Before I get started and you start reading, this is a personal post about my RL. It's public 'cause I don't mind anybody reading it if they want, but there's absolutely no obligation to comment at all. Seriously. I just like to clear my mind out a bit sometimes like this.

I've been catching up with a good friend of mine from before the move, we haven't spoken in a couple of years and he's a great person, and he was asking about the move. And now we're comparing stories 'cause he moved recently. 

It's nothing important, but talking to him helped me realise a lot about how I was feeling two years ago and helped me push past it. I think I'm a better person in some ways because of it, worse in other ways. But I wouldn't go back and change it. That's the most valuable thing I learnt tonight and for a silly reason, I wanted to remind myself of it. 

I'll be disappearing to university soon and that terrifies me to no end. But I managed two years in France without speaking a word of French, I reckon I can thrive back in the UK. I want to work harder and make myself a better person with every coming year. 

In a week or so my family and I will be spending a couple of days in Italy, and to prepare for it my Mum's asked us to pick a city and discover some interesting things to do in that city. I figured, since I'll be doing it anyway, why not make an interesting post for my journal while I'm at it?

things to do in FLORENCE

01 squares of florence
Florence's beautiful squares, most especially the Piazza della Signoria, are not only great spots for an impromptu afternoon gelato or an evening stroll, they are also open-air museums, brimming with statues and fountains. Check out our list of Florence's top squares to learn which ones your family may enjoy. [source]

02 The Museo Galileo
Among the more famous of its collections is the middle finger from the right hand of Galileo Galilei, which was removed when Galileo's remains were transported to a new burial spot on April 12, 1737. The museum features many artefacts from the 15th to 19th century, mostly pioneering scientific instruments including world globes, stethoscopes, navigation instruments and telescopes with accompanying videos to the exhibits. [source]

03 Ponte Vecchio
[...] most striking feature is the multitude of shops built upon its edges, held up by stilts. The bridge also carries Vasari's elevated corridor linking the Uffizi to the Medici residence (Palazzo Pitti). [source]

04 the cathedral of florence
Florence's cathedral stands tall over the city with its magnificent Renaissance dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. The cathedral named in honor of Santa Maria del Fiore is a vast Gothic structure built on the site of the 7th century church of Santa Reparata, the remains of which can be seen in the crypt. [source]

05 piazza della signoria
The sculptures in Piazza della Signoria bristle with political connotations, many of which are fiercely contradictory. The David (the original is in the Galleria dell'Accademia) by Michelangelo was placed outside the Palazzo Vecchio as a symbol of the Republic's defiance of the tyrannical Medici. [source]