gal-via-florence

[gal-via-florence]

Italy's always gonna have a little part of my heart. 🇮🇹❤️#Truth #Wanderlust #Travel #CravingNewAdventures

#wanderlust #travel #cravingnewadventures #truth

[gal-via-florence]

Missing this beautiful place in this beautiful city #Florence #RoseGardens #FlowerPower #SecondHome #TakeMeBack (at Florence Rose Gardens)

#takemeback #rosegardens #flowerpower #florence #secondhome

[gal-via-florence]

Living in Florence has allowed me to meet one of my best friends 😘🇮🇹 love this gal to pieces & already not wanting to leave her! #florence #RoseGardens #LastDay #italia #NotReadyToLeave 😭 (at Giardino delle rose)

#lastday #rosegardens #notreadytoleave #florence #italia

[gal-via-florence]

#TBT Soon we will get to say this to everyone in person!! @marymctague 😍😘😁 (at Cliffs of Mohr)

#tbt

[gal-via-florence]

The best pannis in Florence! antico vinaio ❤️ @foodintheair #pontevecchio #Florence #italia #sunnydays #foodpic (at Ponte Vecchio)

#pontevecchio #foodpic #florence #sunnydays #italia

[gal-via-florence]

A much needed little date with @mcorr924 with one heck of a view 👍❤️🇮🇹 (at Ponte Vecchio)

[gal-via-florence]

As much as I miss my American coffee with extra creamer, I'll certainly miss my daily(numerous) espressos ☕️🇮🇹✌️ #Espressos #CaffeineAddict #Italia (at Ganzo)

#italia #caffeineaddict #espressos

[gal-via-florence]

Florence will always have a little part of my heart ❤️🇮🇹 #HomeAwayFromHome #Italia (at Ponte Vecchio)

#italia #homeawayfromhome

[gal-via-florence]

Morning markets in Firenze! #SpringTime #Firenze #FlowerPower 🌻🌷💐 (at mercato di sant'ambrogio)

#flowerpower #firenze #springtime

[gal-via-florence]

Ponte Vecchio by night #Firenze #Nightlights #Italy #PonteVecchio (at Ponte Vecchio)

#pontevecchio #nightlights #italy #firenze

[gal-via-florence]

Only God can judge me #GelatoFestival #Firenze (at Via Pietrapiana, Firenze)

#gelatofestival #firenze

[gal-via-florence]

I think had enough gelato today to feed a small village... #GelatoFestival #Firenze #PostGelatoComa #NutellaLove (at Firenze, Tuscany, Italy)

#nutellalove #gelatofestival #postgelatocoma #firenze

[gal-via-florence]

I've been really slacking on my "blogging game" lately. I've been busy trying to do as much as I can during the rest of my time here. The countdown till I leave Italy has begun and it's very bittersweet. There are so many things that I love about being here and handfuls of things that i still want to do before I leave. But at the same time my excitement to go home is starting to grow. I can't wait to see my family & friends & wear my bathrobe while drinking a whole pot of american coffee with creamer. I've been gone for so long that it seems like everything at I was once so familiar with will feel so new. My life in Florence has become my familiarity and comfort. I've always heard that coming home will be a culture shock to you but I haven't really understood it until now. The first few weeks here seem so long ago. I still remember the stress I had of not knowing my way around & trying to adjust to all the new changes in life here. This experience has made me grow as a person in ways that i will never be able to explain. I don't think I really will be able to put into words my time here. I have millions of stories but I don't think I'll even know where to begin. So the first person that asks me "How was your trip?" I don't think I'll be able to give any other answer better than "amazing" or "really fun!" because the memories I have aren't able to be understood unless you were here. I want to take full advantage of my last 2 weeks here & really enjoy every moment of it. Because before I know it i'll be on my flight back home to my old life missing the one that i've created here. 

[gal-via-florence]

Hiking the Bell Tower with my 2 favorites! 

[gal-via-florence]

Florence Cathedral - Florence - Italy - Europe 

[gal-via-florence]

Florence from above 👍🇮🇹 #BeautifulView #Firenze #BellTower #Hike (at Piazza del Duomo)

#hike #belltower #firenze #beautifulview

[gal-via-florence]

Easter Weekend In Croatia

For our long Easter weekend my friends & I decided to spend it in the ever so beautiful, Croatia. After 12 hours & a long bus ride throughout the night we arrived to the city of Split at 9:30 am. The first day was spent lounging on the beach and exploring the city. Everything in Croatia was so much cheaper compared to everywhere else that I have been. But their currency is in kunas. One kuna was about 10 euros so when you see the prices on menus or tags it is a bit of a shock. Spending 170 Kuna on a meal was not something I could get use to. But fresh seafood was everywhere here & I was as happy as a clam about it. I think I had fish for like every meal. 

Friday night we went to a pub crawl. The first bar was on the rooftop of a cruise ship. The weather was perfect which added to the already great night ahead. Oh & the drinks were free. Hopped from bar to bar & danced the night away until the realization that we had a full day ahead of us tomorrow came. 

Saturday morning we woke up early & were planning on going on the island hopping booze cruise. (Yah, more drinking.. welcome to the study abroad life.) But unfortunately the spots were all booked up. After allowing a half hour long pity party we decided to make our own booze cruise. We bought ferry tickets & literally sprinted to the ship, to take off to the next island. The day was a success & we were pleased to spend only 5 kuna on the tickets compared to the 50 euro it would have been to go through a company & ended up having a blast. After all, some of the best times I've had abroad are the least planned & done on a whim. We spent the day on the beach again & got a hoot out of people watching.

Halee & I had a romantic little lunch date at a restaurant right on the ocean with the most incredible view. Before catching the ferry back we treated ourselves to gelato & to my pleasant surprise I saw my favorite, spaghetti ice, on the menu. 

It's gelato that is made to look like a dish of spaghetti. The "noodles" are shaped out of vanilla gelato and the tomato sauce & meatballs are strawberries and strawberry sauce. It's been one of my favorite treats since I was little & made me feel like a little girl in Germany again. It wasn't as good as the place next to my Oma & Opa's house, but it hit the spot. 

When we came back everyone was passed out so we took a stroll & explored the city some more. Croatia really is beautiful. I've never seen such beautiful blue clear water before. It may have been cold, but I couldn't help but want to jump in. 

Easter Sunday we took a day trip to Bosnia. It was a cold rainy day & I really played up the roll of a tourist well by wearing my gym sneakers (I was not about to suffer with cold feet in sandals,) & my backpack. Bosnia's population is half christian & half islamic. The culture was the most diverse out of all the places I have experienced thus far. Within half an hour of getting there we saw a man beg for money before he jumped off a bridge. It freaked me out because I thought I was going to be witnessing a suicide till I realized he was wearing a wet suit & just wanted money. 

We ate lunch at a restaurant with waiters that looked straight out of the movie Aladdin. Bosnia is known for it's coffee drinks so being the caffeine addicts we are, it was the first thing we ordered. How cute are the little trays that they brought it to us in?! 

Bosnia had yet another different currency than the kunas in Croatia. Instead it was marks. We received our bill in marks but they told us we could pay with either kunas or euros as well. There we were, six girls dealing with the struggle of trying to pay for a meal with 3 different currencies. It was a struggle, but we figured it out.

The streets were lined with shops and stands and had a very middle Eastern feel. Everything was so cheap and I got a little courageous with my bard-erring skills. (Mom, you'd be so proud.) 

When we got back Mary, Abbey, & I hiked up the tallest hill in Split to watch the sunset. It was well worth the hike when we reached the top to see an incredible view of the city & ocean.

For dinner we ate at this little beach shack restaurant we were recommended to check out. We were awkwardly seated at a table that we shared with a very in love couple that couldn't keep their hands off each other between each bite. Mary & I split seafood risotto, calamari, & wine (for less than $5!!) that was ridiculously good. Plus the portions were so massive we couldn't even finish... which is a big deal for us. 

Monday morning before heading back to Florence we stopped at the Krka Waterfalls in Croatia's national park. I know I say this about every place I've gone, but it was one of the most beautiful sights I've seen! You know in Lion King when Simba goes to live with Timone & Pumba in the jungle? It was like that. The water was freezing but we didn't let that stop us from going in. After all, when else would we get this opportunity? 

Croatia, you're pretty dreamy.. thanks for a wonderful time. 

Ciao. Xx

#Croatia #study abroad #travel #beach #pubcrawl waterfalls