I cannot believe that it is almost December! So much has happened it is strange to think that it is almost over. I am excited to see my friends and family back home but I will miss all of the new friends who I have made here. They have made my time here so much more memorable and enjoyable.

My mom came for a week after fall break and I loved being able to show her my life here and all the things I have learned about this beautiful city. I showed her the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens. I took her though the markets and up to Piazzale Michelangelo. We took a day trip to Venice and took a boat ride down the Grand Canal! It was great having her here. It created a nice break between the first half of the semester and the second.

School has continued to be the highlight of my time here in Florence. My Art History classes are a great learning experience and give me a new and different perspective on history. There are things that cannot be learned while sitting in a classroom and being here in Florence has given me a chance to step out into the world and continue to cross things off the list of things I might want to do with my life. Although that is a strange way of stating my experience, I have found it profoundly helpful.

The Christmas markets have arrived and the lights have started to go up around the city. It has brought an air of cheer to the city and I’m loving it! I have had chocolate and mulled wine and wandered through the stalls and looked and bought the little trinkets to bring back home. It is a bittersweet time but I have so much to be thankful for and my experiences here have given much to look forward to in my future.

– Kira, University of Colorado – Denver