I am now halfway through my program here in Florence, and one of the biggest skills I have learned in this program is how to be still. Since the pace of life is slower in Italy, there is more time throughout the day to be intentional, self reflective, and notice small details throughout my surroundings. This slower pace has allowed me to better sit with my own thoughts and understand my own goals and begin to plan how to achieve them. Since I will always be with myself, learning to live guided by my own values and not extrinsic forces is an important muscle to strengthen. 

Additionally in this program, I have learned how to be more decisive, planning trips to Pisa, Venice, and Siena, sometimes only a few hours before leaving. Being able to think through trips, execute them, and generate an itinerary to maximize the sites in a city has also increased my confidence in project planning and execution. 

These skills are both very transferable soft skills, but I have also further developed hard skills like improving my Python abilities and Italian language through my internship and coursework. My Python skills have improved drastically since I interact with it so often. My internship challenges me to develop my skills through pushing me to achieve new models and frameworks, most recently PydanticAI, and I can see my progress by reading through so many old files. I am extremely motivated to continue to improve my Italian and because I want to get better at engaging with my fellow coworkers and office-members each day. 

Even more so, I want to improve my interactions with locals. Constantly listening to the language while immersed makes it easier to hear distinct words and constantly reading it makes it easier to recognize the common phrases I need to know. The easiest way to interact with locals though is by saying “Ciao!” but the friendliest locals I have met are the nonnas walking their dogs. This past week, I have started many conversations by saying “Ciao!” but to the dog, and hearing the pride the owners have for their fur-babies. Although I don’t know much vocabulary relating to pets just yet, these experiences have helped show me just how friendly Florence is. In turn, I hope I am perceived as a friendly face whether it is to the puppies, the grandmas, or the families in the small community I am in.