appetence: perche no

This is my eighth day in Firenze and I'm finally starting this blog! Already I'm missing the States in many ways and I'm definitely realizing why Americans and foreigners alike love the USA to the extent that they do. However, Italy is so far everything I expected and wished for. Hoping to not sound too Eat Pray Love-ish, I'm finding it's true that most every place has a word or phrase that sums up the essence of the city, country, or sometimes region. For example, Jamaica has an "it's no problem" attitude. The locals say it and the culture reflects it. Here in Italy "Perche no?" is a phrase used quite often and it translates to "Why not?" (maybe it's a coincidence that Lizzie McGuire sings "Why not" at the end of her Italian adventure?). In Italy "perche no" is used everywhere from gelaterias to nightlife signs; although I'm being cautious (some may say boring) in this very foreign culture, I think "perche no" is a great mindset for this semester abroad. The picture above ultimately sums up my life in Florence thus far; never before have I relied so much on a map, my school books, and the most delicious coffee in the world. But let this blog post be the beginning of my escape from rules, maps, and... well the coffee will remain.