Our Survival Guide For Study Abroad: Florence Edition
INTRODUCTION
If you’re thinking about going abroad, do it. 4 months of traveling and fun in Florence, Italy, turned into 4 life-changing months we will look back at for the rest of our lives. We both await the University of Connecticut back at home, and with our rigorous majors, we never thought we could go abroad. The second we found out we could, we signed up with no hesitation. At first, the idea of moving to another county away from friends and family is daunting. Leaving behind your comfort zone is hard, but you end up creating a new norm with new friends, new cultures, new foods, and most importantly, new experiences. While we’re in the final stretch of our study abroad experience, we want to tell you readers, what you should know, what to expect, and why you need to study abroad.
PRE DEPARTURE SCARIES AND PREPARATIONS
Leaving your comfort zone and routine at home is tough. We were both really nervous to go abroad the second we accepted the program. The feeling is bittersweet in knowing you’re going to be out of the country and life as you know it will keep going. It’s important to remember that you’ll never grow if you don’t step out of your comfort zone. The amazing thing about travel is that no matter where you go and for how long, you’ll always have your home and loved ones waiting for your arrival. The anxieties you feel before going abroad are normal, but you can’t let them overwhelm you. Don’t let it discourage you from the amazing time you are going to experience. We remember nights when we would talk to our parents on the verge of tears, regarding how nervous we were to study abroad and how we were going to miss everything back home. You’re probably going to have many pre-departure tasks and due dates, but as long as you keep an eye on your emails and are up to date with newsletters, we promise you will be fine.
Preparing for studying abroad is just as important as going abroad. You need to consider everything you will be doing while away to make sure you’re prepared for the inevitable.
- Money: Save more than you think you will need
You will quickly realize that living in a new country has many costs. Groceries, shopping, travels, taxis, and nights out with friends add up without you realizing. Before going abroad, we were told to save at least $6,000 to bring to Florence in order to survive, budgeting around $2,000 each month. Luckily, we were able to hit that mark. However, we were very smart about our money and the way we chose to spend it. We both preferred to spend our money on experiences and travel rather than shopping. While traveling, we stayed in hostels, walked to our destinations, and limited our shopping to postcards and little knick-knacks. Don’t get us wrong, the Zara in Florence is tempting, but experiences are priceless.
- Choose comfort over style
If you’re going to Florence or any European city, you will be walking. A lot. You will probably range from 10k to 40k steps in a day. The more you walk around, the more you can experience. There is nothing worse than a blister nagging at you while you’re trying to live your best life. We recommend buying the Dr. Scholl’s casual white shoes to bring abroad. We wore them every single day, brought them to every country, and styled them through rain and the Sahara Desert. You will love them, we know we did.
- Say yes to everything
In simple terms, say yes. You will have many decisions to make throughout your study abroad experience, and you would rather do something than regret not doing it. Coming from people who like being safe rather than sorry: go on that trip, meet those people, buy that bottle of wine, maybe even fall in love. Say yes to every opportunity that’s presented to you. Just don’t do drugs; those are illegal here. However, if you say no to a cigarette, Italians might get offended (tried and true).
- Pack for the weather
Before moving out of the country, know what type of weather to pack for. Luckily for those who choose Florence as their home base, the weather is pretty standard. If you’re planning on traveling, you also need to pack accordingly. For example, your linen pants and tank tops for Morocco may not be a good idea for the Dolomites or Switzerland.
- International plan vs. SIM card
Not only do you need to be able to communicate with people domestically and internationally, but you also need your phone for things like maps to get around town. One of us has an international plan that works like a charm, and the other has an Italian SIM card that works just as well. Plan accordingly!
THE UPS AND DOWNs STUDYING ABROAD
Moving to another country, you will be exposed to so many new experiences. You will be immersed in different cultures and different norms, and you will end up making your own. While Americans love their personal space, Italians love physical touch and greet people with a kiss on the cheek. 6 pm dinner times soon turn into “aperitif” time with new friends. If you come with friends from home, it’s good to keep an open mind about meeting new people as well as building deeper connections. The food you eat while abroad in Florence will always be on your mind. Try new things and combine new flavors . Before studying abroad, one of us didn’t like truffles and is now a truffle fan. Don’t be scared to try new things, like chicken liver pâtè. Be open to everything and everyone, you never know what you may encounter.
With the good always comes the bad. There can be many downsides to going abroad that you can’t plan for. Unfortunately, FOMO is a real thing. It’s good to remember that you are lucky to experience living in another country. Your study abroad experience will go by in the blink of an eye, and soon you will be returning to your homes, but don’t take your time abroad for granted. FOMO usually goes hand in hand with homesickness. Homesickness is normal to feel after the excitement starts to go away. Staying in contact with loved ones at home is the best way to ease the feeling of homesickness.
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
These are a few of the things we didn’t expect to experience and how we have managed them:
1.Time difference
We tend to forget the time difference between our homes and home bases. We recommend having planned times to reach out to family and friends in order not to lose contact.
2.The back and foot pain that comes with walking
We never could have planned for the amount of walking to have done. There are days when your feet are going to have blisters and feel numb from walking, so get good walking shoes!
3. Smelling like a pack of cigarettes after leaving your apartment in Florence
We have realized that after leaving your apartment, and especially after a night out, we return to our apartments smelling like smoke. We have come to terms with this inevitable occurrence. Learn that you might need to air out that leather coat and wash your hair a lot more for your next outing.
4.No dryers
Unfortunately, this is a European thing. You will learn that you need to plan when to do laundry based on your schedule and what clothes you need for the week or certain trips.
5.American products are sometimes not found, or are twice as expensive.
Your tried and true Tide detergent and drugstore makeup products may not be found in Europe, or may not be in your budget for the week. Don’t be scared to try new European brands!
HOMESICKNESS REMEDIES
Feeling homesick is the worst while studying abroad. Seeing your family and friends doing things without you, or simply missing them, can affect your perspective of being abroad. If you’re too focused on what you’re missing, you will miss out on what’s in front of you. As mentioned before, it is good to remember what you’re doing and why. Studying abroad is an experience that not many people can experience due to their college programs or finances. The ability to study abroad while traveling to new places is priceless, and though homesickness is inevitable, you can’t let it bring you down.
One way to remediate your homesickness is to keep in contact with loved ones. A simple text or long FaceTime call can quickly help your feelings of homesickness. Though it’s not the same as in-person encounters, it’s heartwarming to catch up with people from home. We love hearing our family and friends talk about what’s going on back at home and the new drama going around our college campus. Believe it or not, things like this can help with homesickness! It’s also vital that you remember the time difference. In our cases, while we’re done with our first class with some free time to kill, our parents might not be able to answer calls since they’re asleep. When our friends were planning on coming to visit us, we recall having to stay up until 1 am some nights to be able to talk to them. It’s a sacrifice that needs to be made in order not to lose your groundings. Find good times to reach out to loved ones where it benefits both parties. Who knows, maybe your loved ones will come see you!
Bring keepsakes from home! One of us brought pictures and made a collage in our room, where we both see it every day, which makes us remember our friends from home. In addition, we also brought stuffed animals that we love to put on our apartment beds, which made our rooms more “cozy”. Little remarks like these seem small while packing for your study abroad experience, but they go a long way at the end.
Find familiar places! Having a good routine while abroad can help with homesickness because it can remind you of your routine at home. To avoid overthinking what you can be doing at home while you’re away, it’s better to get up and out of your apartments to explore. Home is waiting for you when you return! Cooking comfort meals that you usually make at home rather than eating out all the time can also help you feel connected with your home. Trying new things is encouraged, but keeping a routine is key to feeling in check with yourself.
We can’t tell you the perfect way to treat your homesickness, but you will find what works for you!
ITALIAN LOVE LANGUAGE: FOOD!
As most of us are from America, we eat a variety of foods every day that come from around the world, ranging from sushi, kielbasa, tacos, and pho. Nothing has been better than eating Italian food straight from the Italians. We got to enjoy pizza from Napoli, carbonara from Rome, and the classic bistecca alla fiorentina from our home base. In addition to the best meal, we drank the best wine. We got to feel Italian love and warmth through their dishes in every bite. We recently got to experience an amazing “hole in the wall” restaurant called l’Capaccino. You would think that a restaurant right off the Ponte Vecchio would be well known, but it’s genuinely the tiniest little spot. We went to this restaurant because it offered gluten-free options. This quaint restaurant served us the BEST food that left us feeling like we received a huge hug at the end. We each ordered a different meal so we would try multiple options off their menu, and we weren’t disappointed. We wish you could taste the food from this review, but you just have to try it for yourself. Don’t let small, less “touristy” restaurants scare you away, they may surprise you. Not only did we feel the hospitality served with the meal at this restaurant, but we felt it in every Italian restaurant we ate at. When going out to eat, it’s so much more than the food itself. The generosity and kindness that were paired with every meal that we ate were unforgettable, and truly Italian! We did cook most of our meals during our time abroad because we just found it easier with our schedules and more convenient, especially trying to keep up with our budget. Looking back, we regret not eating out as much, which is why we have decided to go out more during our last week in Florence. Here in Italy, food is love, so take advantage of it.
Every time we would travel, we would try to eat food from the locations we were in. For example, when we went to Croatia (a travel must), we tried their seafood and meat options. This was a great way to expand our taste palettes while eating the foods straight from the source. However, near the end of our trips, we would always crave some good Italian!
WHY YOU NEED TO GO ABROAD
Studying abroad has been an experience that gave us memories that will last a lifetime. The people, places, meals, and new connections that we have been able to encounter have changed our perspectives of the world around us for the better. We absolutely loved every second of being a part of ISI Florence because it allowed us to continue our education with the flexibility to explore Florence and travel the world. Our lives have changed with every day spent immersed in a new culture because we decided to sign up to study abroad and leave our comfort zones. We encourage you to do the same.
Study abroad students Olivia and Samantha signing off!
These are only a few of our favorite memories, now it’s time for you to make yours!