I had a couple of hours before lunch today and decided to take a walk up to Piazzale Michelangiolo so I could visit the Giardino dell’Iris. With dark clouds looming overhead, I packed an ombrello (umbrella) in my purse and flung my macchina fotografica (camera) around my neck before heading outside.

This morning I wanted to go to pick up my new passport at the American Consulate and decided that no matter what, I’d walk along the Arno the entire way. I sometimes head down the narrow and less frequented streets in order to get to my destination quicker, but today I wanted to be near the water.

I was invited to speak at a friend’s class of college students who have been here for a semester. At first, I was a little hesitant to go because the topic was globalizzazione (globalization). I wasn’t sure I had anything to add, but my friend told me I did. She wanted me to talk with her students about my living and working in different countries, especially Florence, as well as what I’ve learned from other expats I know and have interviewed.

This weekend I took a course that took place in a large hotel alongside the Arno. Each day, I walked along the Arno away from the centro (downtown area) toward Ponte San Niccolò. I didn’t know how much I’d miss seeing my beloved city until this morning when I was walking to my friend’s apartment on via Ghibellina for a chat. I walked to Piazza della Signoria to pick up some brioche (croissants) for us and took a stroll down via Calzaiuoli.

A young woman emailed me not long ago and asked me if I knew of a fotografo (photographer) who could take foto (photos) of her and her beau. I responded that one of our friends is a professional fotografo who normally does weddings. When I asked him, he was pretty excited because he loves doing servizi fotografici (photo shoots). And since it’s not yet the season for weddings, he was free to work with them during the time they wanted to do it.

Living overseas away from family and long-term friends has opened me to meeting new people and to creating close bonds with others. It’s almost as if my friends here in Florence replace my family; the relationships I have are meaningful for me and hopefully for them too. I often meet people who read my blog and contact me. A few of my friends think I’m crazy because they don’t understand why I would meet people who are just visiting my beloved city, but I see it as an opportunity to connect with someone new and to share our lives.

Last night Alessandro, one of my girlfriends, and I went to the dinner for The Florentine’s fifth anniversary. I remember attending their fourth anniversary last year as one of their new writers. It’s hard to believe that an entire year has already passed since then.

When I go to the stadio (stadio) to see the Fiorentina play, I am in the Curva Fiesole, where the diehard fans are. I never bring my macchina fotografica (camera) with me because it’s not really allowed and our seats are behind the goal, quite far from the campo (pitch). Normally when I go to a partita (match), I am usually too busy clapping, singing and cheering to take any foto (photos) anyway.

A professional American photographer, Jenn, emailed me through my blog to ask about getting together for a photo safari. I was excited about the idea even though I rarely do such things with other people. In a sense, I’m a bit of a loner. I like to walk around by myself and let my curiosity and joy lead me through the streets. I like getting drawn to different things and capturing them in a foto (photo). Sometimes beauty jumps out and grabs me and I try to seize the moment to keep a memory of it for me.

Right before the start of yesterday’s partita (game), I was moved to tears. The city of Florence honored Stefano Borgonovo, a calciatore (soccer player) who played for the Fiorentina. Borgonovo was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease only a couple of years ago and since then the Florentines continue to hold him in their hearts.

When I turned in my latest “Expats in Florence” article, I realized that I had completed 20 of them. I was quite amazed because I hadn’t realized that I’d interviewed that many people and wrote about their coming to Florence. Being an expat in Florence, I am interested to find out how other people came here. I’ve been impressed by each person who has been courageous to move to another country where he/she successfully created an entirely new life.

Today for the second time I went to an AILO meeting. A friend of mine had joined last year and invited me to a meeting last month. I’m not generally one who likes to join groups, but after learning more about the group and meeting some of the ladies, I decided to apply to become a member. Last week I received an email that I was accepted.

Today is lunedì dell’Angelo (Easter Monday) or Pasquetta, which is a holiday in Italy. Many of the shops on via dei Neri were closed, but the streets were just as busy as yesterday. It was an odd weekend with some of the musei (museums) being closed on Sunday, and others were closed today. It started to rain yesterday afternoon while I was having Easter lunch with my suoceri (in-laws). The rain persisted throughout the evening and continued for most of today. I’m happy that I had a chance to go out on Sunday morning to take some foto (photos) because I couldn't take any today.

This year I didn’t feel like going to the centro (downtown area) for the scoppio del carro (explosion of the cart) in front of the Duomo. I had gone two years ago and just wanted a quieter morning for myself. This morning, I enjoyed listening to the sound of the church bells ringing throughout the city. Eve though the day was a little grey, joy seemed to be all around. I saw so many people smiling and laughing together as they walked along the Arno toward the Ponte Vecchio. Because I haven’t been outside much to just enjoy my beloved city, I just felt a desire to walk around by myself to a different and quieter part of the city.

Today I met up with a couple who hadn’t been to Florence before. I was excited our meeting because the husband has been complimentary about the photos of Florence that I publish on my blog. We met in Piazza della Signoria and had drinks on the terrace of a caffè. The view was as breathtaking as ever with the Palazzo Vecchio dominating the piazza. I admired the loggia with its statues, standing gracefully outside exposed to the elements. There were masses of tourists walking by this morning, holding out maps, taking photos, and enjoying the intermittent sun that shone in the piazza.