I’m not a planner by nature. My way of thinking tends to travel along the lines of “I’ll figure it out as I go along”, but when traveling to another country it’s nice to have a few tips in the back of your mind especially if it is your first time visiting.
I’m from Hawaii which feels like the smallest place on Earth sometimes, so traveling literally halfway across the world was a big change.
When I studied abroad in Italy I stayed with a host family while I lived in Florence and it really made my semester what it was.
My university made it a requirement for all of their study abroad students which I was a little nervous about at first. I have never lived away from my own home so the idea of living in another country with a local family was definitely something to think about. But it turned out to be the best experience I could have asked for.
My roommate and I clicked from day one. We “got” each other and meshed so well, becoming not only roommates but great friends.
My housemates were also amazing and I am thankful to have met them. My host mother Anastasia was so loving and really embraced all of us girls as her own children. We all really became a little family on Via della Colonna.
A big part that also made my experience was the people I met along the way. Our group was small, only 6 of us, so we all hung out together and realized we actually genuinely like each other and hung out because we wanted to, not just out of comfort and security which you did see sometimes.
Some of the students in bigger school groups tended to stick together and not take the opportunity to meet and mingle with others. I personally do not see the point of traveling thousands of miles to a new country only to do the exact same thing you would do at home.
Our friend group had people from New Jersey, Vermont, Boston, Wisconsin, Michigan, Chicago, Argentina, and many more.
After leaving Florence and settling back into our daily routines at our schools and home, I asked some of my fellow study abroad students what their tips would be for others living, visiting or studying in Florence.
Here are the answers which wi hopefully help if you are also planning to go study in Italy.
Tyler Primavera, sophomore, University of Hawaii at Manoa
• Download Google maps, so you don’t get lost. Sometimes a map is better than a taxi.
• Ask for help when you need it.
• Go explore more of Italy and Europe.
Erin Padavich, Junior, University of Hawaii at Manoa
• Don’t be afraid to spend money to eat delicious food.
• When out and about, speak the language. Period.
• If you have the option, stay with a host family. Use the language with them and learn the culture.
• Don’t spend time only with American students doing American things. Travel with the school or plan it yourself. Stay away from tour companies catering to Americans (i.e. Bus2Alps) because they cost more, you don’t see everything you’ll see on the school trips, and you’ll end up doing American things just in a different country.
• Go sightseeing if you want to or stay in the city you’re studying in, just make sure you spend the day outside doing something different everyday as there are some of the best tourist attractions in Italy located in Florence. Don’t stay in your room talking to friends back home, watching movies, or even doing your homework. Lose your map and find somewhere new to do your homework or just walk around and find something to do.
David Holt, Junior, University of Hawaii at Manoa
• Book a language course and take a class that challenges you.
• Get acquainted with the city as soon as possible. Find out where to go and ask questions to get the best info on where to go and what to eat and how to spend your time in Florence.
• Take advantage of all the art and history in Florence. Also the train where you can experience more of Italy like Cinque Terre and Siena.
• Definitely do the excursions with the other students because you can meet and hang out with the other students. When you get older you won’t have the opportunity to travel a bunch of people and party with who are your own age.
• Be open to all experiences and take advantages of all the opportunities.
Catie Bello, Junior, Bentley University
• Get to know locals, and find local places – they are often the best each city has to offer.
• Look for restaurants that are student-friendly; you will find cheap but delicious food, and often great deals.
• Try something new, whether it be food, an activity, or a class, you never know what you might gain from the experience.
• The train system in Europe is awesome – you can get around for relatively cheap, especially if you book in advance, and you get to see the countryside in between cities. View some tips for going interrailing.
Aimee Lia, Junior, Bentley University
• Talk to the older local people (40/50+). They were able to point out the random restaurants or neat things to check out.
• If you really want to get to know where you’re living, it might be cool to try a tour, especially if you’re in a place like Florence where there is ligit history on every other street
• Be aware of the perceptions Italians have of Americans (girls, watch out for some of those guys).
• Beware the gypsies and pick pockets.
Stacey Snyder, Junior, Saginaw Valley State University
• Don’t be afraid to wonder and get turned around, eventually you’ll find your way. Or you can ask for directions, it’s alright and can lead to conversations with locals or travelers like you.
• Never go out at night alone, it may seem alright but it’s not smart.
• Take every chance you can to travel and see more.
• Don’t let little things bring you down, for example wifi and internet is wasn’t great everywhere. Instead of being upset, think about how you can actually interact with friends and locals.
• Try not to eat at the same place all the time and try finding those out of the way places.
Kiyana Higa, Junior, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Definitely don’t be afraid to get lost and roam around.
You stumble across the greatest things and when it doubt look up for the Duomo peeking out at the tops of the buildings and use that as your central point. You know how they say all roads lead to Rome? Well in Florence, all roads lead to the Duomo. Find that and you’ll never really be lost.
Budget wisely but don’t be afraid to dish out on the things that matter the most to you. Food is something I will never regret purchasing, as long as it’s something I want and crave. Ask for student discounts too.
Many shops and restaurants around the city and near your school will offer student discounts so take advantage of that! You’ll get to talk to the shop owners and practice your Italian.
Push yourself outside of your comfort zone. Routines are great but now and then push yourself and do something different for the hell of it. You’re in Italy baby, live it up.
Do something you never thought you’d ever do. Singing at a jazz club? Dancing on a table? Running a marathon? Striking up conversation with strangers only in Italian? DO IT. It’ll be those memories that make looking back at your time so great.
Enjoy it. Seems simple enough but sometimes you’ll catch yourself just doing things and not really taking it all in. All of us agree that a semester was not nearly enough time to spend and soak up Italy.
When you get there 4 months seems like forever but the days will start slipping away and the next thing you know you’ve blinked and a 2 months have come and gone. Make a list of the things you absolutely must do before leaving so you have a starting point.
From there fill in your days and time with things you hear about, read about, and are invited to. And if things don’t work out, don’t fret and dwell on it. The best things happen organically so while one plan might have fallen through move on because there is always something else to take its place.
Go Study in Florence
There are so many places you can study abroad but Florence is so amazing and I would give anything to go back there right this instant. For those of you contemplating it I would say do it, without hesitation.
You have so many things at your fingertips being in Florence as well as access to all of Europe that you just can’t beat. It truly is a magical experience so go find yourself a course in Italy and enjoy it for yourself.
Search Italy gap year programs today.