viareggio

The days are flying by here.  It's been two weeks since I arrived in Florence and yet it feels like I've been here for at least a month.  I am starting to wonder about how it will feel months from now when I'm on a plane home.  What will have changed most in me, what will have evolved in who I am.  I feel so different already....very much like a grown up and no longer a little girl.  There is a sort of sadness that comes with that realization, as well as the stubborn will to hold onto being a kid.  And yet at the same time, I am completely fascinated with this new growed-upness.  There is a beautiful potential in it.  Things feel possible, because I am starting to feel capable.

Yesterday, my friend/room mate, Sam and I hopped a train to Viareggio.  It's about an hour from Firenze and is home to a pretty popular beach on the Mediterranean Sea.  I love taking the train.  We sat on the top of a double decker train, surrounded by about five different languages, with beautiful stretches of Italian landscape out our window the whole way there.  Once we got there we ended up walking a decent distance to the beach....which is mostly private, with a public beach about the width of my room.  It didn't matter though.  There was nothing but blue in front of us, and nothing but mountains and patchwork towns behind us. 

(remember to click for enlarged images!) 

Sooooo happy.

There were so many families there it was great for people watching.  When I had had my salt water fix and opted to bum around the beach, I had the best time just being among so many people.  So many couples, young and old.  So many happy, wild kids.  And so many speedos.

(He know he fly.)

There was an especially adorable older couple sitting beside me in the sun.  They sat on the rocks with their feet in the ocean.  I couldn't hear all of what they were saying to each other in fluent, elegant italian...but he didn't let go of her hand once, and looked at her like she was the first sunshine he had seen in months.  I hope when I'm old and wrinkly someone will sit on the beach beside me and look at me that way.  This is how I will remember them:

Coming back from the beach was significantly less peaceful than the ride there.  We got to the train station ready to board at 7:45.  Well, 7:45 came and went and I found myself feeling panicked and anxious when I realized we were the only Americans on a platform full of angry people - freaking out.  I listened extra hard, trying to pick up phrases.  All I got was - train stopped, no train, police coming.

Oh... police?  Awesome.

Luckily, there was a really friendly korean student who stuck with us through the whole thing.  He didn't speak to much italian either, but we pieced together a few things with help from his friend and a few people on the platform who took the time to inform us that our train had been stopped because an entire compartment was on strike.  I don't know what the strike was about....but I DO know that we didn't end up getting home until almost midnight.

We weren't the happiest travelers, but we were so glad to make it home.  It was the first time I've felt really afraid here. The language barrier left us completely lost, the ticket windows had closed early (leaving everyone without a plan B) and it was getting dark.  Even when we got home, we still had to walk back to our apartment in the dark.  I've never walked so fast.  We've been warned numerous times - women should not be out alone after dark.  A couple times a car would pass us and slow down almost to a stop.  Nothing happened, but the fear was still there.  Last night I thanked God over and over again for angels like the korean student who helped us home, for keeping us from being robbed, for beautiful beaches and for long legs to book it home.  We made it back just fine, where I thanked God some more for hot showers and warm sheets and a much needed skype home.

It's a good thing we got some beach time in yesterday because today has been a rainy, dark mess.  I love it just as much as I love the sunshine.  Classes were awesome today with figuring drawing in San Signoria, history of Florence (with a professor who insists he will show us things this semester that not even Florentines know about)....and an intensive italian class with the cutest italian lady on earth.  It has been a full day.  A good day.  The only plans I have for tonight are making a warm cup of yogi bed time tea and spending some quality time with the sketchbook.  Mmmmm I love this.

And I love you too.  Whoever you might be.

Love, Hayden