Week 1 & 2

First few days in Florence:

On the first day I arrived, I had to drag my luggage to my apartment, which would generally be easy, but in this case was difficult due to the cobblestone roads. When I got into my apartment, I had to bring both my suitcases up four stories because there's no elevator in my building. The apartment itself is very nice and clean. I also got to meet two of my other roommates, and they were very nice.

Going into a few days later, we had three days of orientation, and I got to see some of my other friends in the program. I had gotten my final class schedule and realized I only had 2 days of classes, leaving the rest of my week very free, which gave me more time to rest, explore, and travel.

Language Barrier:

Throughout the two weeks, I noticed that a lot of the shops spoke English, and if they didn't, you could easily pull out Google Translate. I do think it has been a bit difficult with a language barrier, and it is a bit of a hassle to order food or find something in the store.

Food:

My biggest concern about going to Italy was the food. Everyone says it's very good, but I live in an asian household and grew up only eating asian foods. When I got here, every place I had tried was not up to my expectations, like everyone was talking about. I tried hole-in-the-wall places, popular recommended places, and random street foods. I recently started to buy groceries and have done a lot more home cooking or eating at McDonald's because I have had a lot of disappointing meals here so far. I think I am just not really used to the food, but hopefully, as days go by, I can find more places!

Money/Spendings:

Before coming to Florence, I did a lot of research on TikTok and social media. A lot of people were saying the food here is cheap and a lot of the clothing stores, but I don't really agree. When you convert the Euro to USD, it comes out to about the same prices, if not even more expensive. A lot of brands that social media said were cheaper than in the US are not that much cheaper, or they're about the same price, and thrifts here are pretty expensive unless you know how to bargain with the sellers. I would recommend saving up if you plan on living in Florence for your study abroad!

I do want to say that I met a nice man who sells leather bags, shirts, and little trinkets named Mohamed Rapon. Although there are many shops like his, he is the nicest person I have met, and I have bought a few items from here at a good price. He has been very kind to me and all my roommates, and we always stop by to say hi to him since his shop is fairly close to our apartment.

Class:

I have four classes (2 per day). All classes are about 2 hours and 30 minutes long with a 10-20 minute break in between. I would like to say that these classes feel extremely long in the moment. I would say to pack snacks and water and get rest on days you have classes. I know the classes are only once a week, which is why they are long, but it was just a bit of a change for me because I'm used to having multiple classes a week that last a little over an hour.

Sights:

Florence is a very beautiful place. Every corner I turn is gorgeous, and I just can't believe in America, we have plain buildings when we could have cool architecture like this.

Overall thoughts from Week 1 & Week 2:

Overall, I feel that I am still adjusting to this new culture and new environment. I have been feeling a bit homesick, but I think this feeling will go away after a bit. I was lucky to have a great schedule and good roommates. I am hoping I will find better food spots and meet new friends along the way. Come back for an update in two weeks!