Although I only spent six weeks in Florence, Italy as a Florida State University (FSU) study abroad student, I feel that I was able to explore a majority of this lively and welcoming city. When my days were not spent taking trips to Paris, France or Split, Croatia, I was able to enjoy the ambiance of my new home. Florence has a plethora of amazing attractions, including the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Gucci Garden and the Uffizi Gallery.
On weekends and days when there were no classes, these places were all incredible to visit and explore. Although you would not be able to tell from my social media, I also had classes and assignments to work on throughout these six weeks. However, these were not typical lessons. Class would consist of exploring more of Florence, documenting aspects of the beautiful city and even taking a trip outside of Florence to San Gimignano.
I had class twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A typical day when I had class began when I woke up at eight a.m. I would quickly silence my alarm, look around to ensure it did not wake my roommates up, then begin getting ready. After brushing my teeth, washing my face and styling my hair, I put on shorts and a tank top because the temperature was consistently in the 90s. Next, it was time to leave for class at eight thirty a.m. because the FSU Study Center, where classes were held, was a 15-minute walk from my location. After arriving at the Study Center before class began, I would use one of my meal vouchers at a cafe located inside the Study Center. I had the same order almost every time: a slice of banana bread and an iced coffee with caramel.
Now, it was nine a.m, which meant the beginning of my first class. In this class, I, along with 11 other FSU students and our professor, wrote, edited and published the magazine ItaliaNoles. This class encouraged us to explore the city for new stories to write about. We were encouraged to be very creative. At noon, this class ended and it was time to find a spot for lunch. There are endless restaurants and cafes in Florence, so it’s always challenging to pick just one. My favorite lunch spot is Pino’s Sandwiches, so I would frequently end up there. After lunch, walking around, shopping and potentially getting gelato, it was time to head back to FSU’s Study Center for my next class.
My second and last class, Crisis Communication, was also three hours. So, from three p.m. to six p.m., we were able to work on that class as well as the magazine for my previous class. After this class ended, I got to walk back to my apartment. While it can be difficult to walk in 97-degree heat, the ambiance of the city makes it worth it. Passing through areas consisting of designer stores, statues, street artists and more makes the walk to and from class exciting.
At my apartment, it was time to recover from walking around almost all day. This didn’t last for too long, however, because I didn’t want to waste any time in Florence. It was time to get ready and head to Aperitivo. Finding new restaurants to go to was always an adventure, but it didn’t take long to find a good one.
After Aperitivo and dinner, there was freedom to do anything. From aimlessly walking around to hanging out on the Ponte Vecchio, the opportunities were endless. One of my favorite spots to go to during the day or at night is the Piazza de Michelangelo, which provides a panoramic view of Florence.
In Florence, life is never dull. There is always something new to explore, even on slower days.
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