Living Like a Local

A restaurant near my apartment.

I have wanted to live in Europe for as long as I can remember, so on this five-week trip, it was important to find a place that would make me feel as though I belonged. I wanted to slip into the shoes of a Florentine and shuffle around in them. I wanted to know what day-to-day life is like for someone who is not a guest, for someone who has to do laundry and take out the garbage just like everyone else who lives in this fascinating city. And, of course, being a tightwad, the place had to be inexpensive.