Middlebury School in Italy: Florence

I originally applied to the Middlebury School in Florence for one semester. However, after two weeks in Italy, I loved it so much that I decided to stay for the entire year. Middlebury's approach to language immersion is challenging, but it also pushed me to build a life in Florence outside of the study abroad bubble. Whether I was enrolling in courses at the University of Florence or moving in with an Italian friend I met first semester, this program gave me the freedom to create the study abroad experience that I wanted. Middlebury is the reason I left Florence with fluency and friendships that I will keep for the rest of my life.

Covid-19 was a limiting factor in my experience; however, if Middlebury is one thing it is resilient, and if I could say one thing for Italy, it’s that it’s devine. Regardless of the unprecedented circumstances that masked my experience both literally and metaphorically, I can say that the Italian ruins were still marvels incorporated into modern cities and the charm of local Italians persevered in instilling a wonderful personable experience. “Un buon cibo sempre biologico ed una momma di ospite piacevole” were the height of the experience which turned what was once a romanticized dream into “una memoria dolce.”