I would advise any student, if they are granted the opportunity, to study abroad. I think that often, students might feel as if they “can’t do it.” For example, I have heard some say that as they approach their upperclassman or post undergraduate years, they feel it is more difficult to do so, so they then refrain. Though, as a graduate student, I am proud to say that I finished…
Amongst many of the great experiences I had encountered in Italy, one of my favorites was our visit to the children’s hospital in Florence. The Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria (AOU) Meyer Children’s Hospital of Florence, located on the outskirts of the city, is the only children’s hospital within the Tuscany region. It is rather new, built within the past ten years, and large, about 33,000 square meters total. It can be…
As I sit down to reflect on my time in Sorrento, Italy, I am flooded with a whirlwind of emotions and memories. It has been a little over a week since my study abroad trip concluded, and honestly, it feels unreal. Unreal that it even happened, and unreal that it’s already over. The past 6 weeks have been nothing short of transformative, and the experiences I had will leave a mark on…
Over the course of the four-week period I spent studying abroad as a graduate student, I have had the most gracious opportunity to engage with children and families at the Giardino di Borgo Allegri. This location, which, in English, translates to the cheerful village garden, was located just a few-minute walk from our apartment in downtown Florence, Italy. Essentially, the Giardino di Borgo Allegri, one of many community-based Giardinos in…
6 weeks, 14 cities. I have seen Diocletian’s Palace, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Duremo, Roman Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Roman Forum and Palatine, Pompeii ruins, Mount Vesuvius, Faraglioni Rocks, St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace. The list could go on…and I still have one week left. I think when you go abroad you have a certain expectation for your experience. You ultimately want to make sure…
If you google Sorrento Italy, you will generate thousands of photos of beautiful blue waters, lively architecture, and lots and lots of lemon trees. I’ve been in Sorrento about 3 weeks now and I don’t think my eyes have ever had to process something so beautiful. I know that’s a silly way to describe it, but seriously I’ve never seen so much beauty clustered into one specific place. Every corner…
I thought last week of June would be the end of my time in Italy, but I was wrong! As a class, we briefly visited Venice a couple weeks ago to see the Biennale. It was an amazing experience; however, we were only there for a day and a half, and I was not able to experience much of Venice. Because of this, my parents decided to help me extend…
I am writing this in my room, back home in the United States. It feels extremely weird typing that because I have been studying in Italy for the last four months. I am sad that my trip has ended, but I am so grateful for what this experience has given me. If I had any advice to give to future students, it would be to study abroad and don’t look back. You will only receive the opportunity once in your…
One of my favorite parts about studying abroad in France was the ability to travel to other cities and countries. “ La Toussaint” is a holiday in France when all the schools and universities across the country get a week-long vacation, typically at the end of October. A friend from my program and I went to Italy during the break. Throughout the course of the week, we traveled to five…
Hello! My name is Chase Lee, and I am currently a senior at the College of Charleston, studying abroad in Rome, Italy for the Fall 2023 semester. I have been in Rome for about two months now and have loved every minute of it. When I wrote my first blog post, the last place that I had visited was Barcelona. Since then, I have traveled to Venice and the Amalfi…
