Since I don't have a motorcycle or bike, I walk or use public transportation to get from place to place. This was something to get used to at first, but I now really enjoy walking from place to place. There is always so much to see in Florence and I see something new everytime I walk down a different street or take a different train to go somewhere!
Last, but not least, the way Italians do laundry is very different compared to Americans. Many machines here do not have dryers! Also, a lot of washing machines here are energy and water efficient, so it might take up to three hours to wash a load of clothes. There is a rapido setting that my roommates and I usually use and this speeds up the process to take about one hour. After my clothes are washed, I hang them on drying racks around my apartment. Now that the weather is colder, it takes a lot longer for my clothes to dry. However, after a couple of hours, or sometimes days, my clothes will dry and be as good as new!
At first, I thought I would have a hard time getting used to everything here because of how different it was. With time and an open mind, I have learned to adapt to the lifestyles of Italians. No one said change is easy, but we have to always remember that just because something is different, doesn't mean it is bad.
