Finals in Florence are not more fun than in America...

I am officially halfway done with finals! It is actually kind of rewarding to see just how much I have learned over the course of the last month and how much my appreciation for Renaissance art has increased from the time I left home. I remember when I saw my very first da Vinci in the National Gallery in London, and while it was incredibly cool, I didn't even really know how cool it was. It really makes me wish I could go back to Paris and London and see everything again! Eh, no worries. I will be back just as soon as I can, no doubt about it.

Tonight I am trying frantically to finish everything that I am needing/wanting to do in Florence before leaving because tomorrow I think I may use that last day on my Eurail pass to go to a beach (maybe back to Cinque Terre?) with Caitlin. I am hoping for just a tan this time, and not a sunburn that insists on still peeling three weeks later, haha.

I still have a last minute memento or two to buy, want to go hear the Gregorian chants by the monks in the monastery overlooking the city, need to climb the steps of the Duomo, want to take about a hundred more pictures of Florence (sometimes you forget to do that when you are living here!), and permanenty etch the feel of the city into my mind. I am a little excited because I just discovered that I have more baggage allowance than I first thought, so I may be bringing home more than I originally thought, but I can't help it! How do you fit a whole country in a suitcase? If anyone has any ideas, let me know.

Meanwhile, I hope everyone who happens to glance at this now and again is thoroughly enjoying their summer. I know we are all spread out at crazy internships, summer camps, soccer tournaments, and travels abroad, but if I have learned anything on this trip it is that no matter how huge and diverse all of these cultures on earth are, it's a small world afterall. :-)

Okay, maybe I have learned a little bit more than that, but really, it is just nice to know that even when you are thousands of miles away from home, oceans are really no contest to love.

I suppose that is quite enough rambling for the time being, but if I don't get the chance to check in one more time from this fabulous city, then I will see you all so soon and of course...

Ciao Bella!