Con Amore, Arrivederci Firenze

My time abroad has come to an end! Nearly 4 months spent in Italy and I am feeling more than blessed. I visited 12 different countries and around 20 cities during my time abroad, and all while immersing myself in Florentine culture. Truly, I couldn't have picked a better city to study abroad in. 

Since I have given you all plenty of reading material throughout the semester, I'll keep this post pretty short. Florence is always going to be like home to me. Living there for 4 months will do that. Walking to class with incredible monuments such as the Duomo and the Uffizi Gallery became a part of my daily routine. In fact, it wasn't until November that I actually got to explore the tourist attractions of the city. I climbed the Duomo and was able to see all of Florence. I visited the Academia Gallery and saw the statue of David. I even walked through Palazzo Vecchio where members of the Medici family temporary lived! 

While seeing these amazing and historical sites was surely a great experience, even more meaningful was just engaging with Italians during ordinary life. Walking into a local shop and greeting employees by saying, "buongiorno!" is something that I'll miss. Even struggling to have a conversation in Italian while locals kindly help me along is something I'll treasure forever. My kind teachers helping me along with assignments, particularly my oil painting professor guiding me through my paintings, is unforgettable. Truly, the memories I have made will live on with me forever. I experienced so many different cultures, and further opened my mind to differing perspectives. My outlook is now more diverse and understanding and I truly can't wait to explore the rest of this world!

Talk to you soon!