Throughout my time in Florence, I have seen tremendous personal, academic, and professional growth in myself and those around me. Before arriving in Italy, I was very unsure about whether leaving Pittsburgh for an entire semester was the right decision for me. Being in an entirely new environment for an extended period was both extremely scary and exciting. However, I am so glad that I took the leap and decided to study abroad this semester. Living in Italy has shown me that I am capable of more than I think and has opened my eyes to what my future could look like. Being surrounded by a new culture, visiting new countries (and even continents), and being around people from other universities made me realize just how many possibilities there are for me after graduating college. Looking into my time left at Pitt, I hope to incorporate parts of my life in Italy into life back home. This could include small things like making dishes I learned about here or bigger ideas like taking more time for doing things that I enjoy and exploring my own city more. Something that I struggle with is not being present and always worrying about the next thing – the slow Italian “dolce vita” lifestyle has helped me pause and enjoy the current moment. This is the most significant lesson I want to bring home with me. 

In terms of academic growth, I have learned just how much exploring outside the classroom can impact your experience. My classes here have felt roughly the same as Pitt, but I think that my most significant growth has come from learning how to travel to new countries by myself, make new friends, and determine what is important to me. Additionally, I have learned how to navigate the expectations of professors that come from a different culture than mine. Some of my professors are from the United States and live here full time, and they have shown me that working internationally is possible. Everything that I have learned here is something that I can leverage in my future career – whether it is a realization about what I want to do, or my new cross-cultural skills, or even my ability to communicate with many different types of people. 

Thank you Florence and everyone who helped me get here – my experiences abroad have been invaluable and have changed me for the better. I cannot imagine my life without my time here in Italy, and I hope to be back soon. Ciao Firenze!