I knew that this would be the case before I left, but after getting home from my global experience in Florence, I know that this will be one of my most cherished memories of college. I had so much fun being in and learning about another country and culture, but more importantly, I think that it really helped me to gain confidence in myself and my abilities. Before I went on this study abroad, I had traveled a lot and even been to Europe before, but had only ever traveled with my parents. So I was rightfully a bit nervous about going across the atlantic ocean by myself.

However, once we got there I began feeling more self sufficient day by day. By the time my friends and I landed in Florence, we had already navigated four different airports by ourselves, so I was proud of myself for overcoming that hurdle. Then, as we began settling in, I made fast friends with many of the students on the trip, and figured out my way around the city. I felt that I was becoming more and more independent everyday and felt more confident in myself with every new experience I had. I eventually began navigating the city by myself without using google maps because I got so comfortable.

While every experience I had helped me to grow, by far my most empowering experience was going to Rome for a weekend trip. This was my first time planning an overnight trip without my family, and it made me feel very independent being able to do it relatively stress free. My friends and I planned out the train tickets, found an affordable hostel, got tickets for the pantheon and the colosseum, and found affordable and allergy friendly places to eat while we were there.

Overall, I can take away from this experience that I can do hard things, new things, and/or spontaneous things because I am much more capable than I think I am. Also I would definitely recommend this program for any FHC or engineering students interested in sustainability and/or architecture. It was so interesting and I learned a lot about these topics that I can build on in later courses and into my professional career.