Studying abroad in Florence means adopting the lifestyle of the native city dwellers, that also means using their transportation. Specifically, I mean the bullet trains. My first “wow” moment was booking and using these trains to travel to Venice for a weekend. It was amazing how simple it was to book the ticket online and…
Tag: Florence
The Final Boss: Grocery Shopping in Florence
While living in Florence, I love eating at amazing restaurants and cafes. It has been incredible tasting the food of this region and country! Unfortunately, my wallet cannot afford spending money on restaurant food every night. So, after day three I knew that at some point I must travel to the Italian grocery store. I…
Leadership Lessons from the Renaissance
Like many areas of my life, I balance a delicate paradox. As a naturally introverted person, preferring quiet solitude, somebody who needs to recharge, I occasionally find myself in leadership positions, whether in the form of group projects or sports teams. Leadership styles tend to vary, along with people’s definition of being a leader. Often…
My first few days and “Aha” Moment
Booming thunder crashes across the city. Heavy spring rain patters against the red terracotta rooftops. The romantic sounds of Italian bounce off the aging walls, still gorgeous despite weathering the hot Tuscan sun. I am sitting in a library (pictured above), looking more like a luxury villa than a public place of study. il Duomo…
Ciao Firenze, an Introduction
My name and appearance have hints of Italian, however how faint. Italy was always a dream, a place I yearned to visit. I am someone from a small Pennsylvania town, hoping to dip his toe into the cultural force of Europe, somebody without a stamp in his passport. Many reasons come to mind for experiencing…
Communication Barriers
Living in Italy has made me much more aware of the importance of communication, especially when it comes to greetings and the level of formality. One thing that I initially noticed when I first arrived was how important it was to greet people properly. Every single time you walk into a store, restaurant, or any…
The Beginning of a New Chapter: Florence
Salve! My name is Natalie Carpenter and I am a rising senior studying Mechanical Engineering and pursuing certificates in Sustainability and Engineering Simulation in Design. About 4 years ago I traveled to Italy for vacation and on that trip we visited Florence for a day. Though it was only one day, I dreamed of traveling…
Finishing up in Florence
Being in a new country this semester has taught me a lot of valuable lessons, both academically and personally. One of my biggest academic takeaways is how enjoyable it is to take a wide range of classes. As I mentioned in some of my earlier posts, my Renaissance Art History and Oil Painting classes were…
Ciao, Firenze!
The moment the plane took off, it finally hit me that I was leaving Florence. Leaving the cobblestone streets filled with art and music, leaving the museums where I would sit and sketch the sculptures. Leaving all of my amazing professors and classes, and the delicious food. Most of all, I was leaving behind the…
Saying Goodbye to Florence
These past four months in Florence have been the greatest of my life, and I know I’ll carry them with me forever. It’s honestly hard to put into words how much this experience has changed me, my mindset, my outlook on life, and the way I see the world. I came here expecting to learn…