Actually Studying while Abroad

On the first day of orientation, a woman (whose name escapes me because the day was a blur of jet lag and exposure to a new culture) stood in front of the new students at Florence University of the Arts. She explained, rather dramatically and over-exaggerated, that studying abroad was two parts: study and abroad.I...

Calcio Storico: A Guide to Florence’s Historic Sport

Calcio storico in Florence's Piazza Santa Croce!Before I came to Florence, I made a presentation on the local culture for my GO class. Part of the project highlighted calcio storico, Florence's five hundred year old sport. Unfortunately, the tournament takes place in June: I wouldn't be seeing the rugby-soccer-wresting sport live.The 'field' appeared (and disappeared)...

Family: A Different Kind of Valentine’s Day Matchmaking

Since I was deciding where to study abroad, I have been interested in the Florence University of the Art's Italian Family Club. Going to a school where study abroad is required, I had heard stories of great experiences of people with homestays, but there were certain perks to living in a dorm or apartment instead....

Day in the Life of a Study Abroad Student

I thought I'd share a little bit about my school day...granted, the school day I'm about to share was a little more exciting than a typical day.In the morning, I got up and ate an early lunch. My day was going to be packed and there was no way I was going to make it...

How I Visited Florence’s Museums for FREE!

I'm obsessed with museums: anyone who knows me knows this...if you don't know that, chances are that you've never had a conversation with me or read one of my blog posts. The first time I visited Florence with EF Tours in high school (and fell in love), I didn't have the opportunity to visit a...

Tasty Tuscany: A Four Course Meal

Explaining my study abroad situation can be a bit difficult; I'm studying abroad in Florence at Florence University of the Arts through my home university with Global Semesters. Whew. What a mouthful! Speaking of mouthfuls, our program coordinator (Olivia) from Global Semesters took our group out for a traditional four-course Tuscan meal this week.There are...

6 Things I Learned During My First Week Abroad

A week ago, I left behind nearly everything and everyone I know for a semester in Florence, Italy. I've know for awhile that I wanted to study abroad and I've been fortunate enough to have traveled a fair amount so far in life (including a thirty-six hour love affair with Florence during my senior year...

Florence: Orientation

Official orientation has wrapped up and I'm truly started to get settled in Florence. Here's an overview of the past few days:When I arrived in Rome, I felt overwhelmed and out of context; when I arrived in Florence, I was excited and everything felt "right." I arrived in Florence's Santa Maria Novella by high-speed train...

30 Thoughts I Had Before I Spent a Semester Abroad

I leave for my semester abroad in 35 days! I can't wait to spend a semester in Florence, Italy and there are so many thoughts swirling around in my head. Here's a little look at 30 thoughts I've had as I prepare to spend a semester abroad:1. I'm actually doing this.2. My walk from my...

On the End of the Fall Semester

Preparing for a semester abroad isn't easy. I discovered this pretty early into the process, after I discovered that I had to apply for my program through Susquehanna University before I could even apply to the actual program. The long and complicated process was one of the reasons I decided to launch Streets and Streams...