La Primavera

It's been two and a half months of bitter , biting cold... The kind of cold that makes you question if you'll ever actually be able to get yourself out of bed in the morning, the kind of cold that makes you not want to do anything but sit at home next to the fireplace (or in some cases radiator), the kind of cold that makes time feel frozen and you almost don't notice the life that is going on around you, or the amount of time and opportunities that have flown by as you sit snug in the warmest coffee shop, too bundled up and cozy to even consider biding your time another way...

And yet even in the midst of the greyest, coldest day of winter, I found myself on a scenic drive through the Tuscan countryside, full of empty fields, broken trees, and dead fromage reminiscent of last years' lush summer, and I saw it: the almond tree, blooming brightly in its soft white splendor, standing majestically among the death and emptiness of winter in the Tuscan hills. 

And from that moment I awaited. I was filled with anticipation and excitement for a warm breeze to flit across my face, for the bright sun to beam cheerily down on me... And I knew it was coming. And finally, bit by bit, the gloom of the dark sad winter has begun to fade.

I feel like I can live again.

The piazzas are filling with people, the streets are gladly inviting travelers to come explore their wonders, the restaurants are bustling with business... And the people are happy in the sunshine.

After two months of only seeing the almond tree, I am now enjoying the buds and blooms of plants all around me, and I can't help but wander around to be a part of it.

It's almost as if the summer has had a reverse effect on me ... My winter days were spent overtaken by sleepiness that convinced me it was never worth it to brave the grasp of winter's cold fingers and that the only solution was to sleep the days away in hopes that time might pass that much more quickly. But as soon as that first warm breeze swept over the Arno river and touched my face, the hand of spring grabbed me and lured me outside to marvel at her beauty.

That sleepiness from the winter still hangs over me, and I walk through the streets in a strange daze, tired, yet irresistibly drawn to explore, discover, live. And I'm beginning to wake up.

There are secrets to discover, adventures to be had, history to be learned, and mysteries to uncover. The city of Florence is beaming under the brightness of the warm spring sun and beckoning the curious to come out and explore.

Eyes are opening, yawns are dissipating, and the people of Florence are experiencing the freshness of Spring.

And who knows what treasures may be found in the beauty of Spring in Florence.