As the semester slowly begins to wind down and final exams quickly approach, I can’t help but look back and reflect on what has been undoubtedly the most remarkable semester of my collegiate career.  Throughout the past few months, I have had many “firsts” – from trying new foods to exploring new countries, and during…

While I can confidently say that studying abroad in Florence and traveling to so many unique and beautiful cities has undoubtedly been the most incredible experience of my life, it hasn’t always gone perfectly smoothly.  As one could expect, I have run into a variety of obstacles and challenges, but nothing that I haven’t been…

Now that I have been studying and living in Florence for over two months, and have had the opportunity to show multiple groups of friends and family around the city, I would like to consider myself a bit of an expert on what there is to see, do, and most importantly eat when spending either a…

Now that I have gone through almost two months of classes here in Florence, I can finally say that I feel like I have assimilated to the way of teaching and learning in this wonderful city.  I am quite comfortable here in Italy at this point, but it hasn’t always been this sunny. On day…

Since I have touched down in Europe, I have been fortunate enough to see six different countries throughout the continent.  The cities that I have already had the chance to visit (outside of Florence, Italy) include: London, England Rome, Italy Budapest, Hungary Vienna, Austria Salzburg, Austria Prague, Czech Republic Paris, France Venice, Italy Each of…

In the weeks and days leading up to my departure for my semester abroad in Florence, so many friends and family members asked me the same question: “Are you excited?” Of course I was anticipating the chance to spend an entire four months living and learning in an entirely new environment, but to be honest,…

Commuting to and from school every day in Florence is surprisingly similar to community to and from school back in Pittsburgh – for me, at least.  My school (Richmond, the American International University in London) is located on the south side of the Arno River, which splits Florence into the northern and southern areas.  I…

As of today, I have officially been abroad for a month!  I truly cannot believe that this much time has already passed, but it’s certainly taught me to immerse myself into the culture and explore the city of Florence as much as I possibly can.  Having been in Italy (and a few other countries) for…

The day I have been counting down to since last fall has finally arrived – moving to Florence!  While it was absolutely incredible to have the chance to freely explore the cities of London and Rome, I had grown a bit tired of living out of a suitcase, and the constant motions of packing and…