My apartment mates and I exploring Florence nightlife! It is so much fun to meet the locals and converse with them about their experiences in Italy. There is so much culture here to appreciate.

Finally I arrived in Firenze!  It is a beautiful city.  I am in love with my apartment, but the trip here wasn’t as wonderful as I had imagined.  I spent the first week with some friends in London, so on the 28^th, I flew from London to Florence.  Still jet-lagged, exhausted and on little sleep, I traveled to the Heathrow airport to catch my 9:25 a.m. flight.  I got there two hours early only to realize that my flight was not out of Heathrow but out of London City.  Bummer.  Major bummer.  I had to buy a brand new flight that didn’t leave until later in the afternoon.  But, I do have to say, the wait was worth it.  I am in love with this city.  The arrival is in the past now and the future is filled with amazing opportunities!

An amazing tour through an artisan shop ended with a trip inside this man’s lab where we got to see patterns he prints for brands like Macy’s, Christian Dior and Neiman Marcus!

My roommates and I instantly bonded.  Two of us came from Mizzou, and the other two came from Penn State.  Our apartment is so cute, but a little far away from everyone else – but the extra walking can’t be doing any harm!!  Our kitchen and bathrooms are newly renovated which is amazing, and my bed feels like a cloud.  Much better than what I expected!  The funniest thing about my place is that the washing machine is outside!!  And, considering that it has been much rainier that I expected, I have yet to do my first load of laundry.

Having fun and making new friends at a social gathering provided by SAI at the Hard Rock Café!!

A beautiful view of all the colorful fruits and veggies at the central market!

I am still getting acquainted to the city.  I do have to say, it is very confusing.  It also doesn’t help that our street is only 20 meters long, and most people do not know where it is.  We are pretty close to the central market though, so that is convenient!  I am in love with all of the fresh foods.  Absolutely amazing.  I bought some salami and a baguette yesterday as well as tons of colorful fruits and vegetables.  I have a yummy salad waiting to be prepared tonight!  I can’t wait for classes to start next week.  I can just tell this semester will be one for the books.

My three roommates holding their goods after our adventure through the central market.

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Genevieve is a student at University of Missouri studying at Florence University of the Arts during the Spring 2014 term.