I am sure anyone who has studied abroad will understand how hard it is to write about the greatest semester of his or her life. It is hard to explain how amazing last semester was to me, especially to people who have not gone (my roommates will vouch for that!), but I will try my best. Hopefully, after reading this, if you have not gone abroad yet, you will want to.
I never lived in a big city before I went to Florence, Italy last semester. I am from a miniscule town in upstate New York, 15 minutes from anything interesting. But I quickly got used to having everything at my fingertips; galleries, museums, stores, and, of course gelato. I fell in love with the small, crowded piazzas and streets, the marketplace where you could buy anything from food to a leather jacket, and the chalk artists who drew magnificent works of art on the street every Sunday.
I got to know some of the people in Florence and let me tell you, I have never met nicer people than those in Florence. My advisor, my professors, even the older couple who owned the alimentary (grocery store) down the street were always so kind and generous; they made me feel welcome and comfortable in my temporary home, as well as helping me perfect my Italian.
My professors taught me all about Italy's culture - the history, art, literature, music, cinema, and food. The greatest part of the classes was that we did not just sit in class and listen to the professor lecture the entire time. We actually got to see what we were studying: sculptures, paintings, palaces, and churches. We went to a gelataria to learn how to make real gelato; we also went to a wine tasting and learned how to tell the difference between a variety of wines. We listened to music, watched movies, and read books, all of them a huge part of the Italian culture.
Holidays were amazing in Italy, especially Carnivale, with children dressing up in adorable costumes and throwing confetti all over the streets. There were parades all over the country with huge floats made out of paper maché that moved and each had its own musical theme. The people on the floats were dressed in amazingly colorful outfits and danced all over the place. Carnivale was just a huge party for the whole country and everyone was invited.
In my five short months abroad I learned about Florence and even myself. I became a whole new person, more independent and more confident. I learned how to get the most enjoyment out of life, as only the Italians know how to do. I cannot think of anything more important to learn from studying abroad. If anyone is looking for a reason, this should be the one.
