I moved to Florence, Italy once when I was 20 and again at 30. The second time I moved, I found a way to immerse myself in Italian culture. It completely changed how I view Florence. I now feel like it's a place where I belong. I have had two major crises in my life, one at 20 and one at 30. Both times, I decided the only way to find myself out of them was to move to Florence, Italy.

The first time I moved, I learned a lot about what to do, and what not to do. So, the second time around I was able to truly immerse myself into the Italian way of living. I now look at Florence as a place that I belong, instead of one I am searching to fit into. Here's what I did during my first trip and what I did differently the second time that made all the difference.