From Visitor to Belonging:
- trulyitalytours
- May 30
- 3 min read
My Love Story with Florence
There are cities you visit... and there are cities that change you.
Florence—Firenze—was the city that reached into my soul and whispered, "You belong here." From the moment my feet met those timeworn cobblestones, something inside me shifted. I wasn't just another tourist snapping photos of the Duomo (though, my God, the Duomo...). I was someone remembering something I never consciously knew. A homecoming of sorts.
Today, I’m writing this as a love letter to that city, and the life I built within its sun-drenched walls.
A Seed Planted by Family
My connection to Italy was born from a yearning to explore a world unlike my own. My Nonna/Nana who was born in a small town outside Modena, she planted the seed of Italy deep within me, even if she herself had conflicting feelings about me visiting due to her experiences during WWII.
Still, it was her spirit, her smile in this faded photograph next to my computer as I write this, that lingered in my heart as I made my way to Florence for the first time.
Becoming More Than a Visitor
Many students come to Florence. Not all stay. And I didn't at first. However, I kept coming back, until one day, in 2009, I stayed for good.
Living in Florence was not always romantic. There were bills to pay, bureaucratic mazes to navigate, and language barriers to hurdle. But there was also a rhythm—a slow, authentic pulse I learned to follow.
Like how the day pauses for siesta. Or how a single espresso can stretch into a thirty-minute conversation.
Eventually, I wasn't just surviving in Florence. I was living it. Ordering coffee like a local. Greeting my fruit vendor Eugenio (who always tossed in a little something extra). Dreaming in Italian.
That's when I knew I'd crossed over. From visitor to local. From tourist to traveler.
The Florence No One Tells You About
Living there also meant experiencing Florence in a way no guidebook describes.
There were long days teaching English for meager pay.
Biking through narrow streets.
Having long, soul-baring conversations with my dear friend Pasquale, who grounded me with his quiet wisdom. Nights spent under shooting stars in fields outside Santa Brigida, chased by giant Italian bees (Calabrone still freak me out, and yes, they are terrifying).
There were favorite panino spots, like the one run by Luca and Leo, where I’d sit and soak in political debates in Italian. Pangie's—our beloved local trattoria—now gone, like so many beloved places in Florence. But that's the nature of cities. They evolve, and so do we.
Florence Taught Me to Slow Down
Back then, I didn't have a car.
I didn’t have insurance payments or a mountain of responsibilities.
I had a bike, a modest apartment, and a fierce determination to make my life in this place.
I learned to slow down not because it was trendy, but because it was necessary.
Life forced me to pause. And in those pauses, I found myself. I found meaning.
Why I Created Truly Italy
When people ask me why I created Truly Italy, I think about all these stories. The hidden ones. The real ones. The moments that made me feel alive, connected, transformed.
Truly Italy was born out of a desire to give travelers a taste of that Italy. The one that embraces you like an old friend. That invites you to sit, sip, learn, and listen. Not to just see Italy—but to feel it.
I don’t want you to check Italy off your list. I want you to walk away feeling like you lived there. Like you belonged.
So if this story stirs something in you—if you’ve ever longed to not just visit, but to belong somewhere—maybe it’s time.
Maybe Florence is calling you too.
Ready to experience Italy like a local?
Join me in 2026 for one of our Truly Italy experiences—whether you're drawn to the olive groves of Tuscany or the sparkling shores of Sardinia.
Our curated journeys are slow, soulful, and designed to help you feel at home in Italy.
✨ Spots are limited, so if you’re dreaming of figs in the twilight, fresh pasta with new friends, and the kind of stories that stay with you long after you return home—
👉 Click below to explore our upcoming trips:
Let’s fall in love with Italy, together.
Comentários