Living abroad in Florence Italy, again, after I first started here in the fall of 2016 through AIFS program it just took my breath away once again. But this time around, I had the opportunity to intern with student tour company Bus2Alps. Where I got to work alongside Leo, who was an amazing boss, and very chill person. I left only five minutes from the main office and I would always grab a cup of espresso on my way to work and begin today.. overall, I wish I could do the whole experience again because it was that amazing and I absolutely love the city of Florence. If you’re thinking of studying abroad or interning in, Florence, don’t think just to do it. You will not regret your decision.

Global Experiences gave me the opportunity to get experience in the work force I want to continue in while also allowing me to explore a new country. I was placed in a sustainable fashion company which is exactly what I want to do in. The internship was as a social media intern and I had such a great experience that I actually got hired afterwards! I will be continuing at this company as a social media manager now.

While I had some experience beforehand in this job force, I was able to get a new experience. I saw some more behind the scenes of this industry and learned a lot. I would just be sure to ask questions about your internship beforehand like commute, what exactly you'd be doing, how often you'd be working, and more beforehand so you know what to expect from all aspects.

We were able to travel to other countries in this time as well which was really exciting. Global Experiences sets up different activities so that we could have different experiences like wine tours, cooking classes, painting classes, and dinners.

This experience in general was a great learning experience. It teaches you how to be independent and figure things out in the moment. There can be problems that occur that could occur anywhere, big and small, but you figure out how to fix it or advocate for yourself so you can resolve these issues. It was a great growing and adulting experience.

I didn’t know I needed something like this. Being abroad in Florence was the best fit adventure and opportunity for me. I majored in English and applied for either journalism or tourism and eventually got placed in a new placement that had a mixture of both. I worked with a business owner one-on-one and it gave me the chance to build a true and lasting connection, it never felt like a serious or unenjoyable commitment, I felt as if I was a valued person with my supervisor.

This placement allowed me to explore my options for my career, and I could have complained about it not being the traditional office job or set schedule, but it allowed me to explore more of the city on my own and work remote to be on my own schedule which I loved.

This was a great chance to build independence and gain a little insight on what kind of person you are. I always knew I had some qualities within me but this was a time for bringing it out of me. I felt very comfortable in Florence and felt safe and had lots of outlets like the advisors and their information and resources. Erica was an amazing location coordinator, she made time to meet up with each of us throughout the program and prioritizes the people who need the most help. She will always get back to you with answer and is willing to research for you and lead you to your connections. Her and I have a great friendship too, so it is worth knowing there is reliability from her.

Housing was a good fit for our roommates, we were separate from other groups but it still allowed us to arrange get-togethers and not lose touch. The events held by the program were perfectly spaced out and allowed us to catch up with other members that we might not see as often.

I came here to travel foremost and I got work experience with it, which upon my arrival, I now have the connection with my supervisor to be a recommendation to future jobs.

I offer the advice, it is what you make of it and the advisors even suggest to have an open mind and little expectations, that’s what will make your experience something you didn’t know you needed.

It was amazing being in a city where fashion is such a big deal. I would recommend this program to anyone that is in a creative field and especially interested in fashion. I learned a lot and feel like I applied my major to my job. This was such an eye opening experience and has pushed me outside my comfort zone so much. I really do feel like I have grown a lot and now have realized I would maybe like to live in a different country at some point in my life. Amanda and Antonella have been so helpful during this experience and have always been there when we needed it.

I had such an amazing experience! I gained so much valuable experience to add to my resume that helped to prepare me for me future and I also learned so much about what I do and don’t want for my future career. I loved having the opportunity to experience life and work in a totally new city and environment, as well as being able to travel during the weekends. My housing was definitely another plus, as it was such an amazing apartment in a great area. We also had amazing program advisors, who truly made the experience so special.

This is a great place to go if you want to learn some Italian but also be able to speak English everywhere you go! People are very friendly and Milan is very easy to get around using public transit. Also a great location for traveling to places outside of Milan! I had a great time and loved being able to work vs study because I feel like I am getting to improve my real life skills can get comfortable in a real life work setting! You definitely get a little bit more of a sophisticated abroad experience!

Overall, my time abroad was an amazing experience! I made a lot of new friends and experienced an entirely new work culture I had never been exposed to.

The only criticism I have was the communication and organization between my employer and the program prior to the start of my internship. Since I was doing an architecture internship, I was working with a lot of software and computer programs on my private computer. One specific program was not on my resume and was not mentioned in the interview. My employer and I struggled to share drawings because of this, and not having it risked ending my internship early. Luckily I was able to solve the problem and find an educational license for the software.

The use of my private computer also prevented me from finishing the project we were working on. The softwares I had to download made it shut down permanently near the end of my internship. My advisors did what they could to help me, but in the end, I did not feel like I was set up for success. For internships that require a significant amount of software (and *very* expensive software at that), there needs to be better communication as to what the employer is providing the intern (computer, software, etc.) and what the intern needs to come prepared with. There was a lot of potential for me to walk away with more experience than I did, but due to the above circumstances, that was not the case. This program is not cheap, so if you are thinking about enrolling, ask more questions and make it clear with your early advisor what your capabilities and expectations are.

Aside from my internship, the program did a great job of immersing us into Italian culture. By the end of my time there, I was very comfortable with Florence and traveling to other cities/countries in Europe. I will always be influenced by my time there and can’t wait to return in the future!

Going into this program abroad I didn’t really know what to expect being so inexperienced with something like this. There were times I felt out of my comfort zone, but thanks to other interns, my internship supervisor, and the program coordinators I felt super supported there. The people I was surrounded with would always make me feel so much better to know I am not alone! I am so thankful for the guidance and help from the coordinators Erica and Anna. When I had challenging moments they were great with checking in. I can’t express enough how absolutely incredible Anna Gomez was for the way she showed up for me! Her kindness, dedication and determination goes unnoticed. I’m so glad I chose to take on this adventure that made me learn and grow so much!!