24 May Firenze Blog Post #2
So, this is probably going to be a really boring post for most people, but, as some of the people on this trip know, I am OBSESSED with the show Jersey Shore. Super trashy, I know. I’ve spent the last six years of my life watching and rewatching my DVD collection of the seasons every single day. The only times that I missed a day were for things like this, where I wouldn’t have a DVD player and didn’t want to risk my DVDs getting broken. I met most of the cast when I was in seventh grade and even had Pauly D make me a shirt that said “Future Mrs. DJ Pauly D.” I was quite an audacious seventh grader.
Anyway, in season four of Jersey Shore, the cast goes on a huge trip to a different country and lives with each other in a different city. Take a wild guess which country and which city that would be. I’ll wait a second.
DING DING DING! We have a winner! Florence, Italy!
The cast came over here and lived in an amazing house with an indoor jacuzzi, amazing black and white tile floors and authentic antique Italian furniture to match. That house saw the cast through stalkers, multiple drunken nights, and even a fist fight or two.
The only goal I had coming to Florence, originally, was to go to the place that season four happened. The house! Luckily, a few of my tripmates were kind enough to make the journey about four blocks from our apartment to the huge doors featuring texture-ific studded wood with giant handled door knockers. I could see so many conversations and moments from the show while I was standing there, I may or may not have started crying, just a little bit. I got a picture next to the doors and was just so awestruck to finally be touching the doors of the cast of my favorite show in the world. And I know, season four happened seven years ago. For me, this was a huge moment and it was amazing to see place where all the magic happened!
When my friends had had their fill and they dragged me away, one of them suggested that we walk to the pizzeria that the cast worked at while they were here. Again, I may or may not have teared up at the idea. Ws e walked another couple blocks and came right to the front door of a second place here in Firenze that means so much to me, personally. I took pictures and noticed that they remodeled and added new paint. Unfortunately, this covered up a section of the wall where Pauly signed it and wrote “I’m on break!” (This was a huge joke while they worked at the shop). I also noticed that Mimo, the man who worked the pizza oven during the show, no longer worked there.
We decided to come in and eat dinner because I would have been so mad at myself for passing up eating at this pizzeria. We ordered three different types of personal sized pizza and split them between the four of us. The waiter was so nice, I was ecstatic, and the food was really enjoyable.
My favorite part, was the clothes line hanging in the back if the store featuring clothes and items from people who had worked there. The clothes line still features Snooki’s hot pink bra, Pauly’s blue shirt with his signature double star design (which he also has tattooed on his elbow and is the logo for his DJ business now), and even Deena’s dirty thong. To most people that’s disgusting, to the cast, it was hilarious and made sense.
This trip to Florence has given me this opportunity and while it may not seem like a huge deal to most people, going to these sights meant so much to me. I am so happy to be able to say I am this much of a superfan. Thank you to my friends for giving me the opportunity and thank you to Dr. Permenter and Dr. O’Connor, and Slippery Rock Unoversity for giving me this opportunity. This was definitely the highlight of my trip!
