During the Fall 2016 semester, I studied abroad in Florence, Italy. Being a Fashion Merchandising major, Italy was an amazing location in regards to the fashion world, along with other major cities including Paris and London. Living on the other side of the world for four months truly allowed for me to comprehend varying cultures firsthand. Traveling throughout Europe and interacting with people from different nations allowed me to gain incomparable experiences that I will have with me for my lifetime.
Regarding the fashion world, all 100 of us fashion students traveled to Milan, Italy, Paris, France, London, England, and Prato, Italy to learn about different processes and trends. We also went to numerous museums and lectures related to fashion. One of my favorite lectures we attended was one in London regarding sustainability and how important these issues it have become in the fashion industry. While being in these extravagant cities, we had to cope with the different cultures and language barriers as we attempted, and then successfully, found our way around.
Living and traveling somewhere that English is not the primary language is an interesting, yet rewarding experience. While in Florence, I took an Italian class and tried my best to speak as much Italian as I could while abroad. Successfully being able to have a conversation in Italian with an Italian is a satisfying feeling; I tried to connect myself with the culture as much as I could. Other than just trying to understand the language, I found myself trying and cooking new foods as well. A few of my favorite dishes include escargot in Paris, France, paella in Barcelona, Spain, and an assortment of fresh seafood from the coast of Cinque Terre, Italy.
Studying abroad allowed me to become so close with so many people, including peers and professors. Before heading over to Florence, I knew only a handful of people in the Fashion Program that were also going to be studying abroad. However, I left Italy with so many close friends from varying majors through Kent State and also made friends from other schools and other countries!
Potentially the best experience I had while studying abroad in Europe was visiting and exploring Interlaken, Switzerland. The mountains were absolutely breathtaking and jaw-dropping to gaze upon. As an avid snowboarder, I made it my goal to snowboard the Swiss Alps. This is one of the most memorable and astonishing experience I have ever had in my life. Every direction that I looked, I was surrounded by these beautiful mountains, while snowboarding down one!
Something about Europe that I really enjoyed and wish that the United States had easier access to are trains. I loved being able to wake up on the weekend, go to the train station, and decide where I wanted to go that day for a very reasonable price! Riding the trains is something so simple but so amazing at the same time; being able to look out the window at the Tuscan countryside is incredible in itself.
Nearly every day, I found myself thinking, “Wow! You’re walking through the streets of Europe right now!” Something so simple as walking to the grocery store, or heading home from school was such an eye-opening experience. I tried to take in as much as I could while abroad, but that is nearly impossible. I also tried to capture pictures, but photographs never look as amazing as seeing something in person. I am beyond thankful and fortunate that I had the opportunity to study abroad and would recommend it to anyone who is considering partaking in a study abroad experience. That is exactly what this past semester was: an experience. It was an experience of a lifetime and I would not change one thing about my time abroad in Europe.
