I would never say that I知 living a double life, but at times it does feel that way. When I知 home in Florence, Paris seems so far away and when I知 in Paris, Florence does. My running has allowed me to not feel as uprooted as I did in the beginning when I would hop between the two cities. I definitely have two different lives depending on whether I知 in Paris or Florence.
I have a different routine and definitely a different schedule. I prefer my life in Florence because I get to follow my internal clock. I don稚 wake up with an alarm clock, I take my time to get ready, I take breaks during the day to appreciate my surroundings or walk around, and I enjoy just being in my beloved city.
In Paris, I have to get a lot done in the morning to get to the office by 9:30 am. I wake up early so that I can do my morning routine, which includes writing for a half hour and then running. I don稚 get to see much of Paris because I work in Clichy (just outside the city doors), but I always choose to stay in the city so that I have some time in the morning and at night to enjoy it.
While most of my colleagues dislike the m騁ro, I admit that I love it. I am quite fortunate to usually get a seat where I can relax for twenty minutes and dive into a book. If, for some reason, I don稚 have a seat, I either try to read or just look around me and revel in the diversity that surrounds me.
Florence is a charming city filled with history. Its beauty is accentuated by the sunlight, especially at sunrise and sunset. Paris, on the other hand, is just as charming, but it is more alluring at night. There is definitely something magical about Paris at night (or early in the morning).
I see the sunlight much less in Paris. Besides the gray skies, I sometimes see the sun when I walk to work and during my lunch breaks. If it痴 sunny outside at lunchtime, we try to head to the park to hang out for a little while before heading back to work.
When I leave the office, it痴 usually dark. During my last few trips to Paris, I have seen the city mostly in the dark and only was out with the sun on the weekend. In Florence, I never run when it痴 dark and love to see the effects of the sun on the city all day long, even if in the winter the sun goes down early.
Florence is certainly magnificent at night with its illuminated monuments and churches, but it痴 not as enchanting as Paris. Paris was certainly made to be enjoyed at night while Florence was made to enjoy during the day while the sun casts its light on it. Florence glows in the sun like no other city.
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