Article for International Services Newsletter: Florence and Me.
Viva Firenze!
Traveling is my passion. I have been fortunate to be able to go to Europe almost every summer since my high school freshman year. Most trips were for a few weeks at a time visiting five (5) to ten (10) different countries. Everywhere I went, I always wished I could stay longer and learn the culture. Studying abroad seemed like the next logical step. I was so excited just thinking about spending an entire semester in just one location.
The choices were plentiful; it was difficult to choose just one. After many hours of research, I narrowed it to two (2) places, London, England, and Florence, Italy. Both had completely different things to offer. The university in London offered some great classes for my Communications major. I could learn so much to advance my career and experience maneuvering in the bustling sophisticated city. Contrast Florence, where I could lose myself in the arts—photography, cooking, and exploring. Can you believe how hard I was actually struggling to decide when my advisor said, “Michelle, give yourself a break, just go have fun for a semester!” That’s all it took—Florence was it!
After going through the application process and getting accepted into Florence University of the Arts, I began my student visa application. This can be very tedious, but it is part of the process. (Don’t worry; the school helps you with everything.) Choosing my classes was a big challenge. I liked everything! I could pick up to five (5) courses. The only mandatory class was Italian. My goals were to pick fun classes and to get transferable credit for all my courses. That meant I had to get school approval, which equated to many trips to see my academic counselor. For instance, Mediterranean Diet Studies was a cooking class that would qualify as nutrition hours.
Even with travelling the world since I was 15 years old and being away at college on my own, I was somewhat nervous about leaving the country for an extensive period of time. Four (4) months is a long time. I have always been independent and wanted to challenge myself that I could do it. I felt I had a very good attitude going into my adventure. I know from experience that sometimes the best way to challenge yourself is to step out of your element (comfort zone) and just do it!
Florence, Italy, would become my place of residence for the next four (4) months of my life. Visions of Julia Roberts, in Eat, Pray & Love, danced in my head! Being an Italian gal, I wanted to get closer to my roots. My goal was to learn everything I possibly could about the Italian culture; completely and utterly immerse myself into the culture to make it feel like a part of me.
Intellectually, I know total immersion is certainly the best way to understand different cultures and peoples. Go where everyone is speaking a different language and you have to learn to communicate to be able to function. No matter how used to doing something you may be, you are literally forced to learn their way. I struggled more than once before I appreciated the way things were done so differently sometimes. Examples of this were, our oven was broken for over two (2) months, electricity is scarce and plugging in too many items or using a hair dryer with the oven or washer would cause the power to go out, or the mere fact that we didn’t have to luxury of using a dryer to dry our clothes because it would have been too much electricity. Lesson one: service and convenience are not priority. However, by the time, the owner fixed the oven; we had learned to cook another way and we eventually put a system in place to make sure we didn’t over use our electricity. You cannot get mad; you just accept that they have different priorities. Again, it is not easy at first to understand why you have to change the way you are used to doing things. It is difficult to change your way of the thinking. But, the minute you let go, you open yourself to their philosophy. You truly learn to appreciate it, and it becomes a part of you and you become a part of the culture.
Italians are known for their cuisine, their romantic language and their open outtake on personal relationships. And living in Florence was nothing short of that. I lived with six (6) female roommates from different U.S. states. We were in a great location--literally in the heart of the city. Now, seven (7) girls may seem like a lot of people in one apartment, but the flat was huge. For the most part everyone had different schedules. I found it was nice and comforting to have people around. In a way, they were like a security blanket. Someone always seemed to be around if I wanted to go exploring the city. One night a week we would plan a dinner and watch a movie in English (a big treat!). The restaurants were wonderful. By the way, I must mention that the school cafeteria, Ganzo, is a world-class culinary arts school. New scrumptious, delectable creations served every day. A person could really get spoiled eating like that on a regular basis. Not to mention, all the outdoor markets with fresh, plentiful fruits and vegetables. You learn to shop for meals every day to get the freshest ingredients. Each display, a work of art. No Publix or Sweetbay!
Oh, the views! From my back porch, I could see a beautiful Synagogue. On the second level was a view of the famous Catholic Duomo, a stunning building. Just a short walk away was the Piazza de Santa Croce. Many events would be held there like the TRL Music Awards and festivals, like the Chocolate Festival. During my stay, almost every Saturday there was something going on in the streets in front of our apartment, a parade or a protest.
I always felt so liberated because I could walk almost everywhere. Eventually, I would buy a bicycle to get to school. (Even sold it back!) Always something to do, another part of the city to visit. After living there for some time, I felt like I knew the city pretty well. But, on a daily basis, I would stumble upon new places that I had never even seen before. If you go to visit, I recommend you that you take time to explore the residence side of the city. In Florence that was on the other side of the Arno (River), it is much more of an authentic experience.
The University experience was great! The teachers and staff are there to help. Use their knowledge and experience to guide you to take advantage of all Florence has to offer. My Italian classes taught me words and phrases that helped me on the street to get around the city. I was pleasantly surprised how much easier you learn when you have to use. Needing to use it everyday was a great motivator to learn fast.
Florence is full of touring companies that cater to students to help them explore new places with groups. I highly recommend using the tour groups. All the travelling arrangements are planned for you and scheduled around the school schedules. I found it much easier and more reliable to go with them rather than planning on your own. But, of course, don’t be afraid to plan something yourself, and take a friend with you. You are guaranteed to have the time of your life while learning a thing or two about travelling in Italy and Europe.
The friends that I met while studying abroad will forever be a part of me. Your emotions run the gambit. You will go through different phases while studying abroad, from happy and excited, to home sick and frustrated that things are not how you are accustomed. But in the end, if you open yourself up and learn to try new things the experience will be so rewarding—a lifetime of memories. One of my favorite aspects of the adventure was the bonding. I feel so close to my Florence friends because of our common experiences, learning new things, and relying on each other.
Must Do: Make a bucket list before you go. I had every intention of doing that but never quite got around to it. While I did a lot, I felt like I could have done more. My best advice is to take every opportunity that you can during your study abroad to not miss out on anything. Take the occasion to explore other countries and other cities, but most importantly take time to explore the city that you are in. Treat it like a once in a lifetime experience!
At times, I was homesick. But, in the end, I didn’t want to leave. Florence became my home. One article is not enough space to include everything. If I had to sum it up and impart one statement--- living in Florence for a semester changed my life! It allowed be to be open to new experiences and taught me to appreciate every little thing in my life. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss it. I would not mind moving back there some day. Each and every one of you will have different experiences, but I can guarantee it will forever change you as it did me. Alas, I’ll always have Florence in my heart!
