Benvenuti a Firenze! | Study Abroad Goals

Benvenuti a Firenze!

I’ve officially made it to Florence.

This semester, I’ll be studying abroad at Syracuse University’s Florence center. I’m so excited for all of the opportunities, experiences and adventures ahead, and I can’t wait to share it all with you. 

So far, the other students and I (around 250 of us in total) have been kept busy with orientation activities – choosing our classes, meeting our host families, getting our first glimpses (and tastes!) of the city – and I’ve taken some time to think about what I want to accomplish while I’m here. Here’s what I’ve come up with

1. Learn the language

Italian is such a beautiful language. To learn enough of it to speak with any of the locals is an absolute must for me. Thankfully, I’ll have lots of help. I’ll be studying it in school and will have lots of time to practice at home with my host family.

2. See all kinds of places

I’ve always been an enthusiastic local traveler, but this semester I’m looking for adventure all over Europe. London, Ireland, the Alps, Prague, Barcelona, Madrid – the possibilities are endless. That’s not even including all of the places here in Italy I hope to see! Venice, Verona, Rome, the ancient city of Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, Assisi; the list goes on and on.

3. Get comfortable with being wrong

This one’s a more personal goal. I’m a bit of a neurotic perfectionist and sometimes feel like that holds me back. I’ve refrained from doing certain things because I didn’t know how, and have kept quiet because I couldn’t think of the “perfect” thing to say. Now, I’m in a country where I don’t know the language nor how to navigate the city. I’ll be traveling to other countries where this “not knowing” will be even more extreme. I’ll go down the wrong street and order the wrong dish at restaurants. I can’t wait to see what I’ll discover.

4. Gain confidence and independence

At the end of this trip, I hope to be much more self-assured and self-reliant. I hope to have a greater understanding and appreciation for other cultures, and I hope to discover a new understanding of my own culture. I’ll develop my communication skills, make new friends and uncover new interests.

5. Eat everything

They don’t call it eat-aly for nothing!

 

 

Gelato count: quattro