Summer

Ciao! It has been six weeks since the beginning of my program “Pitt in Florence” and it has been the experience of a lifetime. This program offers six weeks, two 3-credit courses, and consists of 120 undergraduate students from around the United States. Six weeks ago, I moved to Florence, Italy without knowing anyone in the program, in the city of Florence, or honestly what to expect from this experience itself. While this experience has been overall one-of-a-kind, there were obstacles I had to overcome throughout my six weeks.

My study abroad program in Florence, Italy was definitely an experience to remember. There were many experiences that stuck out to me due to how different everyday life was in Italy compared to the United States. What stood out to me about my academic program in Italy was how many field trips there were and how much of a hands-on experience there was. What stood out to me about the culture in Florence, Italy was the importance of slow food, family connectivity, and how much of an impact cuisine makes on Italian culture.

For my Food Studies Program in Florence, Italy, I was able to live in a home with five other students in my program from the University of Pittsburgh. I loved the house I stayed in and I am grateful for having such a great landlord and the ability to make amazing friends. Although we faced some challenges living in this house a couple of times, there were many positives about living there and I had such a great time.

Italian cuisine makes up the Italian identity and culture. It is amazing to see how much their cuisine impacted their daily lives and the traditions they have in Italy. While studying abroad in Italy, I made the most of my experience by trying different foods that represent the Florentine culture, as well as cooking different traditional dishes to connect with their culture. I adapted to the eating habits in Italy in hopes to feel like an actual Florentine and to connect to my family heritage to see how they used to live their lives.

First of all, make sure to pack lightly! You will definitely want to bring home
souvenirs. On your first day in your study abroad program, you will definitely feel
jetlagged and tired - try not to relax or sleep until the local evening time. You want
to remain as active as possible, to decrease the effects of jet lag and to make the
most of your trip meeting new people, exploring a new city or country, and trying
new cuisines and learning about a new culture. Even if you are on a low budget,

Every morning was new and exciting during my time in Sydney. Especially during
the weekend, I never knew what I would do and where I was going next!
However there were a few routine places I would go to, for food and classes.
First every morning I would wake up, get ready for classes, and talk to my family.
In Australia the time zone is very different from back home - Sydney is 14 hours
ahead of where my family lives in New England! I would often be having
breakfast while they were having dinner; or be going to class when they were

One challenge I did not expect to encounter while in Sydney were the hours of
operation for restaurants and businesses. In the United States, many grocery
and convenience stores, restaurants, etc. open early and close late - many
staying up until after midnight. But in Sydney, most businesses did not open until
10 am, and often closed at 5 pm. The latest restaurants stayed open until 10 pm
- so the only midnight snack available to me was at McDonald's! Because of this,

Before studying abroad in Sydney, I thought of Australian food as “meat
pies” and “vegemite.” And while I did get to try these famous classic
“Aussie” foods, I learned that Australian cuisine encompasses much more,
and similar to the United States, Australia is a country with cuisine coming
from all around the world! My two favorite places to eat routinely was North
Indian Cuisine on George Street (which gave me the largest vegetable
samosas I have ever eaten!) and Miso Japanese in the World Square (I just

The locals played a large part in my positive trip experience in Ireland. The culture of the Irish people is notably friendly. Almost all of the people I met in any area were extremely kind and welcoming towards us. Many of them would first point out to us that they could tell we were Americans before we even spoke to them. They would further go on to explain that it was a combination of the way we dressed and the way that we looked just before ordering food or asking a question.

In Dublin, we did not have the opportunity to stay in the campus dorms like international students in previous years had. Our group stayed in a hotel this year, each of us sharing rooms with one other student. The students that we were placed with were other students from the University of Pittsburgh, not from other colleges on the trip. This group was primarily made up of mostly rising junior nursing students, and seeing as I am a rising senior, I was unfamiliar with most of them before this trip began.