Friends, Food, Florence: My Semester of Self-Improvement

I arrived in Florence in early January and since then, I have just been taking in the sights, sounds and smells. My god, the smells. Did you think I was going to say the whole city smells of delicious pasta and fresh baked bread? WRONG. It smells of feces and sulfur. The streets are as wide as my pinky and the sidewalks are as crowded as a Regal Cinemas midnight premiere of Country Strong. (What's that? there was no midnight premiere for the movie? How dare they!) Aside from all of that though, I really have really learned to love this place. Even though everyone stares at you for wearing a northface (gasp!) and I am frequently cut in front of in line, there is a certain quality the city has that already makes me feel nostalgic even though I have 2 plus months left here.
Enough about Florence, back to me. I have spewed a lot of bullshit over the years on this blog about how I am going to improve myself, and while I applaud my naive self for having the best of intentions, I have decided that is a smidge unrealistic. Instead of making sure my nails are painted and I am carrying a purse and straightening my hair, I have decided to do me. Repeat after me: "Imma do me." This is a saying I picked up on the streets. It basically means I am going to follow my heart and not care what anyone else thinks. Easier said than done of course, but let me remind everyone (all of my two readers) that those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind. I am full of sayings today. Doing me does not mean being completely selfish, it simply means that I am going to put the past in the past and move forward with clear eyes and a full heart. Life is too short to get hung up on certain things that you have no control over. I am going to do what I want when I want. Please don't think I am giving myself a free pass to be an asshole. I am not. I still have my morals and values and will treat others the way I want to be treated. BUT, from now on I am looking out for number one and if anyone stands in my way, I will leave them behind me, a bit worse for the wear. I have never lived my life with reckless abandon and I think now may be a good time to start. So I will let you all know how that goes.
School is still school. Ho hum. I have been to Rome, Austria and Switzerland so far. All really cool places. Next up I will be going to Germany, France, Poland, Finland and Sweden. Yeeeee doggy. Clare and Elaura will be visiting. Shall be a blast. Hopefully they will leave their inhibitions in the States and join me in my new lifestyle.

Selfishly yours,
Martha