The first week has been the longest and shortest of my life. I flew into Italy before everyone else and it was really nice to be able to settle in for a day before the group arrived. However, despite the extra time in Italy, traveling internationally for the first time alone is scary.
Some of my first realizations when I arrived is that taxis are expensive, Discover cards do not work in Italy, cash is like gold, and don?t leave your phone in a taxi.
My second day in Italy I figured out how to get to the SAI office and get set up with the apartment I?d be living in for the next month. The taxi was really convenient, even though it was pricey, and lugging my suitcase up the hill to my apartment was the biggest workout of my life. I spent the rest of the day with someone who works for SAI and got my own personal tour of Florence. I was in awe not only with the architecture but the richness of the history the city possesses. There?s nothing that old in the United States and compared to Italy our country is a toddler.
I could go on and on in detail about every single day because there was so much to see but here are my main takeaways. Florence is a city of art, food, and family. In Italy family is everything. I hope throughout this program as my classes continue I?ll be able to learn MGMT 311 & IBUS 456, but do it the Italian way. I?ve never had a time in university this far where I only have to focus on school. I?m excited to not just visit this city but live here. I hope to come out more knowledgeable about the customs, history, people, fashion, art, food, and to see if I can understand a tiny bit of what it means to be Italian.
