Arriving in Florence

Welcome to my first blog! I’m excited to start sharing my journey for the next couple months. 

The first couple of days have been more than eventful. My trip to Florence began in Las Vegas with stops in Detroit and Amsterdam before finally arriving in Florence. Originally a 17-hour travel day, but ended up being a little longer with some delayed flights. Thankfully I made it onto all of my flights, but unfortunately, my luggage did not. Stepping out of the Florence airport knowing that my bags were in Amsterdam was not a comforting thought. However, I did have my carry-on with a change of clothes and some essentials. (Pro tip: Always pack important items and anything you’ll need for the next day in your carry-on, just in case your checked luggage doesn’t make it.)  

After arriving, I headed straight to my apartment to check in and get things situated. I got to my room and found out that I had AC!  AC is not common here in Italy and it is very hot being in the high 90s with some humidity. A wonderful little surprise. After checking in I met up with a friend and went to get some food. We ended up stumbling upon a super cute sandwich shop called SandwiChic. The food was excellent and the workers were very friendly. 

The long travel day and time difference was starting to catch up with me. Adjusting to a new time zone is challenging, so I tried to stay up as long as possible to try and get a head start with the jet lag. Our advisors mentioned that it takes about one day to recover for each hour of time difference. With a 9-hour time difference, I am looking at around 9 days to fully adjust. 

The first couple days consisted of orientations, roaming around the city, and a trip to the beach! I am absolutely in love with all of the little mom and pop shops around the city. It feels like there is a coffee shop around every corner, and I have stopped in for many cappuccinos and croissants. They are much cheaper here than in the States, typically costing just 2.50 euros for both. The city is so beautiful you will be walking and sporadically come across the most amazing architecture. 

For our beach trip, a group of us visited a town called Castiglioncello. It was beautiful and a much needed escape from the heat. Renting an Airbnb with friends is a great way to make the trip more affordable. They had the most beautiful sunsets, and the food was reasonably priced. I visited a local pizza shop and got a calzone for 3 euros! I am so glad I ventured out and explored more of Italy right from the start.

Lastly, I wanted to express my gratitude to the Shidler College of Business for giving me the opportunity to apply and receive the Johnson scholarship which has made all of this possible. I truly feel incredibly fortunate to be living in Italy for four months! This is a once in a lifetime experience, and I am so thrilled to be able to share my experiences with you all along the way!