I’ve been in Florence for about four weeks now, and I’ve been having the best time of my life. When I first arrived, I was pretty homesick and anxious to return to my family, but I’ve quickly transitioned to feeling the opposite. Now I’m already dreading this trip ending. I’ve made countless memories in the past three weeks and learned invaluable lessons. One of my favorite experiences so far was visiting the gardens behind the Medici Palace. The gardens are like a massive maze. My roommates and I wandered around them for hours, taking in all the beauty and trying to see as much of them as possible.
My program has taken multiple day trips to places like Rome and Venice during my time abroad. Additionally, we have taken a few business visits, all of which I have enjoyed. For one of these, we started the day by going to a winery. Here, they explained how their business functions, and we even met the owner. The company and physical vineyard had so much history attached, and I was amazed. During our tour, I learned a lot about how the barrels where wine is fermented and the impact that the different types of wood used make.
As I’m writing this blog post, I’m sitting on a train leaving Florence. My feelings about leaving are so different than my feelings when I was sitting on the train to Florence. My perspective has changed and grown in many ways. I have a much greater appreciation for Italy and Florence, but also Europe as a whole. Through all of our business visits, I’ve been able to learn much more about company culture and how the European business world functions. I’m going to miss this place so very much, and if you’re reading this because you’re debating going abroad, do it!!! Best decision I’ve ever made 🙂
