These past four months abroad have flown by insanely quickly. It’s hard to believe I am writing my last blog post. This has truly been the most rewarding and amazing experience of my life. Looking back on my time abroad I am so happy with all of my experiences and seeing how much I’ve grown in this little time. Personally, I have learned to become more independent and patient. One of the first things I noticed about European culture was how much more slow and calm things are. In the US most people always tend to be in a rush to get things done. Being here has made me take time to enjoy my day and appreciate the things around me. It has also pushed me very far out of my comfort zone, making me much more independent. Having never have been out of the country before, I was very nervous about forcing myself to live in a completely new one. But I am so glad I did! It allowed me to experience so many new cultures and learn how to adapt to difficult situations. This experience has also led me to some of my now favorite people. Before coming, I thought I knew almost everyone in my year at Pitt. But my time here quickly proved me wrong. Besides a few friends I had already known before, I didn’t really know anyone in the Pitt program. Throughout this experience, I have met a ton of new Pitt students and I am so excited for all of us to go back to school together.
Academically, this experience has broadened my perspective on a more global level. I am currently a marketing major and took international marketing this semester. This class has been very beneficial as it helped me understand the difference in cultural preferences and marketing strategies that I can bring with me to my future career.
The biggest takeaway I gained from this experience was learning to adapt to new and uncomfortable situations. It was extremely intimidating to integrate myself into a completely new culture, knowing few people and not knowing what exactly to expect. This entire experience required me to navigate this new situation, meet knew people, learn new languages understand many new cultures. This new skill I have developed will be extremely helpful for my final year at school, and eventually into my future professional life. Overall, I could not be more grateful for my time abroad. I will forever cherish the memories I made, the people I met and the places I went. It’s very hard to leave my new home but I am excited to share my experiences and new skills with those at home. Thank you Firenze!
