norway.

About a year ago now, my brother and I set off on our Norwegian journey. Now, some people might think it's crazy to travel with only a sibling for company. I have to say there were a few times I wanted to take his head off, and I'm sure he felt similarly inclined, but it was an amazing trip.

It's true what they say about blood running thicker than water. I don't mean that in the distinction between loyalty for family as opposed to friends. It's just that the almost eerie similarities in our personalities makes us good co-travelers.

Then again, who wouldn't be a good co-traveler when every day you wake up to this:

Seems like yesterday, feels like a decade. Isn't that the way of things.

ties to places

1.Think of a place that is significant to you.

2. Find a piece of string, ribbon, shoelace, rope, etc. Something long enough to be tied around an object.

3. Cut a rectangle out of a piece of paper. On it write your first name (or the name you go by), a date, and a noun that relates

to the significance of your location.

4. Take a picture of your label.

5. Put a hole in the paper and put it on your string.

6. Go to your location, and tie the ribbon to something there.

7. Take a picture of your completed project.

siena.

As much as I love Florence (and I do love it dearly) there are times when a wanderer feels a bit claustrophobic. After all, even remarkable cities are cities. Walking the same streets in my tiny pixel of existence everyday can make me forget how lucky I am to be here. At such times one needs a bit of what the world likes to call perspective. For me that means getting my ass out of Florence. ASAP.

One of the lovely things about this city is how easy it is to get away. There are countless little towns all around. Some are nestled in mountains, some laze by the sea, Siena is tucked in the hills. Its sights are those of Tuscan postcards: uneven land rising like rounded waves and the tall cypress trees that proudly guard their villas. Even the view from a highway tells the character of this land.

Then there is Siena itself. Like many of the cities here, it was once an autonomous city-state. A solid wall surrounds it, to keep out those pesky Florentines, and to hide the treasures within. It seems that the early Tuscans took "hiding your valuables" seriously. My friend and I spent our day visiting the museums and and cathedral, getting a workout climbing steps, and (for me) enjoying a last summer peach. And when we got home at the end of the day, I felt my city was itself again. As beautiful as Siena is, I know where I belong.

Because Florence changes me; the essence of who I am is shifting here. If I don't look too closely, I can see it.