Foliage Shmoliage

One thing I will undoubtedly miss about being home this semester is apple and pumpkin picking at our local farms. Connecticut couldn’t host a more beautiful fall season.

The trees are dressed in colors of red, orange, green, and yellow, the air could not be more crisp, and carved pumpkins line the front porches of all the cute suburban homes. Carving pumpkins, making homemade applesauce, apple cider, and pumpkin/apple pies all while sipping on pumpkin beer (with the fam) will be missed over here in Italy. Florence, where the foliage at?!

Johnston kiddies sans the newest additions, Ali & Jackson!

My sister-in-law, Ali, is obsessed with candles and their apartment always smells of cinnamon, and all things fall this time of year. I decided that might be the cure to my fall homesickness. We bought a cinnamon-spice candle the first week we got here but have yet to light it because we are without a lighter and a memory to buy one. That problem will be no more tomorrow. Life=so hard up in this apartment.

Today, I set an alarm for the first time all weekend to get my booty out of bed at a reasonable hour- 10 a.m. to be exact- and get my day going. At home, I never sleep in past 8 a.m. (9 at the latest) regardless of how late I stayed up. Since I’ve been here, I find that I can sleep in for…ev…er.

Squints, my boy.

On a mission to make my day productive, I set out on a 4-mile run dressed in a baseball hat, long sleeve shirt and spandex because it was so chilly out. Besides my feet being numb for most of the run, I loved every minute of it. Upon returning, I made myself a nice hot cup of espresso and the most delicious veggie omelet topped with freshly shaved Parmeggiano Reggiano. That’ll certainly get your day going.

I then rallied Jess out of bed, and we headed to the Galileo Museo to get some education in our systems.

There it is, kids!

Sidewalk sundial outside of the museum

 We bought the audio tour, and spent THREE hours walking around and digesting all of the European inventions from the 14th-19th centuries. It ended up being really informative-surprise, surprise. Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed in the museum SO using your imagination; envision rooms filled with Galileo's original telescopes, sundials, barometers, Galileo’s middle finger and tooth (nice and personal), and wax uterus’ with babies ... fitting, I know.

Random & rude addition of you ask me ;)
http://atlasobscura.com/place/galileos-middle-finger

My next stop is to go visit our next-door neighbor, the Basilica di Santa Croce.

http://www.gothereguide.com/basilica+santa+croce+florence-place/

It is filled with the frescoes of Giotto, Cimabue, and many other infamous Florentine artists, and contains the tombs of Galileo, Dante, Lorenzo Ghiberti, and several others.

Jess and I left the museum completely discouraged with our lives, not knowing what we want to do when finished with school. She is in the process of applying for jobs in finance and I’m in the process of... eventually applying for jobs. We wish we had one focus and passion, like Galileo had with science, and the determination to invent something that can benefit the WORLD. So with that said, we are currently on a mission to:

1. Invent a real winner and

2. Be buried in Florence, and more specifically the Santa Croce.

We’ll get back to you when we think of something good… or you’ll just read about us in the latest NY Times...casually.

Tomorrow night plans include: lacing up my non-existent cleats, Velcro on my non- existent shin pads, and play a game of soccer for the first time since Junior year of high school. I am so excited!