My Study Abroad Experience!
Studying abroad in Florence turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made—but it wasn’t always a sure thing. At the start of college, the idea of living in another country for four months was terrifying. Before studying abroad, I had never even left the United States, and before college, I hadn’t spent more than a week away from home. I am so grateful I decided to step out of my comfort zone and study abroad because without this experience, I would not be the person I am today!
After watching the grade above me travel the world so effortlessly while studying abroad, I couldn’t help but feel jealous. Their photos and stories of exploring new places made the experience seem so exciting. Instead of letting that jealousy hold me back, I used it as motivation. I realized that I wanted that same sense of adventure and growth for myself, and it inspired me to take a chance and study abroad in Florence. Florence was more than just a semester away; it was an experience that transformed my perspective on the world and my own capabilities.
During my time abroad, I had the incredible opportunity to visit nine different countries and explore 14 new cities. Out of the 15 weekends I spent abroad, I traveled for 13 of them. An experience that pushed me far out of my comfort zone. As someone who has always struggled with change, this constant state of movement was both challenging and transformative.
Traveling so frequently taught me invaluable lessons in adaptability, flexibility, and independence. There were several travel days where I found myself alone in an unfamiliar country. At first, the idea of navigating a foreign place on my own was scary. But over time, those moments became empowering, teaching me that I am capable of handling far more than I thought was possible.
Studying abroad also made me more independent than I’ve ever been. I learned so much about planning trips and navigating traveling alone. During my semester, I used nearly every mode of transportation—trains, planes, buses, trams, taxis, and even renting a car for one of my trips! Of course, not every travel day went smoothly. Strikes in Italy disrupted more than a few of my plans, turning what should have been simple travel days, into long 12 hour travel days. But instead of letting those challenges ruin my experiences, I adapted and found ways to work around them. These travel days often put me in uncomfortable scenarios, but they also pushed me to embrace flexibility and resilience. These moments taught me to stay calm under pressure, think creatively, and adapt to whatever came my way. These skills, that I’ll carry with me long after my time abroad.
During the weekdays, I had the chance to fully immerse myself in Florence while balancing the workload from the five classes I took. My classes tied directly into the city itself, which allowed me to learn more about the history of Florence. Exploring the city during quieter moments in between classes was one of the most rewarding parts of my experience. I loved finding new coffee shops, little clothing boutiques and seeing how the locals lived there. One of my favorite things to do was sit along the Arno with some of my friends, eat our favorite Melaleuca cinnamon roll and chat! Everyone was always relaxed and never in a rush, which was a catch of fresh breath from how Americans live!
Studying abroad also taught me to not stress about the future and to live in the moment. When you forget to live in the moment, you are going to miss the most amazing experiences, and time flies when you are having fun! So don’t waste it by stressing about what’s going to happen, live in the moment!
The experiences and lessons I have learned from studying abroad will stick with me forever. I am forever grateful for the time I had in Florence and I can’t wait to book a trip back, hopefully, soon!
Emily Egan!