My first week in Firenze has flown by. Everyday here has certainly been an experience. My roommate and I both attend school in South Carolina where it is warm out and there are plenty of trees and grass everywhere. Not so much here, it is very different. But in this case different is amazing. The historical architecture of all the buildings is absolutely astonishing. I can’t believe that I live right on la Piazza Santa Croce where the largest Franciscan church in the world is located, Basillica of Santa Croce.  Here you can find the tombs of some of the most famous Italians such as Michelangelo Buonarroti and Galileo Galilei! I honestly can’t believe that these great men are buried literally hundreds of feet from my apartment.

The other adjustments here have been great. I love all of the kids in my program and my roommate and I have made a bunch of friends. One of our favorite things to do (when it’s not too cold out) is stroll doing the Fuime Arno at sunset and just take in the scenery. Sometimes, if not most of the time, we’ll grab a gelato for the walk (yum!). I’m so thankful that Florence is such a small city because it means that I have to walk everywhere. Which is great for me considering the amount of gelato, cheese, and bread I plan on consuming while here. It also doesn’t help that half of my classes involve chocolate and wine (my two favorite things).

As for things to do, we have found plenty. On our first Sunday a group of us headed out to the Firenze v Siena soccer game, it was crazy! Just how we thought it would be-there were flags everywhere and all the fans were going insane! After the first week I took a train down to Roma and from there flew to Barcelona to visit an old friend. It was amazing, the beaches, the city, the art, just everything. Well not everything, Italy still has the best food in my book!

Stephanie – University of South Carolina