I went on a tour through the Vatican including the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. This photograph includes my brothers, Ben and Matt with the Basilica in the background.

Studying abroad offers the unique and amazing opportunity of getting a taste of what it is like to live in a completely new place. Adapting to the new environment has helped me develop a deeper sense of self-awareness. The first half of my time in Florence was focused on adapting well to living in a historic city and traveling to nearby places in Italy. Leading up to fall break, life got especially hectic. There were many projects due and mid-term exams to study for. But all that work paid off.

Visiting the coliseum in Rome was a powerful experience. The games took place for four hundred years and were held three hundred days out of the year. While on the site, the awareness of the immense and violent history gave me chills.

Once mid-term exams were complete, I was proud of all the hard work and breathed a sigh of relief. Then I got to enjoy ten days of vacation. Two of my brothers came to visit. Oftentimes, being in such a different place than home can make the whole experience seem a bit surreal. The beautiful surroundings create sensory overload and the centuries of history put your mind in awe. Having family members visit made the already amazing experience even more meaningful. I got the chance to be their tour guide in Florence and share all my favorite places. Since there was plenty of time to travel over break, I went with my brothers to a few places outside of Florence. We stayed in Siena for one night, in a castle in Tuscany one night, Rome for two nights, and then headed to London.

Castello di Potentino was the castle in the Tuscan countryside where I stayed for a night. A British family owns the castle; they are also wine producers. I got to enjoy a home cooked meal with the family, which included some of their wines.

As much as I love Italy, traveling outside of Italy was a great addition to my time here. I was starting to feel like Italy was its own continent. Being in London helped me mentally order Italy in the context of Europe. The food in Florence is incredible but I must admit I was incredibly happy to have a burger, fried food, and big cups of coffee in London. Most of the buildings and streets in Florence have been around for hundreds of years. London mixes historic architecture with modern. Traveling over break was an unforgettable experience and I loved every minute of it. Now that I am back Florence, I am refreshed and ready for all the second half of the semester holds.

I wish we could have gone up on the London Eye but the line would have taken hours. There was a line to buy tickets and also to get on so it would have taken too much of the limited time in London.

The London Bridge was another site along the path of site seeing.

I wish I could have spent days in the British Museum. The museum was beautiful, well lit, and careful attention was paid to each display. A highlight of the British Museum was seeing the Rosetta Stone.

I walked many miles in London to see all the major sites including Big Ben, the clock next to the River Thames.

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Elizabeth is a student at St. Norbert College studying at Florence University of the Arts during the Fall 2013 term.