CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Florence, Italy

Studying abroad in Florence was my dream. But when I first arrived I had no idea what to expect or what to do. This is when the CAPA program really stepped forward and helped me. They introduced me to internship opportunities and ways to get connected with local students. This is how I was able to find the local college student scene in Florence and connect with them. I really wanted to make Italian friends and I was able to once I knew where to look! I was completely immersed in the culture and it really helped me develop my Italian. If I hadn't gone abroad, I wouldn't have the worldview that I have today or the strength to be a confident leader. I was given so many opportunities with CAPA for a different kind of education. My photojournalism course inspired me to write about the city. My Italian film studies class helped teach me about the core of the culture. My anthropology class actually took me outside to observe Florence and the people who live there in their every day life and I found this so rewarding. I learned so much with CAPA and I couldn't have asked for a better educational program.

There is no bad experience in the city of Firenze. Some of my favorite times spent in Firenze were actually when I was walking home from a weekend trip from the Santa Maria Novella train station to my apartment, which was near Santa Croce. It was when I felt like I was returning "home" from a long trip. I would literally get to walk through the city and see all my favorite spots, but the best was when I emerged into Piazza San Giovanni and the Duomo came into view. Feelings of happiness would just envelope me because, as it is the symbol of the city, I always felt a connection to it. Firenze is truly one of the greatest cities I have ever experienced.

I know people always say this, but please study abroad. It was easily the best thing I have done in my life. My favorite thing about studying in Florence was how easy it was for me to travel the rest of Europe. CEA made that incredibly possible without Friday classes and a certain amount of sick days. Florence was just the perfect size to really get to know it all in just a few weekends. CEA classes got me directly involved with learning about the amazing art and history of the city. I was getting GE units for my university back home that were actually interesting and applicable for the life that I was living. CEA and Florence allowed me to travel cheap an conveniently to see everything from Iceland geysers, to the Cliffs of Mohr in Ireland, to skiing the Swiss Alps, to Oktoberfest in Munich, to a sunrise in the Sahara, to Aushwitz in Krakow. I couldn't have been more happy looking back at my study abroad experience. My only regret is that I didn't go for a year.

Although there are no words that could perfectly describe my time with CAPA in Florence, I'll give it a shot. I had always planned on studying abroad in Rome, but somehow I stumbled across CAPA's program in Florence and decided to go for it. Little did I know that this would become the best decision I have ever made. I arrived in Florence knowing enough Italian to order gelato, but not much else. From pairing me with the best roommates I could ask for, to giving me an apartment that showed me what it was like to be a true local, and providing me with classes that brought the streets and language to life, CAPA did it all. It was impossible to complain about school when I was taking classes like, Exploring the Global City, Italian Cinema, and Italian. These classes and teachers allowed me to truly dive into the full Italian experience, while teaching me how to not only recognize the works of Botticelli, but also the proper time of day to order a cappuccino. Aside from giving me more knowledge than I could've imagined, the CAPA staff truly cared about each one of us. Whether it be gathering all the information of our weekend trips, or asking other teachers if we're doing okay after a poor quiz grade (sorry Professoressa), I always felt at home. Leaving Florence and CAPA was one of the hardest thing I've ever done, but thankfully they just provided me with so many more reasons to go back.

This past fall was the best 3 months of my entire life. Studying with CAPA in Florence, Italy could not have been better. I learned an extreme amount about myself, the world, different cultures, ways of life, and traveling. I have never been out of the country before this, or even away from home, so this was a huge move for me. I had to start my adult life in a completely new country, and different type of culture. I learned a lot from the way the Italians live. For instance, I learned not to be in such a rush all the time, sip and thoroughly enjoy my coffee, respect my elders, and just truly live. Being with CAPA was amazing, my apartment was incredible and right in the heart of the city, and very close to my fellow classmates. Plenty of cafes, shops, museums, the school, historic landmarks, and nightlife all within walking distance. Over my 3 months I got to travel to 7 different countries, and make unbreakable lifelong friendships.

The CEA program helped to make my study abroad experience as positive as it was. I had never been out of the United States before in my life, and the CEA staff helped me to transition into the Florence living as easily as possible.

The classes were not the regular business classes I was used to taking back at Penn State, but that is why they were so interesting. The classes helped immerse me into the amazing culture that was surrounding me, and the topics taught were very captivating. For example, the Fashion Marketing class taught me insights into the marketing world that I never would have known otherwise, all while being able to take included field trips to places such as Luisa via Roma, Miu Miu, and the Gucci Museum. My Italian teacher, Martina, was there to help with whatever I needed, while making it fun to learn Italian with songs (that I still sing to this day), and took her classes on field trips to local artisans and the market for practice.

The CEA staff is not only concerned about your safety and learning, but they also make sure the experience is fun and memorable. With provided trips to multiple cities around Italy, delicious traditional meals, welcoming lunches and goodbye dinners, we knew we were lucky to have chosen CEA. I made lifelong friends with people from schools all over the country, had the best food I'll ever have in my life, learnt a beautiful language, and experienced a brand new culture, all in a very short 4 months.

I didn't enroll through CEA directly, my school had a program working with them.

Florence is a beautiful city with great food and culture. The CEA staff are all friendly and eager to help out. I'm used to larger classes on a quarter system, so it was a bit of an adjustment for me.

I highly recommend the Fashion Marketing class with Professor Tamara Evans if you have any interest in it. The class can be a lot of terminology at times, but her stories are so interesting and she knows everyone.

I also advise anyone prone to mosquito bites to get netting over their windows and/or bug spray because me and many other students had terrible bites!

Going into my study abroad experience I knew that I wanted to force myself out of my comfort zone in order to have a maximized experience in a foreign country. I was determined to make Florence my home away from home that I could always go back to. Instead of rooming with my best friends from Boulder, I lived in a homestay with locals. Instead of spending all of my time with English speakers, I spent quality time with Italian children as I volunteered teaching English at a local Elementary school. Through my time teaching English, as well as time devoted to my host family, such as going on walks through the gardens with my host mom, I managed to accomplish leaving Florence feeling like it truly is my home away from home. I can only hope that one day I will have the amazing opportunity to return.