Howdy! My name is Kaitlin Wilson: a junior (WHOOP!) business management major on the pre-law track. As of May 15th, after a flight out of Houston and a 7-hour layover in the Paris, France airport, a group of 30-plus Aggies and I landed in Florence, Italy to take on a 4-week, faculty-led study abroad program. Since then, we have begun coursework together, eaten loads of pasta, and logged numerous steps all over the central Florentine landmarks.
So, what are my initial reactions to Italian culture? In an easily observable sense, Italians are all about the experience. In our orientation program with our host company, they taught us about the Italian way of life: the ?bella figura.? Meaning ?beautiful figure,? Italians view making a good impression as essential. At night, there is even a time to walkabout and ?look? at each other. Additionally, the Italian way of life is family-focused and much slower than traditional American life. Dinner is at 8:30 pm, where you can show up late if you please, enjoy bread, pasta and wine, then leisurely linger on before the waiter even suggests the bill. They will not interrupt your meal, as food is an experience. Rather, you are invited to sit awhile, enjoy good food, and enjoy good company. The meals are multiple courses, often beginning with a bread basket and ending with a bitter shot of espresso. Each morning, my roommates and I head to class or to our scheduled activity and stop by a local cafe to sit and sip our 1 euro cappuccinos and much on flaky croissants. Specifically in Florence, we have already taken time to tour the attractions of the city, such as the beautifully adorned Florence Duomo and the rich history of art within the town square, including a replica of Michelangelo?s statue of David.
Regarding our program, we are looking forward to group meals and other programming events around Florence and various other Italian cities. Notably, we will visit the Italian Stock Exchange and attend group cooking classes! One of the most special parts of this program is not only the incredible food that I have gotten to try but also getting to know the other members on the trip. Whether engaging with other students from varying areas of campus or interacting with the two stellar professors on this program, getting to experience Italian culture alongside fellow Aggies has been a gift and privilege that I know I will return to campus treasuring. I cannot wait for the trips to other cities that the program has coordinated, as well as the free weekend time to travel throughout Europe (and study for exams, of course)! So far, it has been an honor (and a lot of fun) to experience the ?bella figura? that Florence presents. I am excited for all that is to come! Ciao!
