Howdy! These past four weeks, I have learned a lot, both about myself and about life abroad, while studying in Florence, Italy. It was an amazing experience, one that I will forever be grateful for and one that I hope future students will be able to enjoy as much as I did. Following this experience, I did come up with a list of tips that I believe anyone interested in studying abroad should hear before their experience.
Tip #1: It’s okay to be nervous, but don’t let the nerves stop you from trying new things.
I was really nervous going into this program. I had never left the country before, I was scared of airplanes, and I was worried about having to make new friends. However, I knew that this trip was something I had always wanted to do, so I persevered through my nervousness and ended up really enjoying all of the new experiences the trip gave me. Discovering the rich history and beautiful culture of Italy was absolutely worth facing my fear of the unknown for, and I have made several amazing friends as well. Nerves are to be expected when pursuing anything new or different, but make sure you don’t let them hold you back from trying new experiences. Unless, of course, the nerves are because of cliff diving. Trust me, you do not need to try cliff diving to enjoy your time abroad.
Tip #2: Don’t just stay near the touristy areas—explore the city!
In the Florence city-center, there were a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and more that were obviously targeting tourists, especially American tourists. These places would play American music and have either “American food” like burgers or more stereotypical Italian dishes like basic pasta or pizza. I will say that I definitely stuck to these types of places during my first week abroad because of the homesickness and the ease of finding a bite to eat so close by, and it is absolutely okay to check these restaurants and coffee shops out because some do have amazing food. However, I found that the best bites to eat could be found a little further away from the touristy areas, so if you are wanting to experience genuine Italian cuisine (which I highly recommend), spend some time exploring parts of the city you may not have thought to. In doing so, you will also find some hidden gems in architecture and art, as well as get a chance to see what life is like for Italians outside of the hustle and bustle of the city.
Tip #3: Use your free time to travel if you are able to.
The program I went on gave us the opportunity to have all weekends free to do whatever we wanted, so of course a lot of us used this time to explore Italy more. During my free weekends, I visited Cinque Terre, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast. Cinque Terre was absolutely beautiful, and it was there that I went hiking for the first time. We had a day trip to Rome, but me and a few friends stayed an extra day and were able to explore the city even more and see so many more interesting sites. In Salerno, my friends and I befriended a few Germans our age and learned so much more about life outside of the United States. The study abroad program by itself already provides you with countless opportunities to explore the city and country you are staying in, but I cannot recommend enough taking the time to explore more by yourself. In doing so, you will be able to take your time exploring and cultivate a deeper appreciation for and understanding of the culture and history.
Tip #4: Being homesick is okay. It happens to everyone.
Now, this tip doesn’t come from me; it comes from one of my professors, Professor McFarland. This tip really helped me get through my bouts of homesickness while abroad. After my first week there, I was really missing my parents and life back in the U.S. However, I didn’t know what I could do to resolve it. There are a few American food chains, like McDonalds and Subway, in Florence, but I felt too guilty about getting a hamburger from McDonalds when I should have been trying the local cuisine. In class one day, we were discussing how to develop Cultural Intelligence, and one of the pieces of advice for this development was acknowledging that it is okay to feel homesick, and grabbing some McDonalds every once in a while to resolve it was also okay. As long as you don’t allow your homesickness or nostalgia for familiarity to stop you from experiencing life in Italy, doing what you need to feel a little closer to home and recharge your cross-cultural battery is absolutely the right thing to do in these situations.
Tip #5: Finally, meet some new people and have fun!
Like I mentioned in Tip #1, making new friends was one of my biggest fears for my program. However, I have to say that doing so was way less stressful than I was expecting. When you are with your program, everyone is in the same boat and everyone is absolutely willing to support each other. It was so easy reaching out in our group chat to ask if anyone wanted to grab dinner. Over the course of the trip, I am happy to say that I have made several close friends who I am looking forward to seeing again in College Station. I will say, don’t limit your friendships to your fellow Americans. You should also go out and try to meet other people as well! My friends and I met a young German couple while we were on the Amalfi Coast, and our dinner with them was truly one of my favorite memories from the trip. Once you start putting yourself out there, you will be able to start having so much more fun as you make memories with your new friends!
