Me in Manarola, one of the towns of the Cinque Terre.

Hello again! Living in Florence continues to be one of the greatest experiences that I will ever have! There is something new to love about it every single day! I have been able to do a lot of traveling and activities such as hiking the Cinque Terre, visiting the Tuscan islands, Volterra, Pompeii, the island of Capri, Croatia, and Germany so far. It is amazing how much you can do in Europe over one weekend compared to the USA, everything is so spread out because it is such a large country! It takes less time to travel to a different country in Europe than it does to travel between states in America!

While in Pompeii, I came upon fresh lemons the size of cantaloupe.

One difference I have noticed between America and Italy is that everything in the market and grocery stores is fresher, even the packaged items. I didn’t think that Activia yogurt, Twix bars, and Ritz crackers could get any better in America but they are delicious here in Italy! I cannot believe how much a difference fresh ingredients can make in a dish. With fresh pasta, coffee, pastries, and gelato it is so hard to keep the nutrient-balance intact! Being able to walk anywhere in Florence is definitely a perk when it comes to food.

The freshest food I’ve had in Italy so far during an olive oil tasting. Molto buono.

Another thing that is very different between the USA and Italy is the duration of mealtimes. In America, every restaurant tries to get you in and out of there as soon as possible. In Italy, the mealtimes are expected to last much longer. You cannot sit down at a restaurant and expect to get out within a half hour. It also seems that “to-go” items are not a thing here. Walking down the street eating something is not as common as in America. Everything in Italy is a lot more low-pace than America. I’ve realized when I’m walking to class in Florence and I feel like I am sprinting compared to other people.

Mount Vesuvius from Pompeii.

Something that is rather frustrating is that things that are free in America you have to pay for in Italy. For example, you often have to pay for seating at a restaurant, pay to use a public restroom, and even for a bag when shopping at a grocery store.

The city of Florence from the other side of the river at dusk.

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Anne is a current student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania studying at Florence University of the Arts in Italy during the Fall 2014 term.