In Florence, the most challenging aspect for me had been anxiety about speaking Italian. I have studied Italian for years, and believe that my language abilities are  strong. However,I noticed myself often avoiding situations where I could, or  would even be required to speak Italian, or reporting to speaking English even when I was able to do something in Italian. I would feel heavy anxiety around using my Italian, I sometimes get scared of making a mistake while I am speaking. I realized though that if I ever wanted to feel more confident or comfortable, the only way to do so would be to jump in the deep end and speak, even if a mistake was made. This has helped my Italian skills in general tremendously, but also helped my confidence, and made me see first hand that mistakes are the only way to learn. Since losing some of the fear of making mistakes, I have seen a lot of progress in my Italian language  skills. After being close to halfway done with the program,I am excited to see such progress. In the classroom, there has been some uncertainty with directions on assignments. Often a professor will give vague directions that cause a lot of ambiguity. I’ve realized that asking for clarifying questions, and even extra help can be necessary. I’ve also enjoyed getting to know my professors more this way, and have seen that vague directions are not given on purpose, but that less direction is part of the culture. I feel that I have adjusted to Florence well, and have really enjoyed getting to know this city. There is so much history, beauty, and art in Florence, so having a whole semester here is amazing. Even if I am unable to see everything in Florence, I am trying to take advantage of the city in which I am in. Being able to live, work, and take classes here really immerses you in the environment, and allows you to truly live like a local. It has been fun to find some of my favorite spots around Florence, and even become a regular at some of my favorite spots. So far I have been able to travel to some other places around Italy, as well as Ireland and Iceland! I am excited for midterms week to be behind me and to keep enjoying everything that Florence has to offer.