I learned so much during my semester studying abroad in Florence, Italy. I assumed I was going to learn how to be independent and learn a new language, of course, but I learned so much more than that. I haven't learned how to live without my cappuccinos, that's for sure.
1. I learned that everyone is a morning person as long as they have something to look forward to wake up to.
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Trust me when I say it's easier for me to stay awake until 6 A.M. than to wake up at 6 A.M., yet I learned to pick a routine I particularly enjoyed. My routine was going to a nearby bar (coffee shop in Italy) and starting my morning with a cappuccino and a panino (sandwich) or a Nutella croissant. Every morning I'd struggle waking up, but when I remembered my typical morning breakfast waiting for me, so I'd always jolt myself out of the bed. Alright, it wasn't all about the food. It was also the fact that I was able to appreciate the beautiful scenery while I walked to school and the crowd wasn't awake at that time. It always felt like I had the whole city to myself, which was awesome and peaceful.
2. Street art can be beautiful and meaningful.
Usually when I see street art I just see nicknames in silly fonts and I just kinda go "ugh". Differently, when I was living in Italy, the streets were full of street art and forms of expression. There were many poems and artworks that were throughout the city that came from the same artists, and some of them were also in other cities in Italy. I actually enjoyed reading the poems and analyzing the drawings. My roommate looked up the meaning behind some drawings and their backgrounds are interesting. I always felt as if I were in an outdoor museum exhibition because new street art would pop up often.
3. It's okay to try food you're sometimes afraid of.
Escargot and French onion soup were not on the top of my list of "Things to Try When in Europe", yet here's the picture of when I tried them. I have to say that I was hesitant. In fact, I was even more hesitant when they were right in front of me, but hey, I was in Paris for the weekend. It sounded pretty cool to say "yes, I had escargot in France" so I did. Needless to say I was happy I had the courage to try them because they were good, but I still haven't gotten past the idea that I ate snail. Sorry, escargot.
4. I learned that every building has history behind it.
This is a picture of a fresco on my classroom's ceiling. We learned that our school used to be the building where the animals that the gladiators were going to fight were kept. Also, outside is one of the oldest arches from a building of the Roman empire. All that history just in my school, and as I walked by the town, I saw signs that explained what buildings were back in the day. Literally a church was a granary before it was a church. The Airbnb my mom and grandmother rented when they visited me was a monastery years back! I particularly really enjoyed learning about the history of buildings and stores because of how much things evolve through time, and how a church might've become a modern bar.
5. Traveling alone isn't bad.
Sure, it would've been nice to have had someone traveling with me, yet I enjoyed walking a million miles because I chose to not look at any maps and decided to just walk to wherever the wind took me. I chose my own schedule, where I wanted to go, what I wanted to eat, what time I wanted to sleep, so I had a lot of awesome freedom. I wouldn't travel alone all the time, but as long as you feel safe being by yourself then be like me and book a trip to Barcelona for just one.
6. Relax and enjoy your city.
Sometimes you're so excited about all the countries and cities you can go to that you forget to get to know the one you're in. I didn't try to leave every weekend so I could stay and walk around and get to know the streets and shops. Particularly my favorite part was walking past the Arno and enjoying the view and everything that happened around. There's so much beauty wherever it is you're studying in that it's important to capture it and understand it before you go and capture the beauty of somewhere else. After all, the time I spent in Florence really made it feel like home.
One thing I'm going to recommend anyone who wants to study abroad is to remember that you're studying after all. I managed to pass all courses with an A and I never had to bring homework with me when I traveled, nor did I have to leave/wake up early because of homework. I don't want to sound like a party pooper, but you'll enjoy yourself more if you have your responsibilities as a priority.
Other than that, studying abroad is one of the best decisions you'll make in your life. I'll tell you one thing, traveling abroad will never compare to studying abroad.
