Looking back on my first year in Florence, I am amazed at how hard it was. This story is a lesson in what not to do! Forty years ago, travel was different. I had nothing to lose and a sense of adventure. I would have done it all differently if I had planned to move to Italy.
This is part two of my memoir, Simply Divina. Becoming Italian, One Recipe at a Time.
Traveling alone is hard. Living in another culture is hard. Daily struggles to do the simplest chores are exhausting mentally and a lesson in humility. Starting from scratch and trying to meet people and let them know who you are and what you are doing in their country when you have the limited vocabulary of a three year old is a sure way to humiliate yourself daily.
When I left Florence in December of 1984 to return to SF and move my things from my apartment, I sold most of my furniture and stored the rest. I had bought a round-trip ticket from Florence back to Florence, leaving Florence in December and returning in April when jobs would be available.
This entry also includes one of the first recipes I learned while working at a trattoria in Fiesole. It is still a go-to and base for many other recipes.
Valentine’s Day is the last day to get a 20% discount on the paid membership.