Danger! Habit Forming

Ataf busWhen you go to a new place for the first time, it is easy to be in awe of the unfamiliar architecture, the new language or the cultural differences of the residents. You cannot help but watch and listen, make judgments, be curious. This is a major part of travel, trying to experience what is unknown to you. Habit will soon kick in. The first few weeks in Florence were scary, exciting and unfamiliar. New York is a very modern city in comparison to Florence, and just walking around the ancient structures was quite the experience. Adjusting to a new language and customs was also very difficult. I enjoyed the struggle, fighting through the first weeks to eventually become comfortable. It did not end up being that difficult. I figured out my bus route, the directions to the grocery store and my favorite restaurants, and the words for excuse me, thanks you, and the ever popular I only speak a little bit of Italian. At this point, this has all become habit. It is true that the walk to my favorite gelateria goes straight through the Duomo, but after the first few weeks I did not stop to look up in stare. It had just become another fixture in my neighborhood. I really enjoy the concept of bedroom travel. Since it is so easy for things to become habit, it is often necessary to pull yourself back and make the familiar unfamiliar for a little while. I know that the minute I leave Florence I will miss the walk to the grocery store, so I should try harder to enjoy every step. I am also curious how the habits I have formed here will affect the way I will return home. Maybe months spent in an ancient city will help me re-evaluate living in a modern city. I mean New York has a lot to look at, a lot to explore, hopefully I will be able to see it in another light. Will the use of dollar bills and English phrases seem foreign? Possibly, but I bet it will become habit once again.