Sneak Peak

Florence is just a bit overwhelming. Well, maybe I just have moments of being a bit overwhelmed. How grateful I am for this life I'm leading, but holy potatoes is it exhausting (see here for this explained in GIF form). By the time I feel like I have any free time during the week after traveling, classes, activities, clubs, friends, homework, etc. I just want a moment to chill. Which has lead to moments of sitting at home enjoying not doing anything (which when it was pouring buckets outside was pretty acceptable behavior). 

However, I want to make the most out of every single moment of my time here, in my fantastic home abroad. Luckily, with the sun finally out and shining here in Florence, I'm beginning to search out places to bask in doing nothing, but outside. If you sit in your room and read a book you're a hermit, but if you do it outside in a park you're a romantic; I like to consider myself a romantic hermit. 

In San Diego I've spend countless hours at Balboa Park, one of my favorite places to go and escape from the stress of life. Like San Diego, Florence is a place where you have to go out and search for a place to escape from the city-livin' life. Boboli Gardens are an excellent place for this. 

The Gardens are connected to the rear of Pitti Palace, which I visited a few weeks ago when the weather was still a bit nippy. At around 11 acres, I couldn't even begin to see the whole of the gardens as I explored during a study break last week, but I thought I'd give you a little sneak peak of just a little bit of it. 

It's absolutely gorgeous, for one. Plus, after walking the streets in Florence, the green contrast is breathtaking. 

There are pathways branching of every which way, right or left, you can't really go wrong. 

I went a destra. 

This direction suddenly popped me out on a perfect grassy field overlooking Florence. I was looking for a place to relax, I found it.

I love a good view of Florence because it makes this whole experience feel a little more real; there she is, my big ol' Renaissance city, with all of her monuments. 

The sun is a wonderful thing. I feel ten times for alive, more full of life, when the sun is out and shining. I guess all that bologna about Vitamin D is true? 

As I was weaving my way out of the maze that the gardens seem to turn into when you need to leave, I saw this little guy moseying down the pathway. Needless to say I tried to run after the poor thing calling "kitty, kitty, gatto, come here and let me love you!" If my life was a movie, I would be Alice chasing the white rabbit and surely be sucked down the rabbit hole in no time. 

I plan to spend many more days and hours escaping to my Wonderland as the semester continues. Though with it flying buy at lightening speed, I best jump on it. 

Yours, Kenna

P.S. I did a little pop-up blogging on Those Who Wander, feel free to check out "The Other Side of the Arno" there!