Submitted by Marina Smolens on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Italy sponsored by the Department of Art…
We flew into Rome and took a bus to Florence. While on the bus ride, I was already excited by the difference in the landscape. It was very obvious that we weren’t in America anymore. The trees, the open green fields, the old cities, the rolling hills, and the mountain peaks, all contributed to that feeling of being in a place I’ve never been before.
Once we settled into our apartment, we took to the streets of Florence to explore a little bit. We live right near the Duomo and having that be one of the first things we saw, we were already in awe. The city is so old which makes it that much more enchanting. It’s only my second time being to Europe and I’ve never seen art and architecture that dates back to the 1400’s. This feeling of history and oldness humbled me, making me feel very small, which is one of my favorite feelings and one that I can only experience through traveling.
Another moment where I felt small, and my favorite moment of the week, was when I went to see the sunset at Piazzale Michaelangelo. I actually got emotional. It was this big open landing with an amazing view above the city. There was live music, and the lighting was the most golden I’ve ever seen it. We even started crying. It was just one of those perfect moments that you want to preserve in your mind forever.
It hasn’t all been perfect moments, though. With traveling, there’s always cultural differences and language barriers. Florence, however, is a pretty touristy town so we’re lucky enough that everyone speaks English and is pretty tolerant of American students, because lots of students are abroad here with us.
So far, Florence has been amazing and I can’t wait to see what the remaining weeks hold.
