Today was my last day in Europe, and just so happened to be my 21st birthday. After the ending of my program in Florence, I traveled to Rome, Venice, Florence, and finally Paris. I don’t think it has hit me yet that this is my final night before returning to my life in the states….

I have not yet returned home, but I am worried about reverse culture shock when I do. Everyone I spoke to told me about the initial culture shock I would feel when I arrived in Italy, but a lot of people don’t talk about the reverse culture shock. It’s more than going home and being…

April 21 was a beautiful and sad day all in one, as I said farewell to my friends from all over the country and set off to meet my family in Rome. I knew I would be returning to Florence with my family, so thankfully it was not quite my time to say goodbye to…

It is so bittersweet to be saying goodbye to Florence, a city that has welcomed me with open arms. Over the past three months, I can truly say that Florence has become my home. I cross the Ponte Vecchio, stroll through the Piazza di Santa Croce, and admire the duomo not as a tourist, but…

My favorite place to visit in Italy is Cinque Terre. Made up of five towns on the water, Cinque Terre is the perfect place to visit if you’re looking for a relaxing beach day. It’s an easy two hour train ride from Florence, and you can even stop in Pisa on the way to check…

After living in Florence for three months, I have become quite the expert on various aspects of Florentine culture – primarily the food. The way to any Italian’s heart is through a delicious homemade meal, but if you can’t cook, here are some restaurants to check out while you’re here. 1. Osteria dell’Enoteca This place…

Now that I have been abroad for two months, I’ve become quite the traveler! So far, I have traveled to Rome, Cortona, Cinque Terre, Holland, Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, and Cagliari. If I have learned anything from my travels, it is that things are never going to go exactly as planned. Whether there is an issue…

Being abroad is this juggling act, trying to balance travel and studies at the same time. As a college student, we always face these struggles to balance our lives. When I’m in Pittsburgh, I have to precisely schedule my club meetings, volunteering, studying, social life, and an adequate amount of sleep. As a junior, I…

I recently returned from Spring Break, which was honestly the most amazing and exhausting 10 days of my life. Spring Break directly followed midterms, so it was really wonderful to relax after so many late nights studying and stressing over exams. I traveled in a group of 6 – with Maddie, Melissa, Erin, Denisse, and…