Student Journals: AIFS in Florence, Italy

Elizabeth Paris
Penn State University
Richmond in Florence, Italy

Elizabeth in front of the Trevi Fountain.

My AIFS experience was an eclectic mix of identities and events. I met all types of people; those who had a sense of style and those who had a sense of self, people who enjoyed a good book or a good debate or bottiglia a vino. Together, we shared our history, made history, and learned about history. We laughed. We ate. We traveled. What more can one ask for?

Coming here, I had no idea what to expect. I could not fathom life without falling asleep to the TV or calling my mom every day while walking through campus or chatting online during free time. I imagine we all felt this way. I had no idea of what type of person would emerge from this experience. I’ve become a capable person, one who is able to carry bags of groceries across Florence, cook meals for friends, and balance a bankcard. I’ve learned how to handle things that don’t go as planned, which often happens when one travels. I’ve become in charge of my life here in Italy, which will be something I will always remember and a skill I will take with me forever. We all have become in charge of our safety, health and priorities. In short, I hate to break it to everyone but we’ve become "real" adults. In the beginning, we all put ourselves out there, and as a result look at what we’ve got: friendships and memories that are unforgettable.

As students studying abroad, we are fortunate ragazzi. We get to see and experience places meant for everyone to see but only available for the lucky. I am one of the lucky. I have pictures and ticket stubs and postcards to prove it. But the truth is, a picture doesn’t describe this experience; neither do the stories we tell our friends. We can’t capture the moments that made us laugh so hard that we cried or those that give us clarity. In the end, our cameras have become as useless as one cent euros. Our pictures, well at least mine, pale in comparison to all the memories I come away with.

I did more. I learned more. I lived more. The end.