Buonasera! I can’t believe I have been in Florence for 2 1/2 months. My time abroad has been flying by, traveling during the weekends and school during the week. This experience has been transformative and has helped my personal growth. We recently had a spring break when my friend and I traveled to London and Paris. I enjoyed London as we saw most of the palaces that the royal family still use and live in today. It was also magical to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It was a great trip, but I am happy to be back in Florence. I have faced many obstacles during my time here, and I have developed some soft and hard skills to help push me out of my comfort zone and embrace the Italian culture.
A soft skill that I have developed while being in Florence is flexibility. Before coming abroad, I needed to be more flexible in my everyday life. I had set times for my classes, going for walks, doing homework, and studying. However, once I got to Florence, I had to give up my rigid schedule as many events occurred that needed to be dealt with, with an adjustable mindset. For example, traveling during the weekends can be very difficult as the Florence airport has few cheap flights. Therefore, we have to book flights out of Milan or Rome, so we have to take the train or bus to those airports. This can sometimes cause problems, like if there is a train strike or delays, which then cause us to look for backup plans. The unfactored adjustments to plans can cause stress, and I have had to become more flexible with changes to the plan.
Moreover, I have been working on complex skills in understanding and communicating Italian. It wasn’t easy to start living in a country where the first language is not English, but it has been beneficial that almost all Italians in Florence know English. Furthermore, my Italian class has helped me learn the essential words to help communicate with the locals. The locals are very appreciative when I attempt to speak Italian and then switch over to English, and they are more willing to help me. For example, my roommates and I met one of our neighbors who is Italian. We greeted him in Italian but had an entire conversation in English. He was very nice to us, and we will see him more often.
Overall, I am grateful to grow and develop skills that will be useful for my future. I have become more confident since traveling with just friends these past few months and venturing outside my comfort zone. I am excited to see all the new skills and flexibility I can bring into my life when I return home.