Studying abroad in Florence has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life so far. Over these past few months, I have grown a lot and in the process learn so much about myself. Living in an entirely different country has definitely forced me to figure things out on my own, without relying on my support system back at home. At the beginning of this program, I felt very uncomfortable with navigating this new environment, but gradually I found myself embracing this discomfort.

One of my most memorable moments from my time abroad was a weekend trip to Paris. My friend and I had planned it in advance and were supposed to meet there and explore the city together. However, our travel plans did not go as expected. My travel day was already stressful enough, but then I realized I had landed in a completely different airport than I expected. When I checked the estimated arrival time from the airport to our Airbnb, I realized that it was two hours away. Paris was an extremely big city, which I had not prepared myself for. On top of that, my friend’s flight got delayed, and therefore she would not be arriving until late at night. So suddenly, I was alone in a large city I had never been to before, trying to figure everything out on my own. At first, I felt anxious and overwhelmed. However, I did not have a choice and had to continue moving forward.

Looking back, I came to realize that moment became one of the most impactful experiences of my time abroad. It forced me to trust myself, make decisions independently, and stay calm under pressure. This overwhelming experience turned into an opportunity to prove to myself that I am more than capable of adapting and handling difficult situations on my own. It is this newfound mindset that I will continue to carry with me moving forward.