Finding Salvation in Florence's Heart.
No matter how much I loved being in Italy, every day was not filled with gelato, and skipping down cobblestone streets. No, I wasn't alone, or homesick, or miserable. But more than once, I found myself reciting a quiet litany of "just breathe's." Having grown up in a catholic environment, I have a stubborn habit of seeking comfort in a church or a cemetery. (Did you read my post about finding inspiration in a graveyard? You didn't? You should.) And lucky for me, Florence has an abundance of them! Living a block away from the Duomo had its perks. I passed it every single day, on my way to class and on my way back; even if I went grocery shopping, or decided to just walk around, it was there. People are not kidding when they say that the Duomo is literally in the heart of the city. Every road, every street somehow led to it. For the first couple of months, I used it as navigation to figure out where I was going and how I was going to get there. The ...