It's been almost a month since I arrived in Florence, and what a whirlwind its been.
(sunrise over the Ponte Vecchio - never miss a chance to see a sunrise/sunset)
To start... after an overnight flight, a missed flight, 11 hours in the Paris airport (consisting of sleeping on the airport floor and some tears - right Emma?), a taxi, and 30 hours later Emma and I finally arrived to our apartment in Florence. Thankfully we #1 - weren't homeless (i.e. last summer @abbymiskew) and #2 - it was unexpectedly nice and clean. Some of my friends did not have the same situation and were still dealing with housing problems three weeks into the semester. So I'm grateful. One of my roommates, Sara, is another study abroad student from the US but my other two roommates, Valentina and Beatrice, are Italians from other parts of Italy. Although they are as sweet as can be, their English is "un poco". BUT - what a great opportunity for me to put my Italian language skills to use. It's fun to compare their way of living to ours, seeing what they cook for meals and learning about their hometowns. They LOVE to ask us questions about America and they have helped us with our never-ending questions about Italy. Sweet Beatrice helped me do laundry - which I of course do in the US, but since the washer was in Italian, I definitely needed the help. There also aren't any dryers in Italy which is something I will appreciate more when I go back home. It took me about a week to get over the jet lag and adjust to the time difference. But I'm learning a lot, finally getting settled, and starting a routine.
CLASSES & SCHOOL
My schedule was completely full when I got it, meaning class from 9am to 6pm, Tuesday through Thursday and some classes on Monday as well. (But no Friday classes leaving plenty of travel time!) The Italian students here typically take seven to nine classes - which seems crazy to me. They also only go to college for three years, instead of the four years that the US schools do. My first week I went to all my classes which was overwhelming. My finalized classes are going to be Tailoring Techniques, Fashion Photography, 20th Century Fashion, History of Tuscany, and Italian Language. I'm beyond excited for Tailoring Techniques as it it similar to my "studio" classes at NC State. I will be designing a 2018 Fall/Winter "red carpet" collection, and physically making two of the garments. Although the sewing lab is quite different from NC State and the technology doesn't compare to what NC State has, I'm excited to work alongside different professors and designers. My favorite part about school is how many people I've met. Accademia Italiana is a small art/design/fashion school of about 450 students, which 50 of those students are studying abroad. I've had the chance to get to know many of the study abroad students from all over the US (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia etc) but also students from Sweden and China. In my classes that I have with the Italian students, the students are from places all over Europe, and even Iran, Eygpt, and Isreal. It's incredible to me how everyone is so diverse yet so genuinely nice.
LEARNING HOW TO BE A FLORENTINE
Learning my way around Florence has been a challenge, but I think I am finally getting it. Before coming, I had mixed reviews about Florence being a "big" or "small" city. I think what it comes down to is that it depends what you're used to. To me, it somewhat seems huge because I've never really lived in a "city - city", all the buildings seem to look the same and I constantly walk in the wrong direction for 20 minutes before I realize I need to be going the other way. In contrast, it also seems small because you can walk everywhere within 30 minutes, and sometimes I feel like I've already seen/done everything in the city (I definitely haven't). We laugh because back in the States we would never have walked 30 minutes anywhere - 15 minutes max honestly - but here we are so used to walking a least 15-20 minutes to get anywhere that it seems normal now.
One thing I (kinda) have the habit of at home, is getting some sort of physical activity. Whether its the gym, going on a run, or some sort of fitness class. Although we walk a lot here in Florence, I'm the type of person that needs something in my life that gives me a way to relive stress and sweat it out. There are gyms here that offer decent student discounts, but since I'm already tight on money with the traveling I'm hoping to do I didn't really want to spend the money on it. So although the Florentines don't really do it, I went on a run. Besides it still being a little cold out (average 50s during the day), I really enjoyed being able to get some fresh air and see the city a little. So maybe I'll keep it up or try a yoga class.
Safety. Holy moly I was not prepared for this. People of course tell you to be careful and watch out for pick pocketers/gypsies/etc. I'm not sure if it's because I had never been out of the country, or just that you don't truly realize it until you're immersed everyday in it, but I did not expect to feel "unsafe" as much as I do. Of course I do my best to not ever be alone, keep my belongings close, etc. - the things everyone always tells you about. But it's still hard. I can't always be with someone, my belongings won't always be safe. Things happen and you never know the audacity people have. Being an American student puts a huge target on my back and really makes me have to be even more careful. Thankfully, as I settle in, learn my way around, and as more American students arrive, I've started to feel a little better everyday.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As many of you know, everything hasn't gone perfect. There's been some road bumps, some tears, some hard days, and many calls back home. Of course, I've been homesick. I think I would be more worried if I wasn't homesick. I have the most encouraging friends, supportive family, and the SWEETEST little niece whom are all back at home, but the best part is they're only a FaceTime away.
I have many friends just now arriving in Florence (friends of friends, friends from NC State and so many more unexpected people I've found out are also studying abroad here) and they immediately ask "how have I settled" and "does it get easier" and tell me they feel so "overwhelmed". And for me, its so encouraging to hear that I wasn't the only one to face these things. Now that I have experienced mistakes and learned lessons, I have the opportunity to share my knowledge and give advice to these people to hope they can learn from what I have. It DOES get easier, you DO learn you way around, and you WON'T always feel overwhelmed. I'm so lucky to have this opportunity and have SO much more to do/see - and I'm sure much more to learn.
Till next time.
XOXO,
Kelly
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