I have not been super active in a few weeks so let’s catch up.

I went to London with my two girlfriends! We had a blast and a half. We saw two West End shows: Hamilton and Wicked. I was a little disappointed with the Hamilton cast, but the Wicked cast exceeded my expectations. We also indulged in the classic high tea at Kensington Palace! Fit for a princess. When we didn’t have reservations or shows to see, we spent time walking around the public parks and neighborhoods nearby. On the first morning, we stumbled upon the changing of the guard ceremony! We saw all the sights, did a lot of shopping, and fish & chips eating. It was the most perfect girl’s trip I could’ve asked for! So lucky I got to see my Denver girls I miss them already.

The weekend after, I traveled to Zurich to celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday! I was SO excited to take the train, I’ve heard that right is beautiful… that is until your train gets stuck in the snow and you have to walk through feet of it to board a different one… but hey it’s an adventure! It was a beautiful winter wonderland after I successfully made it to Zurich. We went to a jazz club, a chocolate factory, and many Christmas Markets. It was so snowy and festive – I even tried some hot cocoa!! I loved it.

The next week I stayed back in Florence to relax and take advantage of my city before I leave. It was also Thanksgiving that week. To be completely transparent, it was a very difficult day for me. I am very family-oriented, so it was weird seeing them celebrate and indulge in family traditions while I was in a different continent. To distract ourselves, my roommates and I went to Rooster Café to have their Thanksgiving meal. It was passing! Then the rest of the weekend, my roommates were gone so I treated myself to pizza and pasta, played tourist and spent an entire morning at the Uffizi Gallery. It was a little lonely, but it was nice to relax before finals.

My boyfriend and his friends then visited Florence the next week. It was fun and entertaining to see all of them – I showed them some of my favorite little places and we even did a wine tour. My roommates and I also did some last-minute Christmas shopping and tourist activities. I even attended church in the Duomo!

Now, I am sitting in my bed in my childhood home. This experience went by so quickly, I hardly blinked. I am so thankful for this opportunity and I will cherish it for the rest of my life. From my professors who made me excited for my future to new and old friends alike, the people do make the place. To my new best friends, I am so happy that Florence brought you into my life. To my old friends I got to share this experience with, I am so glad Florence brought us closer. To my friends all over, I am so lucky to exchange memories and lessons learned. And to people questioning if study abroad is for you, it is. Take the leap and risk, for the reward is priceless.

To everyone who read my blogs throughout the semester, thank you for following along. I hope this inspires you in some shape or another.

Arrivederci,

Hadley