Remembering

The few times that I have gotten moments to just sit and think here I have thought about who I am, what am I getting out of this journey, and what the future will be like. I know that this is a silly thought, but I know that I am going to dream about these streets for the rest of my life. I am going to be able to walk down these streets and take you to the Ponte Vecchio, to the statue of David, to a royal palace, to the bus that get's you to Fiesole, and to the local market. This place is a part of me now. I can't wait to come back here when I am older and show people all of the beauties that this city has to offer. I know that even if I don't get to come back though, I can visit this city just by closing my eyes. Yes, I am talking about imagination, but when something becomes your home, or so familiar to you you can take yourself back there anytime.
It's like your childhood home, if you relax and take yourself out of the present you know exactly how many steps it took to get from the front door to the turn you make into the hallway, and from the hallway the steps taken to get into your bedroom. You know that if you took say, 3 1/2 steps you could just fall the rest of the way onto your comfortable bed. Or it's like your favorite dish that your mom or grandma made you when you were young. Your mouth waters just thinking about the herbs that tickle your nose, and the way the chicken or meat fell apart in your mouth. Or even the way the sweets made you wish that you didn't have to swallow.
I know that life in the states is fast pace and rushed, but here it isn't so. I am grateful to know that I am going to be able to pull back and recreate all of these images, just the way I would remember a favorite dish or carelessly flopping onto my bed.