This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at NYU chapter.
My last week in New York was nothing if not chaotic. I was finishing up my internships, moving out of my summer sublet, and trying to pack an entire semester’s worth of my life into suitcase. Everyone kept reminding me how excited I was supposed to be, but all I could think about was how everything good in my life would suddenly be an ocean away. Was I making a huge mistake?
I had about sixteen straight hours of travel time to think about my life decisions, but the moment I was able to see Tuscany from my plane window, my troubles disappeared. There was nothing but fields of grass and trees interspersed with large yellow villas, and right in the middle of all of it was Florence, tiny but majestic even from thousands of feet in the air. I was able to spot the Duomo, the center of Florence and its grandest church, looming over the maze of streets and buildings, and I suddenly felt a resurgence of energy. There was a beauty below me that I wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else. This was why I was here.
I was picked up at the airport and shuttled to campus, along with about sixteen other NYU students who were on my flight into Florence. My firsts steps onto NYU Florence’s campus were completely surreal. Even now, when I’m walking around between classes, I still can’t believe I’m at school. NYU Florence consists of five villas—Villa Natalia, Villa Colletta, Villa Sassetti, Villa Ulivi, and Villa La Pietra—with gardens, sculptures, valleys, and all sorts of hidden wonders dispersed in between them. In the outskirts of the city of Florence, itself full of culture and history at every corner, NYU Florence’s campus stands as shining, exquisite gem. The campus alone would be reason enough to study here.
I’ve been in Florence for a few weeks now, and I can honestly say that I don’t regret my decision for a second. I’m actually surprised at how quickly I’ve been able to adjust to life here. It may not be New York—and, really, there’s no city quite like New York—but Florence’s narrow streets, mesmerizing architecture, and laid-back vibes make for a peaceful way of living. There’s no Starbucks, but there’s a café on every corner with cappuccinos no grande vanilla latte can rival. There are no bagels, but there are Nutella pastries baked each night and served fresh each morning. There’s no 16 Handles, but there’s artisan gelato that will make you question how what we eat in the States qualifies as ice cream. In short, Italians certainly know how to live well, and I’ve been enjoying every second of it.