This past spring semester I studied at Florence University of the Arts in Florence, Italy. Visiting Italy has been a dream of mine since I was little. I always wanted to visit the country that my grandparents are from, and I finally did. I had never traveled outside of the U.S. before so I was a little nervous, but even more excited for all of the unknown and possibilities that lay ahead. Firenze is a city that I easily fell in love with. The people, food, history, art, way of life, and walking anywhere you want are all things that I miss. I had gelato on the regular and so much pasta and pizza! 

My school, Florence University of the Arts, has an Italian Family Club. Where if selected you get matched with a local Firenze family and can spend weekly time with them. I was matched with a wonderful family who showed me what their daily life looked like. They invited me to their home for dinners, taught me how to make carbonara, took me to both of their Nonna’s houses, showed me around the area they lived in, and invited me to spend Easter with them. They helped me practice my Italian and were so encouraging. Nonna Lucia was the first to tell me that the new Pope was American. She was so excited to share the news with me and talk to me about this. The family also took me on outings to I Gigli, the large shopping mall outside of the city center of Florence, and took me to eat at All’Antico Vinaio for the first time. Now All’Antico Vinaio is a staple in my life, as there are two restaurants open in Nashville, Tennessee where I attend school. 

By studying abroad I gained so much confidence that I knew I had in me but hadn’t unlocked yet. I studied the Italian language, and am proud of how much I learned. I took a class on the Italian-American Experience where I learned about Italian history, the immigration process, did a research project on my family’s immigration from Italy to the United States and found supporting documents along the way. 

I am forever grateful that I was able to travel to six other countries while abroad. I miss these months of my life so much and am so happy that they happened. Studying abroad even opened me up to the idea of a career in International Education. I will be returning to Italy—hopefully soon! I am so thankful to SAI for providing me with support before, during and after my study abroad semester. I always felt so encouraged and cared for by the SAI team in Florence.

Written by: Elisabeth, Spring 2025 Florence student from Belmont University