My first day here was a bit stressful. My financial aid hadn’t gone through and we were having troubles with our internet. I needed to contact my family back in Kentucky to borrow money for the permit to stay fee. My student cell didn’t work for my iphone so I could not call. I walked around trying to find an internet cafe but to no avail. I went back to our apartment with a sense of profound defeat. The feeling of being in a different country with no way to contact home and no money was a feeling I cannot even describe. Eventually I asked to use my roommates student cell and everything got worked out.

After this initial mishap, life here has been amazing. I have already realized so many things that I could have never back home. My life is already changed. I know that sounds cliche but it really is true. I will remember this for the rest of my life and it will constantly remind me that things can always get better. The possibilities are truly endless and I have Florence to thank for my new found hope. I cannot imagine somewhere more beautiful than this city.

Once arriving in Florence it was very hard to find my way around. It has been a week now and I already have a good feel of where things are. Having the duomo and a few other places as landmarks if I ever get lost helps a lot. With the city being so small compared to cities like New York and Philadelphia it is easy to get around by walking.

I noticed that things are more expensive here, such as food and common house hold products. Products that are easy to find in America are not found here, and if they are the price is very high. You appreciate a lot of things you have at home more being here, such as heat in your house and hot water. Being in Florence the people are very nice when I need help to find things, especially the leaders of SAI. I found that there are a lot of tourists in walking around in the city and not that many locals. But such a short time does not allow you to learn too much about a new city.

Emily – University of South Carolina

I’ve been in Florence for a week now and it’s definitely been a roller coaster of emotions. I’ve been switching from awe of Florence to just wanting to get back on a plane and go home constantly. Hopefully, in the next week, after my routine is fully understandable my bipolar phase of this trip will be subdued and I’ll relax into daily life. So far it’s been a lot of running around the city trying our bests not to get lost and get to classes on time. Unlike I expected, all the students from SAI and other programs have been very friendly and the classes not as intimidating as I pictured. I’ve  made a few friends and my three roommates are definitely growing on me.

This weekend all four of us are signed up to go on a trip to verona which should be fun and freezing. It was warm here in Florence the day I arrived but since then the temperature has been dropping every day. I’m used to the cold but that does not mean I like it what so ever. I can’t wait for March and April. I’m sure I’ll have happier things to say then when my classes are in full swing and I get to see the sun everyday. Still, even with the cold and the complications with schedule changes and reading maps, I’m so excited that I has this opportunity of a whole semester in this beautiful city!

Paola – Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College

After only a few weeks of living in Sorrento, I can honestly say I’m enthralled with the Italian lifestyle. I have been blown away by the natural beauty of the country, and the warm, welcoming nature of all the people I’ve met thus far.  The adventure started on the plane from New York City to Naples. After sleeping most of the way over, I woke up to a view of the Italian Alps at dawn: talk about a breathtaking view! Once I landed, I was welcomed by palm trees and flowers, a big change form the snowy hills of upstate New York.

One of the best parts of my study abroad experience thus far has to be the people I’ve met. All of my professors at Sorrento Lingue are extremely invested in my education, and willing to help with both scholastic endeavours and the occasional bout of culture shock. Speaking of culture shock, I’ve been lucky enough to not have had too much experience with it. My host family has been wonderful, having family dinners most every night and always asking if I need anything to ease the transition from America to Italy. The only real difference I have had to get used to is the traffic- those Vespas don’t stop for pedestrians!

On January 25^th, tired and jet lagged I finally arrived in Italia. While flying over Italy, I caught my first glimpse of Tuscany. Looking outside of the plane window, my eyes landed upon the most breathtaking images. At first, all I could see were massive snow covered mountains. Then slowly the mountains turned into lakes. At last, I saw the image I had been waiting years to see, the picturesque rolling green hills of Tuscany. This view was everything I had ever imagined it to be and much more. At this point, I was in a state of bliss and excitement.  Throughout my whole college career, I had dreamed about this moment.

However, once I stepped off the plane and into Florence, the reality of my situation began to hit me. I realized I was in a foreign country with a different culture, language, and social norms. I was far away from everything I am comfortable with. I felt like a lost child. Everything that was so simple back home such as paying for food became a challenge. To add to my despair, I could not talk to my family or friends for the first couple of days because we did not have internet. Soon I realized I was going through culture shock. Those first couple of days were the hardest for me. I was in a constant state of fear, anxiety, and sadness. At any moment, I felt like I was going to start crying.

Fortunately, my emotions began to change the day my roommates and I went to the Mercato Centrale. This open-air fresh market reminded me of all the reasons I decided to study abroad in Italy. This place was bustling with people and excitement. It was here that I finally began to comfortably speak in Italian with the locals. This boost of confidence in my abilities began to make me feel better. After this moment, I was able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I realized this was going to be challenging but I should embrace these differences in order to get the best out of my study abroad experience.

Initially dealing with culture shock was overwhelming but this is the beauty of traveling to another country. I am being forced into another culture with different rules, norms, and customs. These differences challenge everything I have ever known about the way my world works. Now that I am finally settled into my Italian apartment, I am able to enjoy the beauty of Italy. Firenze is absolutely breathtaking. Everyday on my walk to class, I walk by the Duomo. This building is so massive and beautiful. Every time I see it I am in awe. It is crazy to think that this is my new life. It is this realization that keeps me moving on the difficult days when I am missing my family, friends, or American food.

Samantha – Northern Illinois University

I arrived in Italy on January 25 and it was everything I thought it would be. I love walking around the city and all my roommates, but culture shock is no stranger to me. The best expression would be I love it until I don’t. Pretty much as long as I’m busy and having a good time I love it, then as soon as I get tired or just think about home and I find it impossible to think of any of the things I love about Italy.  This week has had a lot of ups and downs but overall I think I can say that Florence is amazing! I’m still struggling with my culture shock but everyday it gets a little easier and I love Florence a little more.

This week I started my classes and went on two walking tours of Florence. I’m so excited about all my baking classes and to learn about baking in a city famous for its food! I especially love my Everything Chocolate class and I can’t wait to learn tons of amazing recipes featuring chocolate! The walking tours were also fun and informative. I went on a tour of Oltrarno and a City Walk showing some of the highlights of Florence. The most helpful tour I went on was the Oltrarno tour because that is where I am living during my stay! We learned where to go for good food, shopping and even groceries. I’m so excited to learn the city like a local and scout out the best restaurants and gelato shops! On the City Walk we went to Piazza di Michelangelo where we were able to see a beautiful view of Florence.  I just started planning all my weekend trips around Italy and can’t wait to explore Italy and make the most of my time abroad!

Jordana – Lynn University

I have been in Rome for three weeks now, and I can already tell that the next couple of months will be unlike any that I have experienced before. I have quickly discovered that being in Rome as a tourist and living in Rome as a student are two completely different things. I have already seen a new side of Rome that I did not get the chance to see before, and I fell in love with this side of Rome immediately. So I have made it my mission during the semester to try to live as the Romans do, and avoid anything “touristy”, so that I can experience Roman culture at its’ best.

During the first two weeks I visited all of the big sights like the Trevi Fountain, the Vatican, the Spanish Steps, and the Pantheon. Now I have started exploring the little side streets and alleyways of Trastevere, I have found an amazing local restaurant which I have frequented to the point where the staff recognizes me on the street, I have found the best place to get supplies, I have found a favorite grocery store, and in short, I have begun to make Rome my home. The fact that I have done so not only in three short weeks, but also in a country where I don’t speak the language, and in a city where I do not know my way around, is astonishing to me. I hope the next couple of months holds nothing but more of what I have experienced so far!

Alethea - Suffolk University

I left America for Europe on December 27th. This gave my older brother and I just over a week of traveling before I settled in London. My brother lived in Krakow, Poland for about half a year; so, Krakow was first on our agenda. As soon as I got there I immediately fell in love: the food, the architecture, the people! It is so different from anything I have experienced back home. My friends and I are planning a trip to Krakow within the next month. Then off from Poland, we took a train to Berlin to visit a friend of ours who did foreign exchange at our high school. From Berlin, we headed to London. My brother was off to take a flight back to the US. Which left me to get a feel for London on my own.

Since, I have arrived in London I have spent much time wandering around and taking everything in. I have noticed differences of the way of life here versus back home, but it is not too shockingly different. My school is still not in full motion although it will be next week. I have had lots of time on my hands. I have filled that time by doing a plethora of things. I have visited Tate Britain several times-I absolutely adore The JMW Turner collection. I have also been to the Science Museum three times. I also visited Serpentine gallery and have been on four walks through Hyde Park. When I am not sightseeing, I spend much of my time walking around Shoreditch, Bricklane, and the Spitalfields Market browsing through the stores, vintage shops, and trying local fare.

On the spur of the moment, I found out a friend of mine from Mexico was in Belgium for his sister’s wedding. He asked me to be his date and I went. I took the Eurostar train to Brussels and it went well, I was a little nervous because I have never really traveled by myself. The closest I have come would be my parents dropping me off at the airport and a friend picking me up. This new experience that was good for me. The four days I spent there were exceptionally funny. My friend’s parents could only speak Spanish and the groom’s family could only speak French. Most of the communication was smiling and pushing beer and tequila at one another. The wedding was really beautiful and so different from an American wedding. The weekend was so much fun and I left feeling like such friends with the Belgian family, despite the language barrier. January has been so much fun, I cannot wait to see what February and March hold!

Maren – Colorado State University

The minute I walked through the streets of Trastevere, I knew that choosing to live and study in Rome, Italy was an incredible choice. The streets of Rome are so inviting to any foreigner, with interesting monuments, ancient ruins and a beautiful river that distinguishes this city from any other in the world. Rome is also relatively larger than the other cities in Italy, which I see as a great advantage. There’s always so much to see within Rome and new things to do every week. And getting lost is never frustrating because you’ll find something new to appreciate at every corner.

I’ve been so impressed by the superior care and attention that SAI has provided the students in this program. The accommodations organized by the program were far greater than I had expected. All eight of us in the apartment have grown extremely close and are all beyond satisfied with the arrangements made by the program. SAI also really impressed me with their careful handling of all the proper documentations, organization of inclusive events, and assistance with any kind of additional questions and services one might require. Unlike other students that I’ve met here in alternative programs, I definitely feel safe with SAI here and have complete assurance that I’m in great hands.
It’s only been 3 weeks, but this city feels like home for me. Everyday, I have been learning more about this city, the culture, the people, and myself. I have very quickly grown so accustomed to this city as I’ve already found my favorite cafe for my morning cappuccinos, my reading spot along the Tiber River, the scenic routes for weekly runs, and local restaurants with some of the greatest Italian dishes I’ve had in my life! The environment in Rome has also made classes at John Cabot University so intriguing and learning much more motivating. I am reminded daily of the unique experience that I have been blessed with and am so excited for these next few months to unfold.

Elisa – University of California, Los Angeles

Ciao tutti! Today is now my fourth day in Firenze. The trip to get here went immensely smoother than my previous trip to Italy. I left the Philadelphia airport around 10 PM on Tuesday and after flying through London and Rome, I landed in Florence at about 7 PM on Wednesday. The flights were great, practically empty, and I slept through most of them. Of course on the longest flight I had a person in front of me that was pretty much lying in my lap. Navigating the airports was easy and I was taken to my house with no issues. I should’ve listened to everyone when they told me to pack light because carrying my 50+ lb suitcases up two flights of marble stairs that were barely wide enough to fit my luggage was an adventure.  My apartment is very tiny compared to my apartments in Sicily and apartments in America. It has all the necessities and I heard its nicer than some other students’ so I have no complaints there. The weather in Florence has not been ideal, and due to the electricity laws we can barely use any heat. I believe right now it is set on 18 degrees celsius, which to me, it might as well be snowing inside.

Thursday was filled with orientation and testing from dawn to dusk. That paired with jet lag forced almost all of us to take a nap before dinner that evening. My roommate and I found a restaurant a minute away from our house that served some awesome pesto, which was a great first meal. I’ve found that my Italian works here a lot better than it did in Sicily. I’ve loved being able to ask questions and order food and having them understand. I can tell that they appreciate and are impressed when American students try and successfully use their beautiful language.

Friday I decided to take a trip to the mercato to buy some groceries. I was so excited to get Italian strawberries or fragole as they are called here. I also bought the other essentials…bread, pasta, milk, and wine. Pretty much what my diet has and will consist of for the next couple months. Luckily I found out FUA has a gym that’s free for students. I will definitely be needing to go a few times a week with the amount of carbs we eat here.

Saturday was filled with exploring. I finally saw the bridge of my dreams…Ponte Vecchio. It was just as beautiful as I had seen in paintings and imagined it being. On either side of the bridge there are hand rails that couples put locks with their names on to symbolize their love. Later that day we got internet in our apartment and we all spent at least an hour catching up with emails and talking to family and friends. That night we went out to a few bars with an awesome group of people from our program. We spent the night dancing and running from bar to bar to stay out of the cold.

Sunday has been my favorite day here so far. A group of us woke up early and went to the futbol stadium to watch the Florence vs. Siena game. We all dressed in Fiorentina colors (viola & giallo) and tried to catch on to their crazy chants and songs. We all had a great time and are planning on going to as many games as possible. Tonight is my roommate’s birthday so we are going to go out for a celebratory dinner in a few hours. Classes start tomorrow, it’s going to be hard to focus on school in such a beautiful exciting place. However, I am taking classes such as the history of the Italian Renaissance, which is going to be amazing to learn about because it all happened right outside my classroom walls.

I am still in search of some nice leather boots and a jacket. Not that there aren’t millions to choose from, I am just looking for the best quality at the cheapest price. Today I walked into a shop with jackets for over a thousand euro and the shop owner told me to pick which jacket I wanted and it would be free if I went out for coffee with him. He even hugged me as I walked out of the store, so I may have to take him up on that offer if I could manage to get one of those beautiful jackets. I will keep you all updated on how that adventure goes and I will write again in a few weeks ! Next weekend I will be heading to Rome for the Avicii concert so I’m sure I will have lots of pictures and stories to share!

Arrivederci !

Kelsie – University of South Carolina