I got my haircut. Something so ordinary and routine, but I was incredibly nervous. I had scheduled the appointment a week before. When I walked in I had fumbled for my phone to pull out my notes on how to ask for an appointment in Italian. I was stuttering and the woman at the desk let me hold on to this embarrassing moment before asking … Continue reading Haircuts by Shannon Bullen
This past weekend, I attended a famous festival in Bra, Italy called The Slow Cheese Festival. Let me start by saying that if I were traveling outside of school, I would have never even gave this small town a second glance let alone attend what happens to be its biggest annual event. However, Now that I have learned more about the slow food movement and … Continue reading My First Time at The Bra Slow Cheese Festival by Morgan Simmonds
My name is Hayden Erwin and I am a senior political science major at College of Charleston. Before I began my undergraduate education, I was a Crew Chief in the United States Air Force and I was stationed at McConnell AFB in Wichita, Kansas. I am currently studying abroad at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy for the Fall 2019 semester. Being a veteran student … Continue reading Studying Abroad as a Veteran by Hayden Erwin
I have never felt like I’ve belonged in a place more than I did when I spent the afternoon in the beautiful Cinque Terre. The second I stepped off of the high-speed train and set foot in the small seaside town of Manarola, I was struck silent. The extraordinarily vibrant houses, the vines of exotic flowers creeping their way up the sides of stucco, the … Continue reading An Afternoon in Cinque Terre by Josie Cataldo
If you’re a frantic, frenzied individual from the Northeast like myself, Gino’s Bakery in Florence, Italy is your cup of tea, or more appropriately, your foamy, frothy cappuccino. A diamond in the rough located in a land where a slow lifestyle is cherished and encouraged, Gino strays from Italian tradition and feeds my craving for my usual, bustling Bostonian lifestyle. Gino, a one-man assembly line, … Continue reading My Favorite Bakery in Florence by Josie Cataldo
At first glance, Giotto’s Farm struck no comparison to the old and familiar that are farms back home. Instead of the idealistic “red barn” and cotton-ball sheep dotting an open field, I was greeted by a simple Italian home–scattered with chickens and ducks throughout an overgrown yard. Quite significant in size for being in such close proximity to Florence, Giotto’s land– decorated with olive trees … Continue reading Giotto’s over Old McDonalds’ anyday! by Martin Allison
For my specific study abroad program in Italy, it’s most definitely not required that we speak the native language. And many of the students do not feel the need to try. Because the truth is that you really don’t have to know much of anything but English, as it is a base language for the many people of many countries to communicate. Whether it is … Continue reading Learning the Language by Morgan Simmonds
Before leaving to study abroad, I was highly concerned about how I would achieve traveling Italy, let alone other European countries, if I was doing it by myself. Obviously it is not the safest for a young, inexperienced, American to go wandering through train stations and taking cabs on her own. But I was going headfirst into the semester completely alone, not knowing anyone in … Continue reading Traveling with Strangers by Morgan Simmonds
My name is Corley Frierson and I’m a junior at College of Charleston. My major is in Communication and I currently have two English minors declared. One is Creative Writing and the other is Writing, Rhetoric, and Publications. The program I’m attending is the CofC Faculty led one in Florence, Italy. I haven’t traveled a lot, so this semester abroad is going to be an … Continue reading CofC in Florence, Italy by Corley Frierson
My name is Shannon Bullen and I am a history major with a minor in international studies. I am in my senior year of college and am in Florence, Italy by a CofC staff-led program focusing on the slow food movement. When I was in the fourth grade I read a book called The Thief Lord which takes place in Venice and ever since then … Continue reading Greetings from Florence by Shannon Bullen
