Blessed are the curious, for they shall have Adventures.

It has been a week since, I was in the city that stole my heart. A week since I walked the cobble stone streets of Italy, ate a gelato a day and was constantly surrounded by the greatest group of friends I’ve ever met. I can officially say that I’m amongst the lucky few “20 something’s” that life has been forever changed by studying abroad. I’ve experienced things and places that some people only are able to grasp at in their dreams. To say that I feel like the luckiest girl in the world would be the biggest understatement. I feel so accomplished and full of pride; I guess this is how you feel when you achieve a dream. I know I’ve said this a million times, but I’m truly blessed beyond measure.

            To avoid an extremely emotional post, I waited a week because I was in and out of tears walking around Florence my last day, packing, saying goodbye to my friends and on the plane. I had so many mixed emotions, I probably could have written a novel! I felt ready to come home, and anxious to get back to “reality” but a part of me was dying inside because I knew I had to say goodbye to the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me. I decided I couldn’t look it that way, and I had to keep the light and positivity that I’ve gained with me as I come home and finish school.

            Now that I’ve had time to process- it’s still mind blowing that I just lived in Italy, I don’t know if that will ever hit me- I’ve had time to sit back and think about what made Florence so special. I’ve talked a lot about my travels around Europe, but I didn’t give Florence the credit or love it deserves. To give you a little insight of my day-to-day adventure and just a few of the many reasons I adore Italy, with the help of my friends, I created a list of the... 

Top 10 Best Things About studying Abroad in Florence!

            This was actually my final project for my journalism class, but I had fun reminiscing with my friends about the reasons we chose Florence and why we loved our time abroad. It was actually funny that all of our reasons were mostly the same, everyone had a little different twist or personal story, but in the end, this is what we all agreed on.

This is a love letter to Florence and a “chin chin” to the best city in the world...

 

1. The small town feel: When first arriving to Florence, you would think it was a large city, but after 4 months, you become friends with the locals, store owners and see all your friends walking the streets daily. Florence at first can seem intimidating, but there is nothing like the Florentine people. They are always so patient, generous and loving to the American students. When traveling on the weekends, coming back to Florence, feels like coming back home. For all of us Florence truly became our home. When will we ever live in 100 year old apartments in the heart of one of the most famous cities?! 

2. Walking everywhere: When in Florence you ditch your car and walk around everywhere. At first this seemed like a daunting task because of the cobble stone streets (the amount of times we tripped and oh, forget walking in heels!), but you learned to love the simplicity of walking, and that everything you could possibly need, is within walking distance. When you walk, you got to take in the scenery, breathe in the scents of the bakeries and watch the Italians interact with each other (when I mean interact I mean aggressively makeout)…There was always something new on your daily walks and it was always refreshing.

3. The history, art and architecture: Florence itself is a work of art and one big museum. It was the playground of Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Machiavelli and Galileo-talk about awe-inspiring! Everywhere you look is more beautiful than the next and normally has some historical content behind it (Walking past the Duomo daily never got old). Obviously, Michelangelo’s David is one of Florence's famous masterpiece, but if you dig a little deeper, you can find hidden gems all around the city. We all had our favorite “unique” spots, but most of us loved across the river, were the “real” Italians lived. If you ever make it there, sit in Piazza Santo Spirito for a couple of hours and bask in the simple beauty and people watch-it’s magnificent.

4. Location: The Toscana region is one of the most beautiful regions in all of Italy. The climate, winding green hills and vineyards are the unique qualities to this region. It honestly is postcard perfect, just like you would see in the movies. It is also only hours within Siena, Pisa, Venice and Rome, so it's easy to hit all the major landmarks in Italy (and take all the touristy pictures). As an abroad student, Florence was the best location to travel to and from. It was so easy and quick access to the airport, trains and buses- that’s why I was able to travel to different places so easily.

5. Food: Naturally, the Italian food would be anyone’s favorite part of studying in Italy, but no one does food like Florence! Between the multiple markets, restaurants and osteria’s, you'll have no problem gaining a few extra pounds on gelato, pizza, panini’s, and pasta! Some Florentine favorites are: Pappa al pomodoro, Ribolita, Pear Ravioli, Bisteca Fiorentina and wine, wine and more wine. Obviously my obsession with gelato is well noted…there will somehow be imported Italian gelato at my wedding someday, so come one, come all…  Buon Appetito! 

6. Fashion: Florence is one of the top fashion cities in all of Italy. Florentines always dress their best, and are always wearing something chic and elegant. From high-end fashion designers (Florence is the birthplace of Gucci) to the leather markets, the shopping options are unlimited. Everyday, the outfits of the locals are unique and inspire you to dress more like a “true Italian." If you didn’t at least attempt to blend, they would call you out for being American, and have it be known that it is not ok to walk around in workout gear, it is not cool or fashionable there! Ooops!  

7. The other students abroad:  Any abroad student you crossed paths with instantly became your best friend and Florence family. Everyone was so outgoing, positive and open to all new things. You see the worst and best in people when traveling and it's important to be surrounded by people who always manage to make fun out of every awkward and uncomfortable situation, like 14-hour bus rides!  You make lifelong connections and share a bond unlike any other friendship. Friends abroad enhance your outlook and forever change your life. It was so hard saying goodbye, but now we have friends all around the states now and I know it wasn’t a true goodbye, it’s a “I’ll see you soon.”

8. Nightlife: The streets of Florence are always popping and on any given night there is something to do. Our nights were never boring (never) and we always left with a good/funny story. Let me tell you, as handsome as the Italian men may have been, they were a little too grabby and touchy and I speak for all girls when I say, it isn’t the saddest thing in the world not to have to be at clubs with them anymore…flattering, but sometimes too much! Another great thing about going out was everyone danced (my favorite part), you could walk home and could always count on late night pizza and secret bakeries!

9. Lifestyle: La Bella vida of the Italians. Generally speaking, Europeans have such a different outlook on life, love and work. They enjoy every moment, and never rush to get to place to place (Even just a week of being home, I feel stressed to get somewhere). The relaxed lifestyle makes you appreciate the simple blessings in life and leaves you feeling less stressed and anxious. The passionate manners of Italians are also admirable. From their relationships to the food they eat, there is always time, love and effort put into all they do. I really wish Americans would adopt this lifestyle. It makes you so much calmer and opens your eyes to what’s really important.

10. Life lessons:  Oh boy, where to begin. Living in Florence has made me and many of my friends the “best version of ourselves." We will always have a special relationship with Florence for all the continuous lessons it has taught us. We learned to step outside our comfort zone, and be adaptable to all situations. We learned to trust ourselves and have the ability to be your own map and compass. We learned it's ok to get lost, because you will always find your way home, and along the way, you'll stumble on something new. We learned to become more confident in ourselves and learn to have pride in the simple accomplishments. We learned to be thankful, humble and appreciative of where we live and how we were raised. Most of all, we learned that although the world is big, no matter who you are or where you are from, we all have the same goal; to find happiness.  Every small interaction and random conversations changed our perspective and was placed in our life for a reason. If you open your ears, eyes and your heart, you can learn a lesson from everyone you meet.

So there it is. Just a tiny glimpse of why Florence is my favorite place in the world and why it will always have a piece of me. Thank you Florence for all the immeasurable gifts and joys you have brought to my life. I will be back…that’s a promise.

Until the next big adventure…

Tutto il mio amore

Baci e abbracci

xoxo