Over halfway through my study abroad experience! I can definitely say I feel acclimated and absolutely love life in Florence! I faced more struggles in the beginning of my time here than now. One that most people struggle with is the time difference. It has been hard communicating with my friends and family since we are 6/7 hours difference. Having this time difference makes it hard to be on the same page as I am mostly waking up when they are going to bed. At this point I have accepted it and try to focus on my friends here!

            My biggest struggle being here has been the food. This may be shocking because obviously Italy is known for their food. And it is amazing! But if differs greatly from my typical diet in the states. I am mostly vegan in America which is almost impossible to be here. In Italy being a vegetarian is very possible, but I still struggle to get a healthy variety of food groups. I have eaten more caprese sandwiches here than some have in their entire lives!  Which is very delicious, but very different from what I am used to. I am grateful to be experiencing authentic Italian food, I needed to adjust to it though.

            With my internship and classes I have experienced minor challenges. I will say I receive much more vague directions of what I am supposed to be doing. For example, in my OB class I spent at least an hour just reading the assignment details, trying to understand the direction I was supposed to go to. My classes are much more interpretive, and my teachers want to see an authentic idea, using much more of a creative approach. I struggled with this a bit because I don’t view myself as a very creative person, but over the weeks it has been really fulfilling having so much freedom to create. 

            Another struggle I have faced is making time for myself to relax. School, Internship, traveling every weekend, and exploring Florence makes it extremely hard to factor in time to relax. I also live with 7 other girls so it can be hard to say no to plans when there is always something going on. I am a very social person and I love to be active, but it can be very draining. I travel almost every single weekend so the week can feel very fast and that there isn’t enough time to do everything. Thankfully this upcoming weekend I am staying in Florence where I will relax, explore, and enjoy this beautiful spring weather!