Submitted by Troy Flagler on the 2016 spring semester program in Tuscany, Italy…
Well, we are now down to the final week of the study abroad program here in Tuscany. In some ways, I can’t wait to go home and see my family and friends, eat some of my favorite foods that Italy doesn’t offer and sleep in my own bed. On the other hand, I know I will miss the people on this program as well as that stunning view from my bedroom window, the delicious gelato and all of the new experiences that I continually encounter. Looking back on the program, I think the toughest part of assimilation into life here was relying almost one hundred percent on public transportation (next to the language barrier, anyway). In order to travel to Florence or Pisa, I would be required to catch a city bus from Volterra to a connecting station and then hop on either another bus or a train. Even the trains did not come without difficulty, however. There was an instance in which the ticket office handed me the wrong ticket and, unaware of this fact, I boarded the train. The conductor came around and asked for my ticket, realized it was the wrong one and ended up fining me the heavy sixty euro fee (on top of the price for the correct ticket) for not following the train’s rules. I was pretty upset. There was another instance on this program in which I ended up on a school bus as opposed to a typical city bus because the city buses function as buses for the students here as well! That ended up being a little rough getting back home, but I managed to do so even under the stress of the communication barrier. Neither of these instances would’ve taken place for me in America. I am fortunate enough to have my own car so I do not rely heavily on public transportation at home. I so easily hop in my car and drive to school from my house, or to Philly, or the Jersey shore for the weekend without hassle. I am also able to set my own schedule and not rely on that of public transportation. The ability to travel from point A to point B with certainty and efficiency is definitely a piece of home I am looking forward to returning to.