作者在三十岁时辞去工作，选择了一年的间隔年旅行。她在意大利佛罗伦萨度过了六个月，体验了当地人热情好客的文化，并与当地人建立了深厚的友谊，甚至融入了一个意大利家庭。然而，当她前往伦敦时，却经历了文化冲击。伦敦快节奏的生活、人们的疏离感以及阴沉的天气让她感到不适，与佛罗伦萨的温暖形成鲜明对比。尽管如此，作者认为这次经历也让她对不同文化有了更深的理解，并为未来再次尝试探索伦敦留下了可能性。

✨ 佛罗伦萨的温暖拥抱：作者在佛罗伦萨的经历是积极的，她发现当地人非常热情好客，容易结交朋友。从被服务员邀请一同游览城市，到被意面老师邀请到家中用餐，她感受到了意大利家庭般的温暖和接纳，让她觉得自己被看见和欢迎。

💔 伦敦的文化疏离感：与佛罗伦萨的体验形成鲜明对比，作者在伦敦遇到了文化冲击。她发现当地人相对疏离，主动搭讪常被忽略，人们的问候语“You alright?”也让她感到不适。她认为伦敦是一个“小圈子”的城市，难以融入。

☀️ 气候与生活节奏的差异：除了人际交往，气候也是一个重要的因素。佛罗伦萨的阳光明媚与伦敦的阴雨连绵形成了鲜明对比。同时，佛罗伦萨悠闲的生活节奏（享受早晨咖啡、午后开胃酒和漫长的晚餐）与伦敦的快节奏生活也让作者难以适应。

🚶‍♀️ 城市的可达性与适应速度：作者提到在佛罗伦萨，她几乎不依赖公共交通，步行即可轻松探索城市，并在两周内就熟悉了当地。而在伦敦，她花了近一个月才弄清城市布局，并经常在公共交通上迷失方向，这反映了她对不同城市节奏的适应能力差异。

🤔 对旅行经历的反思：尽管伦敦的初次体验不尽如人意，作者也承认伦敦有其独特的魅力，并且她发现英国南部海岸和萨默塞特郡的乡村生活节奏更慢。她认为自己当初不应该将意大利和英国进行直接比较，每个城市都有其独特的价值。她也提到，自己目前居住在纽约，未来可能会更容易适应伦敦的生活方式。

I'm from Chicago and took a gap year to travel when I turned 30. I started out in Florence.I loved living in Florence, where it was easy to meet people, and everyone I met seemed welcoming.I was optimistic about my next destination, London. However, it wasn't a right fit for me.

When I hit my 30s, I hit the road. I quit my job in the US and flew straight to Florence, where I spent the next six months basking in the city's sunlight and rich culture. It was a beautiful start to my gap year of travel, which I was treating myself to as I entered a new decade of life.

After Florence, I ventured to London, which was a bit of a culture shock. I'd always pictured London as this luxurious city filled with Royals and cheeky accents. However, living there was a new reality far from what I'd expected.

All in all, I wasn't ready for the fast-paced life in London after living the slow life in Florence. The harsh contrast was something that made me wish I had never left Italy.

I felt welcome in Florence, and meeting people was easy

In Italy, I was spoiled by the welcoming nature of the Florentines I met. From the start, I was getting approached by locals in bars, overjoyed to speak with an American.

One day for lunch, I was sitting solo, and the waiter invited me for a ride on his Vespa during his break. He showed me the most beautiful outlooks of the city. It was one of the best spontaneous moments of my time there.

The generosity and excitement from strangers to show me their city is what made living there so special.

I even became part of an Italian family. After six hours of learning how to make pasta, my teacher invited me to meet his wonderful wife and son the following night at their home.

They made me feel so welcome, it was as if no barrier existed between us, despite their being Italian and my being American. I went to their home for many dinners throughout my time in Italy.

My experience in London was very different

After having such a positive experience in Italy, I was confident about going to another city to meet people. However, I was surprised to find the people I met a bit more reluctant than I had imagined.

When I went out for a night, I would sit at the bar and actively strike up a conversation with someone. Most of the time, the people I met didn't want to be bothered, and I ended up talking to the bartender all night.

Upon my entering stores, it was common for associates to greet me with "You alright?" While this greeting may be natural for locals, the question always felt jarring to me, and I found myself keeping my guard up far more often than in Italy.

For most of the two months I spent in England, I felt alone due to the interactions I had when trying to make friends. To me, the city felt like a city of cliques, with groups of people from Uni or work that had no intention of expanding their circle. This feeling isn't unique to London, but of bigger cities in general.

As an American, I felt welcome and seen in Italy. In England, I felt isolated and guarded.

Going from sun to consistent cloudy skies

Besides the culture shock, the March weather in England was also a harsh adjustment. After the first week, the lack of sun overshadowed my sparkly view of this bustling city.

I was used to the sunny days in Florence, where it was encouraged to take time to enjoy your morning cappuccino, followed by a two-hour Aperitivo, and finally a four-hour dinner that lasted well into the night.

London's fast pace was also a shock. Being from Chicago, I thought I would also ease right into the Tube and large crowds. However, I had gotten so used to the lightness of Italy that I had a hard time adapting.

For example, it took me a month to understand the London layout and how vast it really was. I took countless trains going the wrong direction and waited for buses that never came.

By contrast, it only took me about two weeks to get my bearings in Florence. I hardly ever took public transportation and found its accessibility to be one of its best parts. I could easily walk three to five miles from one neighborhood to the next.

I could give it another try

This isn't to say that there aren't wonderful things about London. I was able to find a slower lifestyle, more akin to Florence, by the southern coast and in the Somerset countryside.

All in all, the contrast between Italian and English cultures was too drastic. I wasn't able to adapt in a way that made me feel comfortable in London. In fact, I ended up going back to Italy for four months after my time in England.

However, that's not to say that I wouldn't enjoy England if I lived there at a different time. I am currently living in New York City and think the similarities would actually help me enjoy London the next time around. Both cities have a flourishing cultural scene and many unique neighborhoods worth exploring.

I did myself a disservice by trying to compare Italy and England while I was visiting. In reality, there is no comparison to Italy. In my experience, its slowness and warm embrace are truly unmatched.