Hi I’m Claudia, I’m a third-year film and marketing student and I arrived to Florence a week ago! I am attending the Lorenzo De Medici institute which I chose because of the creative arts program. Preparing for Florence was exciting yet definitely stressful, and I’m not exactly the anxious type. The biggest accomplishment was figuring out how to apply for a visa, gathering the materials, and hoping the Chicago consulate of Italy deemed me a valid and unsuspicious citizen (they did eventually). I do want to give a shoutout to my mom for helping me out, and also apologize if she’s reading this. A visa application is a daunting task! Within a month I received my visa, and the next prep step was packing. I looked through my closet with disgust as I compared everything to a local Italian fit — whatever my perception of that is. Jean shorts are basically scum cloth, right? How often are you supposed to wear authentic Italian leather? Should I bring my prom dress just in case a Duke courts me to a ball? Luckily I have three friends who I’m living in an apartment with in Florence, and they gave realistic advice and are more importantly willing to share their closet. I ended up packing a large shippable duffel, a small suitcase, and a backpack.

I hopped on my plane on August 24th, alone and equipped with the necessities (Tangled downloaded on my iPad). I’ve never flown out of the country alone, so I was frazzled for sure. In fact, as I was getting off the bus to my gate, I remembered I left my suitcase in security. With my ADHD medication inside of it, of course. Don’t worry, I got to the airport three hours early because I knew something like that would happen. Although I’m from Virginia, I was visiting my friends in New York, so I flew out of the Newark airport and arrived in Milan 8 hours later. My experience arriving to my destination was a little different because my parents and sisters were kind enough to vacation around Italy with me first, all so they could be there for me during this time of transition I’m sure.

After an incredible introduction to Lake Garda, Verona, and the vineyards of Serralunga d’Alba, my family dropped me off at the apartment that Lorenzo De Medici assigned me and my friends.

High off of privilege and seeing my friends for the first time in months, I was feeling genuinely excited. Our apartment is spacious with a kitchen and only two minutes from the Duomo! Down every block there are endless options of pizza, gelato, art and clothing shops, too. Despite these realizations, the second I began unpacking, the excitement faded and anxiety set in. I’ve looked forward to studying abroad in Florence since I applied last December, and now that I’ve actually shown up, I have no clue what’s going to go down. I romanticized Florence for so long because of tiktok and everyone telling me it’s going to be the best months of my life, but I didn’t give any thought to missing home or almost getting run over by motorcycles and tourists the second I step outside. Not to mention the stress of applying for a permit of stay (somehow a different concept from a visa), remembering how to make friends, ignoring the friends I live with because I want alone time, and finding a plug converter. As I said before I’m not a typically anxious person, but the culture shock and exhaustion that comes with settling into an entirely new life got me a little down my first few days. Along with the pressure that it’s up to me to make the most of my semester abroad in Florence. And the fact that I got a cold on day 2.

Despite all the things to complain about, I still knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be. It just takes time to settle. A big part of adapting to transition is routine, so ever since orientation ended and my classes started yesterday, I’ve felt there’s a lot to be excited about! Get ready for the classes I’m taking: World Religions, Filmmaking II, Yoga & Spirituality, Digital Sketchbook, and Ancient History of Magic. What’s funny is that compared to other students I’ve talked to at orientation, I’m taking the hardcore route! Most people are taking painting and cooking classes; the general consensus of the students at this university seems to be to relax and enjoy the city. I’ve begun to catch on to la dolce vite – the sweet life, and it’s pretty nice if I do say so myself. I could wander into cute little shops and grab a bite of the most delicious gelato I’ve ever tasted all day if I wanted to, so thats exactly what I’ve been doing. So far I’ve wandered into a library filled with crystals and fountains, craft shops with mini greek god sculptures and chess sets, cheap stores with surprisingly quality clothes, handmade jewelry outlets, and the list goes on. A specific observation that makes me laugh is almost every store plays covers of American songs, even though the covers are still in English. For example, I’ll be sifting through tiny ceramic fairies and bopping my head to a soft female folk voice covering Justin Bieber’s Love Yourself. It’s funny, but I am curious to find more authentic Italian shops that aren’t designed for tourists. One aspect of Italian restaurants that I love is how long it takes to get the check, as long as I’m in good company and not in a rush. Going to restaurants here make me feel like I’m supposed to take it slow and enjoy myself, otherwise I’d be acting rude. Little tip about food on the streets, don’t carry a to-go meal near a separate restaurant or bar — you will get scolded, and must return back to wherever you just came from. It’s offensive to leave a food or drinks establishment until you’ve enjoyed it to the fullest.

One thing that sets my experience apart from other students abroad is that I’m living with three of my close friends, so I’m not completely out of my comfort zone. This has it’s pros and cons, but this first week I’ve been really grateful for them. It’s especially nice to know that we’re looking out for each other on nights out, because a lot of Italian men are not afraid to prey. Anyways, my favorite experience so far was this past weekend when we ventured to Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset. The walk across the Ponte Vecchio (the bridge across the Arno river) was gorgeous and the panoramic view of Florence was stunning!

Another close favorite was visiting the Bargello national museum, which is free on Sundays by the way!

As with any location, my experience here is dependent on my choices and effort. The first few days this concept intimidated me, but I’ve realized that it’s not that hard to enjoy FLORENCE, ITALY. I’m so privileged, are you joking me? Besides, I do it all for the blog. I would never let my fans down. Haha… I’m just kidding I think. I’m looking forward to updating you about my first full week of classes and other experiences soon!