Hi everyone, my name is Colm, and I am a current junior at the University of Pittsburgh. I am taking a semester to study in Florence, but back at Pitt, I study supply chain management and business analytics, and I will go into data analytics for my internship in the summer. While not hitting the books, I love to travel, trying new foods, immersing myself in new cultures, and being outside, which is a massive reason I chose to study in Florence. During my time here, I wish to be able to fully immerse myself in the Florentine culture by improving my Italian and meeting locals.

I am currently studying through a program called CEA Capa, which feels quite different than studying back in Pittsburgh. My classrooms are much more spread out and integrated into the city, with no central campus. I was definitely not a fan of this change initially, but I have come around and started to prefer no central campus because it forces me to explore and learn about the city every day. I am also taking some very fun and interesting classes with other kids from schools all over. My favorite two courses so far are figurative sculpting and exploring Florence.

My favorite part of Florence so far is my neighborhood. Just on the other side of the Arno River, next to the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge, I live in the neighborhood of Santo Spirito. It is just past the city center, but still has a very local and lively atmosphere. Amazing Florentine cuisine places, churches and museums, and markets in the square every Sunday made me quickly fall in love with the neighborhood.

My living situation is quite something. I am living with 7 others in a rather cramped apartment. The apartment is a ton of fun with this many of my friends all in one space, until the two bathrooms are taken. My apartment is in a great location, and our building has mostly other study abroad students, which makes it quite easy to make new friends. I am adapting quite well to this living situation. I live with six roommates back at Pitt, so the addition of one more was nothing I couldn’t handle. All I hope is we can keep the kitchen clean! I am incredibly excited to explore Florence more and travel around in the coming weeks.