It’s hard to believe that I am almost halfway through my time abroad, but these reflections help me keep track of time. Oh and the fact that it is midterm week! Either way I have had more than enough time now to adjust to life here and create new daily habits. So far, I’ve been able to explore a bunch of museums, local stores, and cafes in between classes. It helps that the weather has been so great with little rain and warm temperatures. I am excited for the next couple of weeks when fall starts to hit and I can experience another season here! In all my exploring I have encountered a ton of differences from the US, some of which have been a big adjustment for me.

The biggest difference I have had to get used to is the general pace of life here. Everything seems to move slower whether it’s eating, shopping, or even just walking. At first this was honestly quite annoying for me as I spend my days moving fast from activity to activity. My least favorite part about this culture was not being able to get a fast grab and go coffee or breakfast before classes. It took some time, but I just learned that I have to plan things like that a little better and make sure to leave myself extra time. Life gets a lot better here when you stop getting frustrated at slow service and slow walkers and take the time to follow along and practice the culture. Specifically in Florence, everything they do is meant to be enjoyed and you are meant to be present instead of trying to multitask or speed through it like it’s just a habit. Slowing down has added a calmness to such a crazy time in my life.

Another area I have had to adjust to is my time in the classroom. I have found that I haven’t gotten too much outside of class work, so most of the learning is done in the classroom which means I have to be very present and ready to work with others on class activities or discussions. I have come to like this learning style, but it didn’t feel normal to not take notes for most of class time for a while.

So far my experience abroad has definitely helped me grow. I am taking advantage of activities I haven’t had interest in before like cooking. Italy is obviously very well known for their food and love of cooking, so I took a cooking class and have been making most of my own dinners. I think adapting to this new culture is helping me grow in a ton of different ways and I hope I can find time to slow down when I am back in the US too.