Why Florence?

I'm not much for blogging or at least I don't think I am, this is my first time so I'll let you know.  Although I am not much on sharing thoughts just for the sake of sharing, I am all about spreading the word about going abroad because it was the best experience I have ever had. 
I always knew I wanted to go to Italy because: 1) I am Italian and I felt exploring the Italian culture beyond my grandmas kitchen was a must and 2) I am an artist and what better place to find inspiration than Italy.  So, picking the country was easy, picking the city, not so easy.  I always saw myself as a big city girl because I loved all the weekends I spent in Chicago but after talking to some of the people who traveled abroad and seeing the movie "Taken" (which I don't recommend pre departure for women) I realized something smaller might be perfect. The people who loved Rome seemed to thrive on the fast paced environment, the people who Loved Florence talked mostly about stopping at the fresh market on the way to class and how, by the end of the trip they felt they knew all there was to know about Florence.  I really like the idea of creating a home in a different country.  Florence was a perfect choice. It was a central hub, only an hour or two train ride away from a day at the beach, Pisa, Verona or Venice, ten minutes away from horseback riding through vineyards, and a 20 minute walk to the highest point overlooking the entire city.  I loved this city..I loved all of Italy.  The truth is, you can't really pick a bad city in Italy, especially if your going with a program like mine, API, because they plan so many trips that you get to experience it all anyways. 

-Brittany