My name is Briana Noel and I am a junior at the University of Pittsburgh studying Marketing and Business Analytics. I love all things food, exercise, and travel. I have been getting to scratch my traveling itches more than ever before, exploring beautiful Florence and surrounding cities.

I am studying abroad this semester, Spring 2026, through the Global Business Institute in Florence, Italy. As a business student, this program was widely talked about among my peers with raving reviews, so I decided to do my own research. After talking to more people about their experience with the GBI program in Florence, along with seeing the class selection, reading past blog posts, etc., I knew it was the right fit for me.

I came into this experience never having been outside of the United States before, so to say this was a little out of my comfort zone, is an understatement. I knew I liked traveling in the states, but this is a different ballgame, one that has already opened my eyes to myself and the rest of the world. Coming into this, I had no idea what my goals were besides to explore and immerse myself into Italian culture. Now, I have added a few more: talk to everyone, try everything, be alone more. It may seem as though I am contradicting myself by saying talk to everyone and be alone more, but I mean go out alone, experience the culture alone, go to a museum alone. In short, explore and learn about myself without always needing someone there as a crutch.

The University of Pittsburgh campus and Florence are more different than they are alike. Of course they both are city environments with sidewalks, a lot of people, with a lot to do. But that’s where the similarities stop. The streets of Florence look so different in a way I can only describe as cozy ancient romance. Cobblestone roads and sidewalks, compact cars and mopeds to fit in the narrow streets, beautifully decorated hole-in-the-wall places at every corner. Everything I described is what I initially loved about my new neighborhood, minus the narrow streets, which took some getting used to, and which I’ve now grown to appreciate.

I live in an apartment in the city, my first time living in an apartment during the semester. It is a lovely place comparable to apartments elsewhere, with its own positives and negatives. It has taken some getting used to, climbing up eight flights of stairs, sharing a place with five others, and having a bit of a longer walk to class than at Pitt. These are all things you could face, though, moving off campus at Pitt, I am just experiencing it in a different country for the first time.

Now that I am about a month into the program, I can confidently say I have acclimated to my living situation and I am so grateful for it. Truth be told, the first week was difficult, navigating culture shock and just so many life factors changing at once. It’s amazing what a little bit of time and getting comfortable with your new enviornment can do. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.