CIS Abroad Summer Study in Italy

Florence, Italy is full of hidden gems and new adventures around every turn. Returning home after my summer in Florence, I was left feeling as though I had forgotten something there. I realize now that it was my heart. I left it wandering through those magical streets, probably by my favorite gelato shops. Florence was a place flourishing with culture. As a student with CISabroad, I was so lucky to have had the chance to dive into a new way of life and many new experiences every single day. The food, art, and places were all apart of the culture that I was able to learn about and explore. This program with CISabroad has given me the most memorable moments in my life. It had the perfect balance of activities to participate in, as well as free time to just enjoy living in another country, while meeting like-minded people. As a student I really felt included in the culture, which was something I had never experienced. Everything about my time studying in Florence was life changing. It me a new perspective on the world, others, and myself. It sparked my passion to travel and has given me the confidence and freedom to be adventures and to explore life out of my comfort zone, which has been nothing but rewarding.

I was only able to spend 3 weeks in Florence for I had to get home for my brother’s graduation. It was a amazing 3 weeks though thanks to my program CIS having many different events for us. For example in addition to the field trip taken with your class we were allotted 2 other trips and as well as extra classes. I was able to fit a lot in, I visited 7 different cities in Italy, got to take a class that was all about how food plays a role in society I also got to do an extra cooking class with my program, it was a great time. It was a great time for future participants I would say, don’t be afraid to travel alone, take the time to wonder around and get a little lost and go to restaurants that have no English in the title. Also the best resturants are the ones with out restaurant in the title. This trip helped me branch out more and be more open to new experiences.

I truly loved my experience abroad. For years I had talked about going abroad to Italy, and I am incredibly happy that I chose CIS Abroad as my program of choice. Going into this experience, I knew nobody except for one of my best friends from home. I had never been overseas alone before, so it's safe to say that I was incredibly nervous before coming abroad. Only a few days in to being abroad, my fears and anxiety about being abroad came to a rest. I instantly made amazing friends, and felt incredibly comfortable in the environment that I was living in. I was having fun, and most importantly, I felt safe.
My advice to future participants would be to go into this experience with an open mind and a positive attitude. Go in with the attitude that you would like to meet new people, experience another culture, and try new things. This is truly a once in a lifetime experience, and these participants are blessed that they are able to go abroad with an amazing group of people! Another major piece of advice that I would offer would be to not overpack! I was abroad for 3 weeks and overpacked immensely. Only pack what you truly NEED. This will make your travels lighter, and much easier, especially since you will more than likely be buying quite a bit while you are overseas.
Since being back in America, I have gained a much greater appreciation for my upbringing and how blessed I am to live where I do. Being abroad in 80 degree weather with no air conditioning was truly an experience. Living in a foreign country without the day to day accommodations that I have here in America was truly a learning experience. It is a different way of life in Italy. They do not have all of the utilities as we do here in America to live life as we do. While it was a challenge to adapt to my new living environment, it was a great experience and I have gained a greater appreciation for where I live and what I have here at home.
I'd like to end this with saying to future participants to simply have fun! Go abroad, take photos and videos, try new foods, partake in cultural activities, meet new people, and make the most of your experience abroad. Chances are, you will never have an experience such as this one. It's an opportunity of a lifetime, and one that they are lucky to be on!

This was my first time going overseas alone and it was hands-down the best experience I have ever had traveling! I love to travel and fly and CIS Abroad made it less stressful and amazing while being in a foreign place for me. They listened to my needs and catered to them! I had amazing roommates as well as a nice apartment central to everything. Good things to know when studying/traveling abroad is to be respectful and be a local, not a tourist. Of course checking out the tourists attractions is a must when you are abroad, but being a traveler rather than a tourist is the way to go so you gain respect from the locals! My favorite memory of this trip was the amazing views and architecture all around me. Florence is my new favorite city and I was lucky enough to enjoy it with my roommates. Amazing people and amazing food! Best time of my life.

I went into this experience planning on going to Greece. I had everything scheduled, and then was informed that they ended up dropping the photography class that I was very anxious to take. I then went into a mind set of just looking through programs that offered photography, and came across Sorrento. I had actually never heard of Sorrento before finding out about the program and doing my research. I agreed and signed up, which ended up being one of the best decisions I have ever made. Growing up, I wasn't even keen on spending the night at my friends houses, much less spending weeks somewhere foreign, but I decided it was time to experience something other than the midwest. No one from my university joined me, I didn't know anyone in the program, and I flew out there alone. 5,000+ miles away from anything that I was comfortable with for 5 weeks, and by the time my weeks were up, I didn't want to leave. The people, the culture, the food, and the scenery were indescribable. The university/learning environment was awesome and I learned more in those 5 weeks than some of my semester programs. We were also fortunate to live in apartments around town as apposed to the dorms, which really gave us the full living experience. The group of American students who were in the same area studying/interning ending up being some of the most amazing people I had ever met. I had made life long friends, that I still talk to a year later, in that hectic 5 week period. We were all in the same mindset to do anything and everything that we could with each day that we had in that beautiful place. I found people who were willing to travel, hike, experience the night life with, jump off cliffs, and I even found two people crazy enough to ride a bus for 4 hours to jump out of a plane at over 14,000 feet! Free-falling along the Amalfi Coast is an experience that I wish I could give to everyone, because you never experience life more until it is happening right in front of you. Along with my external experiences, I couldn't even begin to justly explain what I learned about myself while there. I am more driven to experience life, confident in myself and who I am, and socially equipped to handle any situation just because of my experiences abroad. My only tip for people who would even consider going abroad is to just do it. It is scary and incredibly stressful leading up to the experience, but if you just continue to see that this will be the most amazing learning experience you will ever have, you will be just fine. Do your research about the area before you go, learn some of the language beforehand (especially things that would help in an emergency), be incredibly social and open to the people around you, and experience everything that you can while you are there. The time will fly by incredibly fast and then you will have to return home. Take risks, but don't do anything stupid enough to get you into big trouble. Look out for those around you and they will look out for you. Try all the foods, even the weird looking ones because those might end up being the most delicious. Make friends within the local community, because as easy as it is to relate to the Americans that are there with you, it means so much more to the locals if you attempt to make a connection with them. Most of all, just have fun and be your most authentic you. I promise it will be a blast.

Sorrento was an absolutely incredible experience, as soon as I arrived I felt at home. The cultural emersion made me feel completely at ease in another country, and I was at a good place in Italy to travel around. The academics are unique and personalized, but the workload can be intense depending on the class- making it difficult to travel freely. A lot of people take weekend trips around Italy, for example to Rome, Florence, Positano, and Venice. This trip gives you a lot of freedom and independence to explore, but the local area feels very safe and touristy. If you venture farther out than Sorrento, you'll definitely want to bring someone else with you. However, I noticed on my trip that everyone is in the same mindset and it's very easy to make friends here. I loved this experience so much and would highly recommend it.

My introduction to the city of Sorrento itself was incredible, being so close to Naples allowed me to travel to 5 different countries 15 different cities and 1 island, during my 7 weeks. That experience alone was an education. However, I was there to study the history of the Italian American mafia, it educated me on the economic and systematic issue of such organized crime. My favorite place was actually right there in Sorrento called Regina Giovanna, it's a cliff view with absolutely nothing in-between you and the horizon, you are on the literal edge of Italy and it is the most humbling, beautiful, and breathtaking experience. I miss it every single day.