I greatly enjoyed my time living and working in Florence! This was my first time in Florence, and I am so appreciative to have gotten to experience all the beauty, art, and history that the city offers. Through AIFS Abroad, I got to learn Italian language from an Italian instructor among other foreigners, take cooking classes and learn authentic Italian recipes, and venture to cities nearby Florence for day trips. The AIFS staff appropriately matched me to an internship with a company that provides marketing services for local Florentine businesses. While working there, I learned new skills in marketing and design, got to practice my freshly learned Italian, and developed an understanding of the business world in Italy. I had to return home abruptly due to unforeseen circumstances in the middle of my time as a program participant, but I am greatly appreciative that the company for whom I was interning allowed me to continue my internship remotely. I learned valuable skills while working in person and remotely which contributed to my understanding of how I want to proceed in my future career. I am grateful to AIFS for the opportunity to embark upon such a meaningful experience and for accommodating me when my circumstances changed.
What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
My advice to future travelers on this program is as follows:
1) Use this internship as an opportunity to test out a professional interest; pick a field about which you are curious and excited. You are going to spend a lot of time dedicated to this work, and it does shape your experience. You may want to consider the type of lifestyle you want to live while in the city and what type of work contributes to it.
2) Be prepared and comfortable with uncertainty in a new city. AIFS provides you many resources to adapt and feel confident going about life in your city, but there are some things that you simply have to experience to learn. It will take some time, but you will assimilate these cultural-specific norms and feel more comfortable as time goes on.
3) Consider travelling with a friend or group of friends. AIFS does provide you a cohort of people that are also interning in the same city, so you immediately have friends to make and people with whom to explore. Part way through my travel experience, some difficult and unforeseen circumstances arose in my life outside of this program. Having someone that I knew already that could more deeply understand what I was experience would have definitely made my experience easier. I had solo travelled a fair amount prior to this trip and consider myself someone who easily makes friends and adapts to new environments. Depending on the duration of your program, this may be something you want to consider.
3) Do some research before you arrive in your city of specific activities you want to do or trips you want to take. You have flexibility in your schedule for day trips, depending on your work and class schedule, but it becomes overwhelming while you are there trying to choose specifically where to go because there is so much to see. I do not recommend planning any excursions before you arrive because your program will have set activities, but it is a good idea to start thinking of what you may want to do.
Pros
- Experience a new language and culture.
- Gain professional experience.
- Meet new people.
