What makes a place memorable? - Florence

What makes a place memorable? What comes to mind when you’re asked about a place you like? For me, it’s simple — it’s almost always how a seemingly small or ordinary moment made me feel. It’s very rarely the popular sights. When I think of places that are memorable to me, I generally think of moments when I felt completely at peace (even if it only lasted five minutes) or interactions with people.

Some examples — for Florence, I think about that morning when I walked up to Piazzale Michelangelo to catch sunrise over the city but what really took my breath away was the gentle morning light over the hills to the right of the city.

For Granada, I think about the moment I was sitting at a small park, while staring at the Alhambra, the December sun on my face with the gentle sound of a flowing stream — the complete silence of my mind in that moment is something I’ve been chasing since.

In Minas Gerais, it was a Sunday afternoon drive through the rolling mountains — occasionally coming across cows or horses  grazing  in the distance — after a friend and I were unable to secure entry into Inhotim(one of the biggest outdoor museums in the world).

For Puerto Escondido, I think about the teenager at the smoothie stand who told me to bring my reusable mug back whenever I felt like — it was a simple moment but that complete faith and trust in a stranger will always stick with me.

I could go on and on about these moments. Most of these moments were a really small fraction of the entirety of the time I spent in these places but those small moments are the ones that’ll forever stick with me. They’re moments I occasionally find myself mentally escaping to, the ones that transport me to another place and time.