We have now been in Italy for about a month and half and I have really started to settle in to things here. There are many parts of being here that I find super exciting or familiar while other things are a little more challenging. Adjusting to the difference in class schedule here has been interesting. I personally have each of my classes once a week beside Italian which I have three times a week. That is something that I have found to be different from home. Our classes are a lot longer and a lot more information heavy but on the flip side we have a lot more free time outside of our class schedules. Besides that, the classes have been very straight forward and interesting. Our professors in CEA CAPA are very kind and helpful which makes it easy to keep up and do well.

Outside the classroom, there are definitely aspects of living abroad that are also challenging. Maintaining a schedule has been something that I found to be challenging initially. I was able to navigate that just by doing new things and figuring out what I enjoy doing, so I could find a way to work that into my schedule. I also have found adjusting to cultural norms can be tricky, but it something that you become familiar with early on as you are able to observe them.

A big part of being abroad is developing a better ability to adapt to new things. At first a lot of things felt very weird or unfamiliar, but as you continue to live here you find ways to adapt. One smaller thing we learned early on was about grocery shopping. People in Italy don’t really buy food in advance the way people in the US do. This means that we go to the grocery stores more and buy smaller portions of things to keep in the fridge. It is not necessarily a bad thing, just different!

Because this is not my first time being on my own, things may have been a little easier to adjust to. But part of the fun of being abroad is meeting new friends who are going through the same journey as you are, so I haven’t been that alone. I think Florence in particular is a great city to be abroad in because it is so easy to find your way around here. It isn’t too crazy or overwhelming. That aspect is also something that I really have appreciated being abroad here.

Overall my experience has been really positive so far, everything come with it’s struggles at first but since getting here I have really settled in.