Jen on the Run

Jen on the Run Your resource for exploring the unknown and experiencing something new at home or abroad.

Follow along as I travel through the world and learn something new each step of the way.

Summer’s here and crowds in Florence are INTENSE. If you’re looking for a quieter experience, here’s where I’ve been goi...
18/06/2026

Summer’s here and crowds in Florence are INTENSE. If you’re looking for a quieter experience, here’s where I’ve been going to avoid the crowds in Florence (collected over my 6 months of living here so far):

📍 Oltrarno - across the river and a totally different vibe
📍 Sant’ambrogio - a neighborhood with a lot of authentic character (and a great market)
📍 campo di Marte - a lot of local life, shops, cafés, and delicious gelaterias
📍 Boboli gardens - enough space to spread out. beautiful and relaxing
📍 San miniato Al monte - the basilica and views are stunning. Not far from Piazzale, but way less overwhelming
📍 outside the city — my best advice is to book an experience that takes you somewhere outside the city and immerses you into local life. I exhale every time I see the Tuscan hills and wildflowers blooming

I’ve just moved here 6 mo ago and these are the places I’ve gone to escape the crowds in Florence so far. I’m sure I’ll keep finding more as I continue to explore and get to know the city.

follow Jen | Florence, Slow Travel & Freelancing to stay tuned for more Florence recs and immersive experiences

10/06/2026

If you’re heading to the city dubbed “the loudest in the world” by the Tooch himself, here are my top things to do in Naples:

- see the Maradona mural in Quartieri Spagnoli
- get a pizza fritta almost anywhere in the city
- eat a fiocco di neve at 😋
- pizza at or (i’ve eaten at both on separate trips)
- see the underground caves
- visit the Duomo di napoli (free to enter) and learn about the Blood Miracle of San Gennaro
- wander/explore via dei tribunali and spaccanapoli 
- buy a cornicello charm necklace
- stay at

I loved every minute of my visit to this loud, chaotic city set at the brink of Vesuvius, literally on the edge of danger. A precariously wild place brimming with love and warmth…. a place of authenticity with the most resilient people you’ll ever meet

i’m still in awe

Big shout out and thank you to for being so much fun and guiding me through the city 🙌🏼 tanto amore💜

📌 SAVE this post for your next trip to Italy!
🌶️ Follow for recs on things to do in Italy (as an American who lives here)


mamma mia, MAY!! you were a good month🌷31 days of:- friends- pasta - new connections!- returning to old places with new ...
31/05/2026

mamma mia, MAY!! you were a good month🌷

31 days of:

- friends
- pasta
- new connections!
- returning to old places with new eyes 👀
- music!
- dancing
- a murder mystery night where I was the culprit (last pic) 😬

and always…. tanto amore e gratitudine 🥰 😘

How was your May?? drop a comment! ❤️

28/05/2026

you just get better at living alongside them.

i moved to Florence thinking that life would get easier. And in many ways, it has.

I lived on an island (Sardinia) last year, and it was literally and figuratively isolating. now on the mainland, life looks a lot different.

But in reality, loneliness is still there, i still miss the people i left behind in the u.s.

and in some ways, it does get more normal. but the sense of being stuck between two different worlds doesn’t disappear.

you just get better at holding it.

there are still days where the language barrier makes me feel like a different version of myself. still weeks where the distance from home is louder than usual.

living abroad doesn’t solve all your problems. it just teaches you that you can keep going anyway.

if you’re thinking about making a move like this, i don’t want to scare you! i’d do it again in a heartbeat.

but i do think it’s worth knowing that the hard parts aren’t a sign you made the wrong choice. they’re just all part of it ~

follow if you want the honest version of what this life actually looks like

🇮🇹❤️🍝

living in Florence these past 5 months, and before, as a tourist, I’ve often thought about the difference between seeing...
26/05/2026

living in Florence these past 5 months, and before, as a tourist, I’ve often thought about the difference between seeing a place vs seeking deeper understanding.

and while it’s truly impossible to know a place and a people in just 3 days, or even 3 years for that matter, I do think as travelers, when we seek knowledge and connection, it enriches the entire experience.

yes, romanticize and enjoy your trip. have fun, get a spritz, eat the pizza 😋

but stay curious. give back. support local businesses. listen. try to take it slow and stay places longer, if you can afford to.

I don’t know everything, and the more time I spend living here, the more I realize how much I don’t know.

but I think that’s the whole point…. isn’t it?

follow for an honest look at life as an American immigrant in Italy 🇮🇹 🇺🇸 🍋

here’s what i love about italy…. a few days ago i shared what’s been genuinely hard about leaving los angeles and moving...
21/05/2026

here’s what i love about italy….

a few days ago i shared what’s been genuinely hard about leaving los angeles and moving to Italy alone. this is the other side of that post.

the honest answer is: it’s both. it’s hard enough to break down and cry and yet paradoxically so beautiful, you cry from just the beauty of your own surroundings.

swipe through for what i’ve genuinely fallen in love with after a year of living here.

comment ITALY below and i’ll send you the link to my youtube video from the first few months…. the messy, still figuring-it-out version 🇮🇹

19/05/2026

The biggest question I had during this Florence food tour was… where are we going next?? 🍝 🍷 😋

This ended up being one of the most fun nights I’ve had in Florence. We explored Oltrarno, which is one of the more authentic-feeling parts of the city, stopping at hidden wine bars and cozy neighborhood spots.

There was prosecco from a wine window, fresh tagliatelle al ragù, Negronis, Florentine steak, gelato… all the best things.

Save this post for your next trip to Florence and comment “food tour” if you want the link.

Indirizzo

Santa Teresa Gallura

Sito Web

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