20 May Appreciate the Small Things
The carousal goes round and round, stopping for a brief moment to allow some off and some on. We ignore the little beauty’s of the city, a carousal sitting quietly in the plaza, because we are so eager to make it to the next main attraction. In class yesterday we talked about technology and how it effects today’s society. As a tourist, we are like the carousal. We are in perpetual motion. We move quickly from one attraction to the other, pausing only for a brief moment to snap a picture. Often times we move so quickly that we don’t truly get to experience the city we travel too, in a way that is beneficial.
Travel is not an activity that is meant to be rushed through. The point of traveling is to experience a whole new culture that varies from the one we live in.
The first day we arrived in Florence, there were some difficulties with the apartment building that prevented us from having class. As a result we found ourselves with a lot of unexpected free time.Myself, and two others, chose to simply wander the city in that free time and simply try to absorb it all. We shopped a little, wandered through little vender markets, and sat on the steps of the duomo to eat our gelato. For those 3-4 hours I did not use any technology, and it was refreshing. I felt as if I was truly getting to experience the city properly. I wasn’t focused on finding attractions, I was focused on the city itself. Florence is such a beautiful city that it should not be rushed through. Each individual part, from attractions such the duomo to the local cafe should be appreciated. Taking the time to sit and absorb the city around me allowed me to Brake the cycle of a tourists perpetual motion, and in doing so I was able to see Florence in a way that many people do not get to experience.
