Studying abroad was a life-changing experience, but it isn’t always like the Instagram pictures.
I want to emphasize that this experience is different for everyone. These are just my personal observations and impressions from others I met along the way. I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, during Summer B through the Food and Wine Program; torture, I know. If you plan on studying abroad, here’s everything you need to know — the good, the bad, and everything in between.
Living situations
My apartment housed seven girls. We had three rooms and two bathrooms, but five of us shared one bathroom. Between showering, getting ready, and just being girls, it was definitely inconvenient at times. While not the biggest deal, it’s something I wish I’d known before arriving.
Laundry was another struggle. I shared washers and dryers with the entire complex, which also included local families. Finding an open washer was hard at times, and the machines didn’t always remove stains. The dryers didn’t work well either, so my roommates and I relied on drying racks the entire summer.
Traveling in Europe
Between trains and flights, I developed plenty of travel lore. About nine out of ten times, my train was delayed. This was especially frustrating when I had a connecting train. Missing connections meant having to find and pay for another train.
Travel strikes were another challenge. Airport and train workers sometimes didn’t show up, which led to canceled flights and hours-long lines just to check luggage. Cancellations will happen at the station or airport, bags in hand.
Language barriers
In Florence, many people speak English, which makes daily life easier. Tourist-heavy cities were similar, but in smaller towns, communicating with servers, taxi drivers, and locals was harder when we didn’t share a language. The places where I had the hardest time communicating were Salerno, Italy, and Mallorca, Spain. They were somewhat more local, making it harder to find your way around the area.
Time differences
One of the hardest parts about being abroad was the time difference. My family and friends were all on completely different schedules, making it tough to stay connected. While I enjoyed feeling independent and unplugged, it was sometimes frustrating not being able to talk to them as much.
The surrounding environment
Italy faced some of its worst heat waves in July while I was there, leading to multiple power outages. The air conditioning in my room didn’t work, so it was unbearably hot. The fans we purchased and the ones the school gave us helped, and eventually, my body adjusted.
Summer is also peak tourism season in Florence, which means the city is packed. It was overwhelming at times, but it also brought magical moments: strangers dancing to live bands at sunset, witnessing wholesome proposals, and meeting people from around the world.
Final thoughts
I know much of this might not sound positive, but I want to be real. Studying abroad was still one of the best experiences of my life. I met incredible people, visited places I never thought I’d see, and grew in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
The inconveniences didn’t take away from the experience; they shaped it. I’d recommend studying abroad to anyone. It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I feel so lucky that I immersed myself in Italian culture for six unforgettable weeks.
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