Surviving in Florence 101: Narrow streets and angry Italian taxi drivers

Before arriving in Italy, I didn’t quite know what to expect, aside from the beaming opinions of previous travelers. Whenever I’d tell people I was about to study abroad in Florence, they would always gush things like, “Oh, you’re going to love it!” or “Florence was my favorite city when I visited Europe. The people are amazing, the food is unbelievable, and the art is incredible,” and my personal favorite “You’re going to Italy? Oh god, you’ll never be able to eat boxed pasta again, trust me.”

I’ve been here almost two months now, and they were most definitely right. Florence is as magical and romantic and amazing as promised, but the one thing everyone neglected to tell me was the danger this seemingly innocent little city holds in store for its naïve American study abroad students. Florence is a lot like New York City in the sense that there are a whole lot of people in very close quarters. Everyone keeps a straight face, and will not hesitate to push you out of their way. This means two things: germs and crowded sidewalks (and by sidewalks, I mean curbs because as the city evolved, its narrow streets and walkways did not).

It wasn’t until I was walking to class one day and had my elbow clipped by a feisty purple Fiat blazing through the streets that I realized I was definitely not in L.A. anymore. It didn’t hurt as much as it shocked me, but when I overheard a conversation in class about a girl who got hit by a car, rolled up on the hood and ran away before the driver had time to get out and check if she was okay, I realized I got lucky. Interestingly enough, neither crosswalks nor speed limits are a thing here. When you have this many people sausaged together in nearly claustrophobic parameters, accidents — and illness, are bound to occur.

Though I’ve been decently sick for nearly half the time I’ve lived here, and practically shoved into the street too many times to keep count, in a weird way, I feel like it’s built character — the kind you can take with you wherever you go and still manage to flourish.

I’ve found that the only way to successfully navigate the streets of Florence by yourself without getting run over by a taxi or Vespa is to walk tall, move quickly and stand your ground. As I left the doctor’s office yesterday, prescriptions and antibiotics in hand, I kept this in mind, staring down anyone who walked by and looked like they expected me to move.

My defensive tactic proved to be very effective; each and every individual I passed quietly migrated around me and into the street. For the first time in a long time, I had made in back to my apartment in one piece — not a scratch, scrape or bruised ego in sight. Finally, I’m starting to feel like a real ‘Florentina.’

Italian Phrase of the Week: “Tieni duro!” meaning, “Stand your ground!”

Ciao, belli!