Hello everyone, my name is Hailey Latona and I am a senior studying the joint Mathematics-Economics major and a business minor. If you have been reading for a while, you might recognize my name since this is actually my second time studying abroad. Two summers ago, I studied Comparative Economics in Central Europe, and this time I am studying Art and Art history in Florence, truly one of the biggest art capitals of the world. 

Besides Florence being one of the best places to fulfill my general education requirements of Arts and Creative Work with the inspiring buildings, paintings, and all around me, I am excited to also study Italian and participate in an internship and truly immerse myself in the culture around me. Although I hadn’t taken any Italian prior to coming here, I am quickly learning the language since I am surrounded by it so thoroughly. Whether inside the classroom or simply trying to work with my coworkers who can have very limited English, I am frequently in situations where I get to practice my skills. 

Speaking Italian is the main skill I hope to build, and I am studying it in class and outside of class. Besides just Italian, I am improving my professional skills by working at ReQurv, an Italian AI start-up. Not only am I building my technical skills like programming and database management, being the only American in this Italian company means I have to adjust to a different work culture. Time is more laid back, and it’s not the clock that rules when to do things, but simply a guideline for when to move on to the next task. Getting the job done and done well is the most important aspect of the job, but that does not mean you can be late! 

The other biggest cultural difference is how much walking I need to do to get around. I am averaging over 5 miles a day! Although this isn’t a big difference from how I am in Oakland where I walk from my dorm to classes to clubs and restaurants, when I walk the streets of Florence there’s always new art I never noticed before. There are icons of the Virgin Mary and Jesus at many corners since Florence has survived through 3 plagues. They knew they could socially distance while still being very religious when they held masses outside under the icons.  

As I get used to Florence, I am continuing to adjust, and I am growing as a person each time I find myself in a new situation.