First Year Abroad in Florence

By Christine Lacayo

My freshman year of college I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Florence, Italy, for an entire year. Because of this memorable experience, I now work for International Programs to help give students the same opportunity I had.

I was originally going to be a South Carolina Game Cock but once I received a letter in the mail from Florida State stating that I could go abroad for my freshman year and receive in-state tuition upon returning to FSU, I forgot all about being a Game Cock and starting thinking about where life outside of America would take me.

Me with Friends in Arno

Here are only a handful of memories, nights, and friends I met that I miss everyday:

I miss getting lost in a beautiful city, I miss trying to figure out the word for ice for a swollen ankle and then realizing they don't sell ice in Italy, I miss eating gelato everyday and going to Venice 5 times, I miss going out and meeting Italians with my best friends Ina and Annelle, mi mancano Valeri e Gordon, I miss hearing "ciao bella" when I walk down the streets and meeting a guy named Matteo, I miss hearing that obnoxious ambulance siren every 20 minutes, I miss waking up to church bells and tuna and apple pasta picnics on the Arno, I miss walking down abbey road and meeting interesting British boys on the metro, I miss sleeping on a 16 hour bus ride to Prague, I miss getting stuck in a mini bus for half an hour because the Swiss snow was too intense for those tires, I miss getting hit on by a crêpe vendor, I miss being cordially escorted by Parisian policemen to my hotel and visiting Jim Morrison’s tomb at the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise. I miss that life. My only regrets are for calling it a night too soon.

Living and studying in Italy as a freshman allowed me to mature in so many ways. I lived in the cradle of the world’s greatest art, which helped me gain an appreciation for Art History and Architecture that I never would have expected. I realized I wasn’t just a car ride away from home: I was on another continent and I had to become more independent. I traveled to many beach towns near Florence on my own, like Cinque Terre, which stands for “Five Lands.” These five villages on the Italian Riviera coast are located about two and half to three and half hours from Florence. While changing trains about three to four times, I remember getting on the wrong trains and getting lost, but that is how you learn that missing trains and getting lost in a foreign city is what traveling is all about.

Michelangelo's Tomb with Statues

Studying in Italy for an entire year, straight out of high school, helped me grow into a more global citizen. I learned I could integrate within different cultures easily, I could adapt to cultural differences quickly, I learned to modify my behaviors in ways that were more appropriate with the Italian culture, and I learned to interpret different behaviors and values that I was unfamiliar with before traveling to Italy.

Venice with my Mom

Upon returning to Tallahassee, students like the idea of having “two freshman years.” When I came back to FSU I had already established my group of friends in Italy that were like family to me. Many of them were older so they helped me get acclimated to the FSU campus. Going abroad as a freshman was a great way to transition from a high school student into the college life, and I believe everyone should have the opportunity to study abroad as early as possible.