What inspired you to travel abroad?
I have never been outside of the country prior to this year. I wanted the opportunity to gain independence by living in a foreign country without any of my friends or family! I really wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone and studying abroad gave me the opportunity to do so.
Wine Tasting in Tuscany
Why did you choose CAPA The Global Education Network?
The CAPA Program in Florence was perfect for me for many reasons. I always knew I wanted to go to Italy because of my family's heritage, so after doing much research, the CAPA program seemed the most inclusive and would be the best program for my academics. Since CAPA is AASBC accredited, I was able to take core business courses that transferred back to my home university which was really important to me.
What was your favorite part about Florence, Italy?
Florence was the absolute best host city. It was completely walkable so I did not have to rely on public transportation. The locals were so welcoming and really helped me feel at home. The language barrier was not an issue, which was important because I still don't know any Italian! The food and restaurants were amazing, and it was in the perfect location to allow me to travel extensively on the weekends!
A carousel in Florence
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
I made some of the best friends of my life while I was abroad. I now have best friends all across the United States and for that I am so thankful. I had the opportunity to travel to 12 countries in 14 weeks and now I am so much more inclined to be spontaneous and travel more within the United States! This experience was extraordinary because it made me more independent and taught me that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to!
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
The CAPA staff was so helpful to me. I had a mishap with my incoming flight which made me miss orientation, and they were completely helpful in getting me to my apartment, making me feel at home, and even let me make up orientation the next day so that I got all of the important info! All of their activities really made it easy to make friends quickly!
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
I wish that I wouldn't have booked a return flight home. I definitely was not ready to come back to the US after my program ended, but since my return flight was already booked I couldn't change it! If I went abroad again I would definitely wait until I got there to book my return flight.
A snack for the road in Florence
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
On Monday through Wednesday, I would wake up around 8 to go to class. My classes would be three hours long, and I had between 1-2 classes on those days. After class, my friends and I would go to our favorite lunch spot and sit there for hours drinking wine and studying if we had any homework to do. We went to the same restaurant for lunch about three times per week so the waiters knew us by name! After this I would go back to my apartment for a little before walking up to Piazza Michelangelo for sunset if it was a nice night. After that, we would go to dinner and then get ready to go out for the night!
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
I enjoyed drinking wine and hanging out with my friends! The food and drink culture over there is amazing and I miss it so much.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I had an apartment in the Santa Croce area of Florence, which was an awesome neighborhood to be in. My favorite part about it is definitely the location - it was in a great spot to be close to my school and different restaurants that we loved going to!
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
Don't take all major courses! The electives in CAPA are great - I took a food and culture course and I absolutely loved it, I feel like I learned so much about my host city!
Ponte Vecchio, Florence
Would you recommend CAPA The Global Education Network to others? Why?
Absolutely! CAPA helped me feel so immersed in the new culture, and they planned so many events to help me make friends. The classes were amazing and so were the professors, and the location of the school was great compared to some of the other programs in Florence.
What do you feel is the biggest benefit of traveling abroad?
The opportunity to diversify your education is such a big benefit. I have found that I talk so much about my experience abroad in job interviews because it allows me to diversify myself as a candidate.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
I definitely want to return abroad. I feel like I am a completely different person now that I am home, and that is because I am so much more independent than I was when I left. Italians have such a different way of life than Americans do and I learned to adopt their way of living.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
During my time abroad I definitely learned that it isn't as important to go more places, but to actually learn about the places that you're traveling. I visited so many countries for a few days at a time, but I loved Florence the most because I had the opportunity to actually learn about it and immerse myself in it. By the end of my semester, Florence definitely felt like home to me.
