Charmed

Ciao! I made it safe and sound to the beautiful city of Firenze – what a week it’s been! It’s surreal to think that just over a week ago I was back in the states getting ready to come here; it’s amazing in how many ways your life can change in the such a short amount of time! Whenever anyone asks me what it’s like here, my first response is always related to just how absolutely beautiful this city is. Terracotta rooftops, aromas of garlic and freshly baked breads, warm people, and worn cobblestone streets are among only a few of the many charming characteristics I’ve begun to experience here.

My time here has been a whirlwind of emotion, novelty, and adjustment. Exhaustion is perhaps the greatest overwhelm due to the large time difference between here and Boston mixed with the constant roar of vespas and motorinos that travel our street at all hours of the night. Mama mia! Despite my fatigue, my friends/roommates and I have managed to explore the majority of the city and some of its most treasured places in just a week’s time. So far, the highlight of my weekend was when Kim and I took a walk around the city…without a map. We wandered over the Ponte Vecchio, a famous bridge & a characteristic symbol of Florence, to the other, “less-crowded” side of the Arno River. We sipped on some delicious sorbetto, partly because the temperature has been in the mid - upper 80s, and stumbled upon the piazza d’michalangelo, a famous observation point that overlooks the entire city and the surrounding Apennines Mountains (see one of my pictures above!) Between our frequent picture-taking and breaks from the steep hike, we made it to the top; the view took my breath away. Between the fabulous weather and stunning views, life froze for me in that moment and I knew I was going to love living here.

My classes at the Studio Art Centers International (SACI) have only reaffirmed this feeling of total infatuation. Among the many new adjustments this semester, attending an art school as opposed to the diversity of a traditional liberal arts university, such as Northeastern, is something that is going to take awhile to adjust to. Initially, it was intimidating working amongst students who have devoted their entire college careers to the arts and are exceptional artists, but after only a few days of class I have absolutely fallen in love with my coursework and have perhaps discovered a new direction to take my communication studies. I am studying in the school of design, taking a class in interior design and one in graphic design. I hope this new knowledge will channel so much of the creativity I’ve always wanted to expose in my traditional coursework. My professors are remarkable with a passion for their many years of experience that has made the otherwise taxing 3-hour classes a privilege. Already, we’ve taken field trips to many of the designer show rooms in Florence such as Armani, Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Puggi. The interior spaces to these stores are marvels in and of themselves – clothes aside! Outside of this concentration area, I’m also taking Italian (of course) and Video Production.

As wonderful as this trip has been thus far there are of course have been challenges like occasional homesickness, lack of hot water, or close encounters with the bold Italian drivers. It’s been a blessing to be living with three of my close sorority sisters and two other girls from Northeastern. We are all going through the same sets of emotions and facing the same challenges but I have no doubt that these difficult moments will be short lived based on advice from my friends Lys and Melissa who studied here in past semesters (thank you ladies for all of the preparation and guidance you provided me for this trip – it’s been useful everyday!) That’s it for now – more pictures will be coming soon!