Morning Routines

It was important for me to establish a daily morning routine when I arrived in Florence. I wanted to avoid sleeping in and staying in my apartment until class starts at noon like I do back home. Now that we are in the middle of our second week, I have solidified my morning routine and I am starting to feel more at home.

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I wake up early, do my homework, shower, and then make my way over to Fedora, the FUA student-run pastry shop that is a two-minute walk from my apartment. I press the bell to be let in and am greeted with warm smiles from the two female students that I see every other morning.  I order a cappuccino and two croissants (one is usually chocolate, because I have a small chocolate obsession). I sit down and take my time to enjoy my delicious coffee and pastry. While sitting, I watch and listen as the other customers come in. Most are students talking about their classes and other miscellaneous things, but on occasion I walk in and see a group of friends enjoying coffee and speaking in Italian. After I have finished my breakfast, I leave to walk to my first class. The walk is ony 15 minutes but I turn it into a 20-25-minute walk because Florence is so full of life and I do not want to miss a moment to take it all in. The streets are usually full of people and music from the delightful street musicians.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are my favorite mornings. I leave at 8:30 AM, walk 25 minutes to La Palestra (the gym), and workout. As I walk to the gym, the streets are empty and quiet…Florence tends to wake up later than most places. One of my favorite things about this city is the architecture, so as I walk to the gym I take time to admire the beautiful city while I am not bumping into people or having to actively avoid getting hit by a car. Every building is unique and looks like it has a story to tell. Some have graffiti, some are left blank, some look new, and others look like they have been standing since the 1800’s. Each time I walk through the city, I notice a new building I had not seen before. Sometimes it seems as if new buildings appear overnight. Every time I walk past a beautiful building or sculpture, I cannot help but wonder what history it holds. After leaving the gym and taking in all the architecture, I always take a moment to stop and admire the beautiful view of the river (pictured below). Looking at the calm, peaceful water helps me relax and get ready for the day ahead.

This post was written by Taylor Quarles, a senior in Developmental and Family Science. She has a concentration in Child Development and a minor in Biology. She intends to go to medical school after graduating.