At first, I was very nervous. An entire weekend on my own. What will I do? Who will I talk to? Will I get lonely? I began the weekend with a great amount of skepticism and uneasiness. Even as someone who is fairly independent, spending an entire weekend on my own scared me. However, it proved to be the best thing for me. Being that it is my last full weekend in Florence, I reflected on the past three months and all of the experiences I've had. Studying abroad is a whirlwind of activity as Monday-Thursday consists of school during the day, yet going out most nights and traveling all weekend. It leaves little time to even process what's going on. This weekend I thought about all the trips I've been on and all of the "firsts" I crossed off my bucket list. I realized that at my age of 20, I've seen and done more than some people in an entire lifetime. Without this quiet weekend, would I have had this realization? Maybe. But could I have done it sitting outside at a café enjoying a fresh baked croissant and coffee while admiring the Duomo shining in the sunlight? Nope

This weekend also gave me no excuse to practice what I preach: self care. I am very passionate about positivity, balance, and happiness in life, but sometimes things get in the way and my priorities get rearranged. This weekend, I was the priority. Slept in late, did a face mask, painted my nails, took a walk with no destination in mind. Fresh air and sunshine. Simple but so effective. I was completely in tune with myself and what I truly wanted.

Gelato? Sure!

Wine? Why not!

Watching the sun set over Florence? Of course!

New sandals? Treat yourself!

It felt so good to be in control. No outside opinions to consider, just my own thoughts and what was going to make me happy. I even went to Mass on Sunday morning. Who knew I would get myself to church without the influence of anyone else?

I quickly found myself sitting at my kitchen table Sunday night with a delicious plate of fresh pasta and glass of wine in front of me, smiling. My heart felt so full and happy (so did my stomach because pasta and wine, duh).

Is it possible that my favorite weekend in Florence was spent all by myself? Of course I've had great times with friends and while traveling. But this weekend was different in the best way. I was so productive but never felt stressed or rushed. I enjoyed myself and my own company for once. I realized I don't always need others to be happy. I can be happy on my own. That is something I don't think I would've realized without this experience.

In no way do I advise you to isolate yourself, but if you get the chance to spend some time completely on your own, try it. You may find that it's just what you needed.