Semester in Florence, Italy
Kaitlyn Hom (CFA, '25) spent her spring semester studying abroad in Florence, Italy. Kaitlyn says:
What is your favorite memory from your time abroad?
Being able to love where I lived, the people, culture, food and being able to easily travel every weekend.
How has living in a different culture challenged or expanded your perspective on the world?
Living in Italy made me see it as a place I would potentially like to move to in the future. I fell in love with the culture and people, and how they love love and food. They treat everyone as family and they love what they do everyday. Although their pace of life is much slower than what we are used to, it really makes you slow down and appreciate every day.
What were some unexpected challenges you faced while abroad, and what strategies did you use to overcome them?
The language barrier; however, I took an Italian class and made Italian friends while also speaking Italian as much as I could every day.
What personal growth have your experienced during your time abroad and how has it impacted your future goals and aspirations?
I went from not knowing any Italian to picking it up through daily interactions with people I met, and my Italian class. I want to continue learning Italian on my own I enjoyed it so much! I also learned that I have a love for travel, I got to see so much of the world and all kinds of new places during my time abroad. I'm really looking forward to traveling again soon.
Any advice for other students thinking of studying abroad?
Be open, every day has its challenges but you never know what you might learn. If you don't learn something new every day, you're doing it wrong. And travel as much as you can, because when else are you going to live in another country for four months so freely? This is the time to talk to the locals, immerse yourself in their culture and stay curious.