Florence: Capturing my Heart and Expanding my Horizons Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

There was a ton of schoarly reading that was challenging to coordinate and get done in a timely matter while still taking time to explore the city and have some fun. All the classes were taught in a lecture style which was great for learning about Renaissance Art. Also, all classes met at various sites all over the city which is the absolute best way to learn about art. The visiting professor was the only real downfall of the academics part of the program. She had little to no knowledge of Renaissance Art or art in general for that matter. I'm not quite sure why she was selected to be the visiting professor. But outside of her, the other professors were unbelieveably amazing. I wish I could take the rest of my college classes from them!

On-site administration of your program

Jodie was available all the time. She was amazing about responding to texts, emails, and phone calls. She has lived in Florence for more than 30 years, as has Gail, the other permanent professor for the program, and so both of them were incredibly knowledgeable and willing to help with anything they could. I loved having a small program because it meant there was lots of individualized attention and ample time and chances to build strong relationships with the professors. My expectations were exceeded when it came to the permanent staff. As I said before, the visiting professor was a huge disappointment, but Jodie and Gail more than made up for that with their love and knowledge of art, their passion for teaching, and their willingness to help us learn and explore our temporary home and all it had to offer.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The homestay was the best part of my time abroad! I had a momma and a grandma ("Nonna") who were amazing. They spoke not a word of English, so I did most of my learning of the Italian language with them. I formed very close relationships with both of them and am still in contact with them. I truly felt like I had become part of the family. There was also another girl from my program living at the house. She wasn't as interested in building close relationships with Anna (my host momma) and Nonna as I was, but it was nice to have someone to speak English with around. We were in a safe neighborhood about 20 minutes walk from the city center and the school. It was a perfect location. The house was beautiful and cozy. I loved it.

All the food in Italy is amazing. We ate a lot of seafood, because Anna is originally from a small town near Venice right on the water, so we had fish about three nights a week. Her cooking was excellent. There was an excess of fabulous resturants around the city if I wanted to go out to eat. The key to finding them was to get out of the touristy areas where the food is mediocre and way too expensive. The best resturant I found is called Enzo e Piero and it's a small family-run place literally just around the corner from Linguaviva. The spinach ricotta ravioli with meat sauce is especially yummy.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I participated in several festivals while I was there, as well as field trips to Venice, Siena, Rome, Pisa, Carrara, and Impruneta.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Being safe is not difficult in Florence. It is not a very dangerous city. Making yourself familiar with the more unsafe areas of the city is the biggest key to staying safe. Other than that, using your common sense will keep you perfectly safe. When it came to health care, finding an English speaking doctor was easy. My program director helped me to find an English speaking doctor whose office was close to where I lived and the doctor was very good.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

My host family spoke only Italian. They didn't know any English whatsoever, which was amazing for learning how to speak Italian. I used my Italian everyday, all day. Many people spoke English, but I chose to speak Italian as much as possible. The only time I spoke English was during class or with my classmates who didn't know Italian. Otherwise, I made it a personal goal for myself to speak Italian as mcuh as possible and try to become fluent, which I did!!

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Americans