to quick results. i glance back at the cutie residing on a piazza bench, he’s still looking shall we skip introductory questions and cosplay a relationship perhaps? interlaced hands as we jostle through the crowd and share knowing grins amongst overheard remarks let’s rest for a moment, love. stomach full but nose hungry religious smells coat the air, crisp and delicious. stumbling through vintage clothes that leave me weepy- cavalli, moschino, gaultier i long to collapse in distraught awe. an admitted tried and true tourist who yearns for postcards, magnets, or a tote bag an indecisive nature overtakes me. husband and wife read alongside the historical wall in content solitude, i aim to emulate their satisfaction.
wednesday the 30th
sit and sweat a soreness in the throat pokes at me i attempt to fiend it off with electrolytes, i haven’t even been smoking. warm smiles with a lack of spatial awareness the most famed site undergoes construction with a line along its sides. the pizza arrives quick and hot i stumble over the names i asked for olly doesn’t mind, he winks and jokes im not allowed to leave when i inquire for the bill cheekiness runs in my veins.