1.) For my STEP Signature Project, I had the opportunity to study abroad for the whole semester in Florence, Italy. Spanning from January to April, I was able to live in Italy, attend classes, form a routine, travel to other places in both Italy and Europe, meet incredible people, and live out a dream.
2.) Studying abroad for my STEP Signature Project definitely introduced me to so many new perspectives and changed my outlook on both the world and myself. I came into studying abroad hopeful that I would achieve these “cliches” or finding myself and gaining new outlooks on life, and after successfully completing my project, I can confidently say that all of these cliches about abroad are true! Living in Florence for four months has taught me so much about living on my own, being independent, and managing and prioritizing my responsibilities, which will all be extremely useful when looking forward to my life post undergraduate college. Studying abroad has also allowed me to look inwards and really think about my friendships and relationships. I came to Italy only knowing two friends, and I have met so many incredible people that have shaped my experience and outlook on the world. Even by meeting other American students from different colleges across the country, I have learned so much about people’s different traditions, attitudes, cultures, and values.
3.) The human interaction was one of my favorite parts of all of study abroad. Getting to meet people from not only just Italy but also all over the world was so incredible and shaped many of my outlooks. There is one specific instance of this that comes to mind. In early April, two of my friends and I were sitting right by River Arno, just casually chatting and enjoying our delicious sandwiches on a beautiful and sunny Sunday. An older woman in an adorable Snoopy shirt slowly approached us.
At first, she asked for the time, but then she stayed for a while and we conversed. She was telling us that she was in Florence 25 years ago with her husband and that everything now looks so different! She did not speak English very well, as she explained she is German and speaks multiple languages, but we still managed to have a very deep and comprehensive conversation with her. We told her we were study abroad students from all different parts of the US, and that all three of us were business majors. She shared that when she was our age, she travelled a lot too. she has been to New York and Florida, as well as Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, all over Europe, India, and so many more! We were fascinated listening to her endless stories.
She was happily married for 50 years, she said to a very clever man, who recently passed two years ago, but instead of speaking about him with sadness, she talked with a perspective of gratitude. The woman shared that she as well was a woman in business and worked at a bank, which was rare for women in her time in Germany, and was very successful. She did not have children of her own, but she told us that when she and her husband visited India, they paid for 30 years worth of school for children. We were absolutely blown away by her kindness. After I told her that she is such an incredible person with inspiring stories, she went on to emphasize how important it is for people to take the time to talk to one another. I was so inspired because I, too, agree that having tough conversations and sharing stories and experiences is the key to bringing people together and building communities. She eventually said goodbye and walked away, just as spontaneously and mysteriously as she arrived in the first place.
My two friends and I lifted our sunglasses to see that we were all teary-eyed and blown away after having one of the best and most moving interactions. I immediately journaled about this the second I got home (which is why I remember every detail!), and I am so happy I did because now I can vividly think back to this memory with such fondness. This is one of many interactions that has truly changed my outlook on life. We are out here in 2024 fighting gender norms in the workplace, and this woman, so many generations older than us, had to do the same exact thing. She was once the same as us—a young soul wit the desire to travel the world while working a successful career, and she has had such a fulfilling life. This moment altered my outlook on life and planted a new seed of inspiration, home, and dreams in my brain. Living by this woman’s wise words, being kind and having a simple conversation with someone new genuinely changed my life.
4.) I will most certainly be applying the new life skills I have learned abroad to my decisions that I will make about my future and even in my everyday life. The independence and conversational skills that I have learned will last a lifetime. I have also learned a lot about patience and open-mindedness when getting to know new people from other parts of the world, and I will continue to go into every conversation I have with pure kindness and no assumptions, as well as with a willingness to learn.
Studying abroad has also allowed me to explore my passions and take time for myself to truly think about what I want to do with my life. I am a finance major, and I was lucky enough to have enough credits to not have to take any business courses this semester. This allowed me to have the freedom to choose classes that sounded interesting that I normally would not be able to take. Besides a required Intro to Italian course, I chose to take courses on travel writing, forensic psychology, and social media and food blogging. I absolutely loved all of my classes as they really opened my eyes to all there is out there. I chose these classes based on my pre-existing hobbies, interests, and curiosities, but they really helped solidify how much I love to learn. My favorite role in life is being a student! I am in the works of earning a business degree, but from there, I can really go into almost any field or industry of my choosing and work for the business side of things, so getting this experience on new topics has greatly helped me ponder new career paths.