Fancy That, Florence

Alyssa Longobucco

Florence, Italy

Spring 2009

What made you decide to go abroad?

Mostly I really wanted to get out and experience new things. I felt, what better way to do it than to live in a new country for an entire semester? As far as the choice of Italy goes, my Dad’s parents are from Italy and my whole family is Italian so it was the only real place I could see myself going.

What is the first thing you did after you decided you wanted to study abroad?

I needed to find people to go with, so luckily it so happened that 3 of my housemates were also interested; so we went to the abroad office and got some information on Florence.

Do you feel that you were prepared when you left?

No. I read a lot of books on going abroad and we had informational meetings leading up to when we left but I don’t think there’s really a way to be prepared until you arrive. I wore a fanny pack to the market the first time and caused more attention to myself that way than I would if I had a regular bag with me. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time, but looking back it was a silly idea, having to lift my shirt up every time I had to pay because avoiding getting pick-pocketed was so ingrained in us before we left!

How could the abroad office have made your preparations easier?

I think a big thing they could have done is bring in students who had already been abroad to where were going. We really didn’t get the student perspective or undercover work as to what students found out when they got there, like things the abroad office couldn’t necessarily tell you but that we could really appreciate knowing.

Is there anything you wish they could have told you?

It’s the same thing in the sense with college, your parents can prep you for college and go on visits but you can’t really experience college until you get there, it’s always easier if you have an older sibling to tell you what it’s really like. For example, I wish someone had pulled me aside and told me not to pack my fanny pack, or I wish I had known here to get the best and least expensive hair straightener; things the Marist abroad office might not think of.

Once you get there…

What did you think of the classes there? Was there an orientation or anything that helped ease your nerves before your first class?

There was an orientation that showed us the buildings but it was basically your regular first day of school orientation, As far as the classes go, it was nice that it was a Marist University so it was easy to take the classes I needed to take.  I also liked the variety of Italian classes, like my cooking classes…I got to go and cook all day which was incredible, and my history classes that were so much more interesting because we could see everything we were actually talking about. I thought that was definitely a positive thing.

How different were your expectations from the real thing? If very different, did that stress you out? And how did you relieve that stress?

It was definitely hard going into it. My 3 friends and I were sophomores, which was young so there was already that disconnect and hard to put ourselves out there. That being said, it was also better than I expected. I loved the culture and the possibilities for the weekends. How often can you say you lived in Florence and went to Paris for the weekend?

Your favorite place to eat?

My favorite place to get gelato was Grom. (They also have one in New York City in Greenwich Village!) I’d always get the dark chocolate and coffee. It was so delicious and to die for.

My favorite Panini places were called IntiqueNoe, and the other was another sandwich place by our school where you could make your own Panini.

My favorite restaurants Il Gato e Il Vople, Aqua al Due, where you have to try the balsamic steak and pasta sampler, and Salamancas was a Mexican place that had surprisingly amazing Mexican food if you need a change of pace. Quattro Leoni also has amazing pear tortellini and Gusta Pizza has the best woodfire pizza in the city for 5 euro!

Food or drink you MUST try?

On the street I lived on there were always these waffle carts that had waffles with nutella, and it’s always wafting up into your windows it’s hard to resist. Everyone’s daily diet should include gelato, a perfect woodfire pizza, some balsamic steak from aqua al due and tortellini.

Favorite place to go out with friends?

I think anyone who’s from Marist that’s been to Florence will agree Café Biggalo. There’s a guy there named Georgio that everyone becomes friends with, and literally everyone will go there every night to hang out for a little or stay there for the night. They have 3 drink punch cards that are a great bargain, and it’s not just wine at the bar, which is hard to find.

Place students MUST visit?

Ponte Vecchio, an old bridge filled with jewelry shops and gold shops definitely a place Marist students have to get to. I got a necklace made out of an old gold coin that I got here and its one of my favorite possessions.

Place with the best deals?

The leather market. We were privileged enough to walk through it on our way from apartment to school. There was this guy who would be like, Seniorita! Seniorita! You dropped something! And it would always be something like, My heart! Or, My phone number! So it’s definitely an experience, but you can find amazing leather deal goods and perfect for souvenirs, they have everything you can think of from jackets to bags to little key chains.

What is the best piece of advice you can give others going abroad?

I’d say, as cheesy as it sounds, live for the moment. You won’t believe how fast those 4 months go by. Don’t stay in for a night or turn down a single experience and eat as much pizza as your stomach can take. It was my first time out of the country, so I wish I embraced it more and took some more chances but at the same time it was one of the best times of my life. And watch out for pick-pocketers!