One of the best parts about living in France is how drastically the landscape changes depending on where you go. In Paris, everything feels relatively flat and urban, but just a few hours away, the towering peaks of the French Alps completely transform the scenery. As someone who loves staying active and spending time outdoors,…
Tag: Spring 2026
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…
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…
The Moment It Hit Me: Arriving in Belfast
Boarding the flight from London to Belfast, Northern Ireland, marked my first “aha” moment. Up until that point, everything had felt relatively familiar. Traveling from the United States to London, I experienced a sense of comfort and accessibility similar to what I was used to back home, along with the usual hustle and bustle of…
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…
The People Make the Place
Coming to Florence, I wasn’t as nervous as I expected to be. I already knew I was living with my best friends, so I felt like I had a built-in support system from the start. Because of that, I thought my experience would mostly revolve around the city itself and we would mostly stick to…
Learning Through Art in Florence
Studying in Florence means being surrounded by art everywhere you go, not just in museums, but in churches, streets, and buildings you pass everyday. This semester, I took a Renaissance art history course and an oil painting class, and together they completely changed the way I experienced the city. My Renaissance art history class quickly…
Lasting Connections
Before coming to Italy, I found myself pretty nervous about building a new community. I did not really know anyone coming into the program, and that uncertainty made me feel a bit anxious leading up to my departure. I was unsure if I would be able to quickly adapt to this new environment or whether…
Art in Florence
My two favorite classes this semester were Renaissance Art History and Oil Painting. I enjoyed them so much because, as a finance and accounting major, these are not subjects I normally get the chance to explore. In Art History, each week we spent one day in the classroom and one day visiting different locations around…