ARRIVEDERCI, AMERICA. CIAO, ITALY!

2017 MARKS A NEW CHAPTER IN MY LIFE AS I EMBARK ON A NEW SEMESTER ABROAD IN FLORENCE, ITALY. I'VE BEEN IN ITALY FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND MY FAMILY AND I TRAVELED TO FLORENCE, VENICE AND ROME. I'M ABSORBING ALL OF THE RICH HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY AND INDULGING IN WARM BOWLS OF RIBOLLITA (TRADITIONAL TUSCAN SOUP), PASTA AND GELATO.

PRIOR TO MY ARRIVAL IN ITALY, I TRIED TO PREPARE MYSELF AS BEST I COULD FOR THIS 4-MONTH JOURNEY ESPECIALLY SINCE IT IS MY FIRST TIME OUT OF THE COUNTRY. FRIENDS AND FAMILY GAVE ME TRAVEL TIPS, CITY GUIDES AND EVEN MAPS AND BOOKS. EVERYTHING WAS BEYOND HELPFUL BUT I NOTICED SMALL DETAILS ABOUT THE CULTURE AND PEOPLE OF ITALY THAT HAD NOT BEEN SHARED WITH ME: 1) ITALY IS EXTREMELY FOND OF DOGS. EVERYWHERE YOU TURN THERE'S A DOG OUT FOR A STROLL OR LYING UNDER A TABLE WHILE ITS OWNER DINES AT A CAFE. 2) ITALIANS ARE PLANT LOVERS. PALM TREES PEEK THROUGH APARTMENT WINDOWS AND OVERGROWN SUCCULENTS DECORATE THE BALCONY RAILS. 3) POPULAR ATTIRE AMONG THE OLDER WOMEN IN ITALY INCLUDE A LONG, THICK FUR COAT AND A PAIR OF VINTAGE SUNGLASSES THAT I SO DEEPLY ENVY.

I'VE LEARNED AND EXPERIENCED SO MUCH WITHIN JUST A WEEK AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEE WHAT THE NEXT FEW MONTHS HAVE IN STORE FOR ME.

HERE ARE A FEW PHOTOS THAT I SNAPPED WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH THE DIFFERENT CITIES:

ROME