Hi everyone! My name is Gwen Reichert and I am a junior at Pitt. I am majoring in Finance and Marketing and a minor in French. I am currently studying abroad in Florence, Italy through the Global Business Institute at CAPA. I chose this program because I have always known that I wanted to study abroad in a European city and knew that I wanted to be in a centrally located spot in Europe that comes with the ease of traveling between countries. I love how Florence is a small city, rich with history and able to walk everywhere! The bus system is very easy here, but walking is super accessible as it only takes about 40 minutes from one end to the other. 

I am originally from North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania – a small suburb 25 minutes from Pittsburgh – and chose to go to school near home, but still in a city that felt different than home. This being said, the decision to come abroad has been a huge change for me, in the best way possible. My main goal for this program is to keep an open mind as I explore new things and meet new people. Every single day here, I am inundated with new information and recommendations of food to try, places to see, and so much more. Thus far, I have been pushed out of my comfort zone and I know it’s only going to get increasingly harder but all the more rewarding. 

Going to school and classes here has been very different.  At Pitt, my classes are 1 hour and 15 minutes and meet twice a week, but all of my classes here are 2 hours and 30 minutes and meet just once per week. Although I only have class Monday-Wednesday, concentrating for that long of a time has been really tough to manage and stay focused on. My classes are Renaissance Art History, International Marketing, International Finance, and Italian 101. 

Living here has also been a big adjustment for me. My apartment is very nice, but much farther from school than I am used to. Walking everywhere is also very convenient, but can be so physically draining. Although I walk mostly everywhere at home, the distance I am walking here is so much further (around 8 miles a day!) I am living in a 5 bedroom, 5 bathroom apartment with 12 of us total, which is very fun but is an adjustment transitioning from my 4 bedroom apartment with 4 people in Oakland. 

So far I am loving it here – and I cannot wait to see what else is in store for this semester!