Author Archives: Angela M Sanders

About Angela M Sanders

My name is Angela. I am a 20-year-old college student studying abroad for the four-month span of Spring semester 2016. I love Jesus Christ, my family & friends, travel, ice cream, swing dance, good journalism, romantic reverie, & a hot cup of tea. Here’s to making new friends, exploring new places, and remaining open & optimistic toward change.

Who knew a piece of my heart was in Florence?

The other day, I was sitting in my favorite place. The one where David and Andrea work. It sits on the Arno, and we call it “Caffè.” The sun illuminated the rough, uneven white-brick walls and the golden brown wood of the tables. Adam sat across from me. It was his birthday; he turned 32. David sat at a table behind me on his late lunch break. Andrea behind the counter continuing the daily grind of Caffè work.

David and Andrea are brothers, (“i fratelli”), and they look like twins (“i gemelli”), but Andrea is two years older than David. David is but 22, and I am 20. I could easily fall in love, but it surely isn’t meant to be. They brought out an omelet with a little heart reading, “With love! 32” on it, and their classic goofy smiles. (Earlier that day they gave Adam a two day old piece of cake with two candles that were shaped like 22, which wasn’t even the right age, and then another slice of cake after the omelet. So funny and sweet!) They are just cute for the fun of it, and they enjoy life. It’s refreshing.

Alexxus sat behind me and to my left at the barrel with her iced cappuccino and biography of Tiziano Ferro, her favorite Italian singer and songwriter. Alexxus is younger than I am, I learned this just yesterday. She is a deep thinker, and coming without knowing a single soul, brave indeed. The sun warmed my soul as did the presence of my friends.

The romance of a moment, irrepeatable.

I was wearing my favorite dress in my favorite caffè, where I always do my work while Adam does his, and we joked with David and Andrea that “we all work together.” My hair was neat in my ballerina bun as usual with the wispy tendrils framing my face, and my soft tan dress tied at the waste by my dark blue denim collared shirt–a bit warm on this sunny day but just perfect for me. I sat at the table with my laptop and phone in front of me, hard at work on my photography homework. Beside my computer was a copy of a letter. It was addressed to the editor of one of the english speaking newspapers in Florence where I hope to remain for the summer months. I had just submitted it online the evening prior.

In part, it read: “…before I arrived in Florence, I thought I wanted to see the whole world, but once I arrived here, everything changed. I fell in love with this charming city. As I enter my fourth and final month in my study abroad program, I can’t even fathom leaving…”

I held the paper in my hands with my shoulders back and the warm sunshine on my face. With one ear available for the sounds of the caffè and an earphone in the other, the soft music of Ben Rector’s Sailboat awoke me to the romance of this moment. Suddenly, I realized just how intricate it was, irrepeatable. This moment of longing, of loving, hoping, and desiring for this experience to last a little longer–a moment that defines my 20-year-old life in a way that I am now different, somehow transformed from who I was before.

Who knew a piece of my heart was in Florence?

Who knew I would find part of myself here of all places? I have grown a lot from this experience. Annie has taught me to be myself. Elizabeth says not to care what others think. Why need we be all the same? Santi Apostoli has given me a home and a mission. Gianna and Giovanna have made me smile with authentic zeal. Alessio teaches me to be free, to always try, and to never fear failure. And, my Florence family, and Cici, and Katie, and the staff of my school, and everyone! Florence especially, if I may personify the city. Everyone has taught me to love so deeply, so deeply that I am drunk off the sweetness of life–figuratively of course, but so deep that it almost feels literal.

The bliss, the riding of a wave that feels like a natural forever… But, in the back of my mind, and somewhere in my heart, I know I have to leave. I know the wave will eventually break against the shore. But, I just don’t know… how long will this loveliness last? And, I praise the Lord. I praise His holy name for giving it to me in the first place, and I hope desperately that my desires match His will. But, I also know that I need to trust Him. He is goodness and depth itself, while I am a little whisp… here and then gone in the blink of an eye in the whole history of human existence. My sight is so limited, tethered to here and now, latching onto the best thing I know in this world.

Fr. Mike Schmitz once said, “God knows us better than we know ourselves, and he loves us better than we love ourselves.” I love this. It reminds me that God has created me, His will is always and forever better than mine, and whatever He has planned for me is good. He has handcrafted this perfect bliss, one that speaks to my heart in ways nothing else can. And, whatever is to come is what is best. God is the bliss.

“The threshold which the world crosses in him
is the threshold of wonderment.” -Saint Pope John Paul II

“My soul doth magnify the Lord.” -Mother Mary

More sweet moments

Last night I went to Adam’s birthday party. It was an apperitivo at La Petite, near Piazza della Repubblica. Rena and Alexxus came too. There we had a drink and some Italian food and enjoyed conversation about nothing yet everything with Melinda. Melinda is a writer and expat here in Florence, a woman who fell in love with Florence just like I am beginning to drink up its sweetness, only three months deep. Little did I know I would come across a former writer from the very publication I was applying to. What a truly lovely surprise this was.

Long story long, I am loving it here, the friends I’ve had the pleasure to meet, and all life’s serendipity. More photos to come!

Ciaooo

Angela

xoxo

A semester half full!

Ciao a tutti! Come state?

Midterms are finally over! I have an 8-page paper hanging over my head, but the worst of it is through! Since midterms, I decided to vacation right here in Florence for a solo spring break. Being one of the only students from my program to stay back, I had a lot of time to just enjoy, soak up all the views, breathe, and really spend time falling even more deeply in love with my beautiful home city. I even got to see Michelangelo’s “David,” write about him for Flo’N The Go, a local travel publication, and I caught a glorious view of the sun setting on the Arno. (Had I not accidently locked my keys in the house… there’s know way I would have seen this!) Check it out!

It’s unbelievable that the semester is already halfway through, but I’ve sure made the most of it and been blessed profoundly throughout this experience. Since I’ve been here, I’ve found my friends, my Florence family, and I’ve found my home!

Home

Where’s that, you ask? The Parish of Santi Apostoli’s English speaking community, of course! So, (“allora,”) what is it about Santi Apostoli that I call home?

Well, Santi Apostoli is a small little community in the heart (“cuore”) of Florence’s historical center (“centro storico”). It can be found right down the street from the Ponte Vecchio and around the corner in a humble, homey city square called Piazza del Limbo. The tiny, Romanesque church (“chiesa”) is a nice change from the massive (although they are gorgeous) Basilicas that adorn Florence. Santi Apostoli is a very, very small church. I would almost compare it to the size of a chapel rather than a church. Another extra special thing about Santi Apostoli is the community that gathers there! It’s amazing how many young, enthusiastic Catholics gather together.

Shocking first impressions

When I first got to Florence, I was shocked by the emptiness at Sunday Italian Mass in the large Basilicas. Once I started attending the daily Italian Masses in the little side chapel at the Basilica di Santa Croce, I found a small, lovely, little community, and the whole room was filled! Everyone is so gracious and I love communicating with them in our broken English and Italian. Now this felt a bit better, but it wasn’t the only thing that God had in store for me!

Since then, I found out that there is an English Mass at the Duomo on Saturdays at 5 p.m.. So, I started attending this Mass! Every time I go to this Saturday vigil, I meet a friend without fail! The first time, I met a girl named Lauren. She approached me afterwards and just said a simple “Hi!” because she recognized me from Santa Croce. I immediately recognized her too, and I just knew deep inside my heart that we were going to be friends. Lauren was the one who first introduced me to the Santi Apostoli English speaking community. She told me about it the same evening we met, and the Santi Apostoli community has transformed my whole world ever since.

An answered prayer… plus some!

Earlier this semester, I had prayed for a Catholic friend. I had all these dreams of visiting places of religious significance! I mean, we’re in Italy for crying out loud! It only seemed right! But, seeing as I come from a largely secular University and then arrived at another University that is largely secular, I didn’t know anyone interested in these things. Not only did God bless me with one friend, but he gave me an entire community! And then again, not only did God bless me with an entire community, but the very next week, when I attended the English Mass at the Duomo on Saturday evening, I met another friend. Her name is Mary Clare.

Now Mary Clare and I got to talking, and I discovered that she studies in Rome and was visiting Florence for the weekend. Mary Clare also goes to a secular University, and we both found out that we desired to travel to places of religious significance. We are now currently planning a trip to visit Lisieux, France, the home of Saint Therese of Lisieux, one of my favorite saints. While we’re in France, we intend to visit Paris, and see the Eiffel Tower as well! Since then, Mary Clare met a friend from Brazil named Jessica who’ll also be joining us! God is so good!!!

Santi Apostoli transforming my world

This week at Upper Room, Kate Capato introduce us to Theology of the Body. Now what’s this Upper Room all about? Well, Upper Room is a youth group that meets on Tuesday evenings at 8 p.m. right after 6:30 p.m. Mass, Adoration, and a free dinner at Santi Apostoli. It was inspired by

I did not take this photo! Just including it for reference.

Something that really struck me was when she analyzed Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam” with us. She pointed out that even when God created Adam, He had Eve in mind too. Eve was never an after thought. Can you see her? She’s underneath God’s left arm. See? Right there! Also, that big red cape behind God, Eve, and the angels? What does the shape look like to you? Exactly! It’s the shape of a brain. And the way that God and Adam are reaching out for one another… God’s arm is straight and steadily reaching out so far for Adam. Meanwhile, Adam’s hand is slouchy and kinda, sorta reaching out, but not quite as intentionally as God’s. Kate reminded us that everything God does is absolutely intentional.

Now, Theology of the Body is really neat because it’s the study of how the body speaks of the divine. Men and women were created intentionally, and we were created exactly the way that we are for a profound purpose.

I did not take this photo! Just posting it for reference!

Kate also showed us Da Vinci’s work of “The Vitruvian Man,” and spoke about how the circle symbolizes the divine, and the square symbolizes the human. She pointed out that the center of the circle is the navel of the man, and the center of the square is the man’s genitals. This points to the fact that human beings are created for communion with one another and communion with God. The navel at the divine center shows that we come from human relationship, and the genitals being at the human center show that we are created to be in union with one another with beautiful and good desires.

Anyway, these artists, they were so so so profound! And, I’m so honored to be living here in Tuscany in the middle of where it was all born.

Current mood: in love

“Sono andata da Firenze a Ginevra e ritorno!”

Just got back from a calm and relaxing weekend in Geneva, Switzerland (“Ginevra, Svizzera” … Can you guess the title?!) where I visited my Aunt and Uncle for the weekend. (Or, I suppose, grand-aunt and grand-uncle would be more like it!) I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Geneva and their home, flying over the Swiss Alps on the plane ride there, and then again gaping at the view of the Alps through their kitchen window! Unbelievable.

We also saw some beautiful neo-impressionist art by a Swiss painter named Signac, enjoyed Swiss fondu and delicious chocolate (“il cioccolato”), took those naps, and indulged in life convos over coffee, croissants, and oj at the breakfast table! This was definitely my favorite weekend by far!!! I also heard tons of French (“Francese”) and learned a little bit as well, but just enough to get me through the airport and back to Florence!

“Oggi a Firenze”

“Today in Florence” for my Italian class, our teacher met us at the Piazza della Reppublica to practice our speaking and listening skills. We introduced ourselves to random Italian people, and we asked them if we could interview them for our class! All in Italian! It was so much fun! The people we spoke to were all very gracious in helping us do our assignment. Today was also an incredibly warm and sunny day (“oggi”), which has been quite a change from the past few. It was so warm, I was even able to hang out on the front steps of la Basilica di Santa Croce. Church (“chiesa”) steps seem to be a common place for Italians to hangout.

Current mood: in love

I feel like all the beauty in the whole world is just being revealed to me, and I’m just standing here speechless receiving it all in my heart, feeling tons of emotions, and loving everything. I’m so little (almost too little to handle it), but so in love, and I can’t imagine ever going home! (“Ti amo Firenze!”)

At this stage in my study abroad experience, I think the song “I See The Light” from Tangled sums it up perfectly…

Chorus
"All those days watching from the windows
 All those years outside looking in
 All that time never even knowing
 Just how blind I've been
 Now I'm here blinking in the starlight
 Now I'm here suddenly I see
 Standing here it's all so clear
 I'm where I'm meant to be..."

And, the people I’m meeting? Incredible. A good friend (“la mia amica”) of mine named Annie told me today, “It’s never too late to have a childhood. It’s never too late to be who you are, and it’s never too late to add to yourself.” She’s had some inspiring life experiences working with kids at her day camps. She’s like the kind of girl you’d read in a storybook! Like, Merida from “Brave” or Rapunzel from “Tangled.” She’s a brave, brave girl with a kind heart and a wicked sense of humor! She also has a horse named Annie too, but purely by coincidence!

I met a girl named Rena, who’s like a sister (“sorella”) to me! We are so similar! And, Cici, and Megan, and Brian, and Heather, and Nick! Such adventurous and endearingly optimistic people. And Sara, my beautiful friend from Florence, and David and Andrea, who work at the cafe next door to school (“scuola”) and put up with me trying to learn Italian!! What a dream this is! It must be!

A lesson learned

Study abroad can be exhilarating and sublime, especially when all of Europe is suddenly at your fingertips.

It’s 5:00 a.m., and I can’t fall asleep. I’ve been living in Florence, Italy for exactly one month to date. After visiting Siena, Pisa, Venice, the Chianti region, and Rome, knowing I’ll be catching a flight to Geneva, Switzerland in less than 6 hours running on zero sleep, seeing Verona appear on the horizon (exactly one week away for St. Valentine’s weekend), and not to mention, taking my first Italian test today… I don’t like to admit it, but I’m pretty exhausted.

A glimpse of Roma

Last weekend in Rome, a bunch of great new friends let me crash at their place last minute when plans to Naples fell through. Thanks to their incredible planning, we visited every single sight I had ever heard of in Rome plus some—the Vatican and Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Trevi Fountain, the Sistine Chapel, the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, Domus Aurea, and the Colosseum. It was one heck of a weekend, and I still can’t believe it happened. I owe it all to God. After all of this, by the time I finally returned home to Florence and walked past the Duomo toward my little Tuscan apartment, I was able to take in a deep breath and relax. I definitely got an “ahh, it’s good to be back,” kind of feeling.

A lesson well learned

So far, from the culmination of these experiences, I’ve learned a pretty big lesson. Even when everyone you know is constantly talking about going out of town because they “don’t want to waste a single weekend,” it’s okay to stay home. In fact, staying in Florence for a weekend or two (or three!) may be exactly what I need—to recharge my batteries and enjoy where I am! I’m absolutely in awe of this experience and it’s ephemeral feel, but I need to start listening to my body. (You may not hear this often, but study abroad can actually be stressful!)

I love the words of Saint Thomas Aquinas when he says, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” It’s easy to forget, though, that this doesn’t mean I need to zip through the whole book in one sitting. It’s okay to relax, it’s okay to take things slow. And, it’s definitely more than okay to spend time marveling in the wonder of my host city. Heck, Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in the world! And, of course, “taking it slow” is the Italian way to go about things anyway. A new Florentine friend of mine, who helps me out with my Italian, joked tonight that her mom loves to take “5, 6, 7—10 years!” just enjoying a cappuccino!

As tired as I am, though, I’m definitely more than excited and “all in” as always to enjoy a weekend in Geneva with my Aunt and Uncle! I’ll finally get to see their city! I’m not sure how I’ll make it through the rest of the week with school and all, but I just know I’ll still have plenty of reasons to smile!

Looking forward to a blank itinerary “a Firenze!”

A presto!

Angela

Finding my bearings!

So far, I’ve been here for 23 days, and I’ve experienced quite a whirlwind of events.

Italian Notes | Photo credit: Rena Kassak

Since I’ve last written, I’ve gotten into the thick of my classes and have fallen in love with the staff of ISI Florence. Professors here are a bit more laid-back than in the States. Our Italian Language teacher ensured us that we’re on the same level, and he made sure that we know we can go to him for help with anything at all during the semester! From my past experiences with college, which I carry solely from the U.S., this hasn’t always been the case. His heart is focused on helping us learn, and the same goes for my photography professor. Put simply, ISI Florence is taking absolute wonderful care of us!

Learning the language

I’m in love with the language here. It’s so beautiful. Today we engaged in conversations with four Italian speaking 20-somethings who visited our class; it was kind of like speed-dating! I speak “un po” (only a little!) Italiano, and they could speak a little bit of English. It was neat to see how well we could communicate.

View of Florence from the top of the Duomo!

Also, last week, I met up with a Florentine girl named Sara. We met through a language exchange website. She loves traveling and learning languages, and she studies English, French, Spanish, and Chinese. It was so lovely to meet her and to learn about Italy from her perspective! I very much enjoyed our conversation, which was mostly in English seeing as she speaks English better than I can speak Italian. And, not to mention, I am still a bit shy! (“Sono un po timida”)

Il Duomo di Santa Maria del Fiore - View from Piazzale Michelangelo

A view of the Duomo from Piazzale Michelangelo – In the last photo, I was looking out from the tippy top of this one.

We talked about the differences between Italian boys and American boys, indulged each other with stories of our past relationships, and bonded over a love of purity. She also taught me some slang words in Italian, like “figo,” which means beautiful but is used how we would use the word cool, and also its synonym: “ganzo,” which is only characteristic of Florence.

Wine tasting in Chianti

On a school trip to Chianti, we met Gino, a family-oriented man, who showed us the “sweetness” of life. The Italians’ mentality is much different than what’s common back home.

A view of Chianti from Gino’s vineyard

“There’s no food without wine and no wine without food,” he said. Gino also emphasized the joys of taking things slow and really enjoying everything with all of our senses as not to get drunk but to enjoy the wine. “Wine is everything,” he said, it’s even where you are and the people you are with; “wine is life.” He advised us to drink good wine with good friends, and warned us to never drink alone. He also taught us that just because a wine is expensive, that doesn’t mean it’s a good wine! It could just mean that it comes from a very small vineyard. The only way you can tell if a wine is good is “with your eyes, your nose, and your mouth.”

Adventures in Siena

Last Saturday, I visited Siena! Signing up for the trip by myself, I wasn’t sure I’d know anyone there, however, a stellar group of kids, Heather, Brian, and Nick (Nick, who is actually in my buon fresco class) were there!

I had an amazing time spending the day with them enjoying the city view from atop the Cattedrale di Siena, stopping for gnocchi and “picci,” a thick pasta prized by Siena, and visiting the Church of Saint Dominic where we found the relic of Saint Catherine of Siena. It was so awesome to learn about her life right in her home city! Apparently people were drawn to her, and it’s no wonder since she was so drawn to Christ! Later that day, we ventured over to San Gimignano, a small medieval town with an incredible view that I could have easily mistaken as a painting had we been inside!

V for Venezia!

Then, of course, there’s the gorgeous city of Venice! With its waterways instead of streets and boats instead of cars, Venice is one of the most quirky places I’ve visited. We were able to catch the parade where the floats were literally floating (boats, of course!) And, we enjoyed what the Venetians call the Carnevale.

People wear all kinds of fun masks during the carnival!

Venice is quite touristy, and I’d suggest going later on in the week to witness the carnival in full effect. We were unaware of this, and we actually made plans with a tour group in advance. The skies turned out to be overcast, and it was only the first day of the carnival–much too soon for the fun to pick up!

Although I met some great people on the bus, I ended up spending most of the day by myself. But, on the bright side, I got to check out the Chiesa di Santa Lucia, a church by the grand canal, where I saw the relic of Saint Lucy’s incorruptible head and visited the Blessed Sacrament of our Lord in a side chapel.

I actually didn’t get to go to mass on this day (Sunday), which was pretty upsetting to me. It was mainly poor planning. I’m still figuring out how to adapt to this life on the road because, at least at this point in my life, it’s so easy for me to get distracted. But, truly God is the most beautiful!

The not-so-wonderful truth

Although the travel life can seem romantic and glamorous from stories and photographs, I’ve been here for less than a month and as you can tell, I’ve already experienced a few bumps along the road.

Crepe and waffle alla nutella date in between classes! I don’t know how we made it through Italian class after this! Photo credit: Rena Kassak

Pro tip: If you ever go to Italy please, please drink tons of water, and be weary of your dairy intake! I absolutely love picking up new foods from the market, especially cheese because it’s fresh, inexpensive, and we’re in Italy! So, why not try them all? (“perchè no?”) Well, just recently, I learned the hard way… that too much cheese and other dairy foods, like gelato, can actually cause constipation. (“Come sei dice embarrassing?”) Fortunately, a call home to mom, some prune juice, and laxatives really did the trick! Thank God!! I had no idea how painful that could be!
Next? Well, I lost my cell phone one evening when taking out the trash. I would have gone diving in after it!!! But, the trash disappeared into the ground. They have some clever dumpsters here, and I didn’t even feel my phone slip out the moment it happened…
Is this not the most beautiful motor vehicle you’ve ever seen?! Spotted near Firenze S.M.N. train station.

Since the garbage company was already closed for the night, we had to wait to call in the morning. At this point, it was already compacted into a teeny tiny cube. I was able to communicate with my family and friends online, and my parents had mercy on me. Fortunately, I was able to replace the phone, and everything is semi-back-to-normal, if you can even call it that.

Despite the appealing aspects of travel, it definitely has its fair share of adjustments, ups, and downs (and there are even more if you’re clumsy!), but every single one of these has come and gone, and it continues to amaze me that I am actually here… Praise you, Jesus! And, thank you, Mom and Dad!

Next stop… Roma!

“Ciao!” From: Florence, Italy

Just five days ago, I boarded a plane and flew across the Atlantic Ocean. Since then, I’ve arrived in the wondrous city of Florence.

My new home

I live in an apartment on a narrow sidestreet in the pulsing heart of Florence. When I push open the emerald shutters, feel the cool fresh air, and hear the soothing sounds of Italian language, I’m refreshed and ready to start my day. Three minutes from the Basilica di Santa Croce (“Holy Cross”) and five minutes from the Duomo, or Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, nothing is out of reach in this walking-town.

My new family

Although I didn’t quite know anyone at first, I am fortunate to live with three sweet and adventurous roommates: Cooper, Erica, and Rachel. Cooper is an easy-going Seahawks fan majoring in recreation, parks, and tourism management. She enjoys running, photography, and visiting her good friends in town. And, then there’s Erica! Erica is a speech pathology major, wine connoisseur, and can’t resist shopping at the leather market. And, then of course, there’s Rachel, a bubbly advertising major, who should have her own cooking show and enjoys dancing at the night clubs! Erica and Rachel are both in different sororities back at school, and they carry with them what they call the “study abroad bible”—an all encompassing list of recommendations compiled by all the sisters that studied in Florence before them! I didn’t know that this was a thing, but I’m so fortunate and happy to tag along for the ride!

My first encounters with Italy

In Florence, the people own the streets, and the cars drive slowly. (But, be sure to get out of the way; some cars don’t stop!) Soft accordion music fills the piazzas, or “city squares.” It’s not uncommon to hear guitars and the vocals of street performers, either.

Ristorante La Giostra

Beautiful dogs, little white ones and big golden retrievers, lay in the middle of the streets as their owners pause to chit chat. (Fun fact: dogs are welcome to accompany their owners into stores, too. At first I just thought everyone had service dogs, but then I realized that can’t be it!) Young couples hold hands, giving each other sweet kisses along the bridges. PDA seems much more acceptable here. Open-armed, Italian hospitality warms my heart. Italian men smile not just with the lips but with the eyes! And, have I mentioned the food? Gelato, spaghetti al pomodoro with fresh basil, four cheese gnocchi, cornetti, and tomato mozzarella panini. Delicious!

Our Lady of the Rosary ~ At La Basilica di Santa Maria Novella

Our Lady of the Rosary ~ Basilica di Santa Maria Novella

So far, I’ve enjoyed gazing at the Duomo in all its splendor, visiting the Ponte Vecchio, exploring the San Lorenzo market, engaging in little exchanges of Italian conversation (I love to practice!), attending Italian mass for the very first time at La Basilica di Santa Croce, and praying in the Dominican Basilica di Santa Maria Novella, Florence’s first basilica.

I’ve also experienced a bit of prejudice for asking, “Parli inglese?” (“Do you speak english?”) when words seemed unfamiliar, but the rare feeling of being unwanted has always been offset by the rich kindness and patience toward my broken Italian from more people here than not. One of my favorite things is when people genuinely ask where I am from. I’ve been doing my best to blend in, live gently, and keep my Americanness as subtle as possible, so this feels like a benchmark toward success! Semester goal: live like a local

Classes! (I almost forgot!)

Today was our second day of classes! I’ve now officially met all of my professors and gotten my first glimpse of each class I’ll be taking. My classes include: The Art of Buon Fresco, The History and Culture of Food, Introduction to Photography, and The Italian Experience: Italian Language 1. Again, I am in love. One particularly splendid thing is that my charming bilingual Italian language teacher, Alessio, speaks Italian for the entire length of class. Little did my classmates and I know it was possible to learn this way! I am so thrilled!

Finding my way around

Glittering canopies illuminate the streets of Florence. I’m not quite sure why, but perhaps it’s a custom to leave the Christmas lights up well after the Epiphany. The different lights have been great markers for my navigation, though, so I sure hope they keep them up!

Evening walk on the Ponte Vecchio

Paper maps have also been a huge help. I seem to learn most when I’m by myself seeing as this requires self-sufficiency. Surprisingly, I can get from Santa Croce, to the Duomo, to the Piazza della Repubblica, and back home by heart already. Florence is actually very small. Most of the city still feels like a big maze, though. Until I get the hang of it, there’s definitely something charming and serendipitous about the side streets.

While I’m being swept away by all the beauty and excitement here, it’s easy to get distracted. I like this quote by Saint Therese that says, “The world is thy ship and not thy home!” It serves as a powerful reminder for me. Ciao! Angela

Glossary

Piazza della Republica — A square with a carousel, some nice restaurants and shops, an Apple store, which has proven to already be super convenient, since I’m downloading photoshop for my Intro to Photography class and have had several problems. I met a very nice man named Giovanni who recommends restaurants when I bring in my computer for tech help!

La Basilica di Santa Croce

La Basilica di Santa Croce—A Franciscan church in Florence in the Piazza Santa Croce

The Duomo—Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, or more commonly known as the Duomo, is the main church of Florence. It has huge dome on top where you can walk all the way up to the top and see the breadth of the city’s church steeples and red-shingled roofs.

La Basilica di Santa Maria Novella—The first basilica in Florence, and a Dominant one at that! Santa Maria Novella sits near the main train station, which share its name

The Ponte Vecchio—“old bridge” famous for love locks on the chain-link fence and the shops that sell gold watches and other jewelry

Mopeds— motorized vehicles, or glorified scooters

Piazza — square

La Basilica di Santa Maria Novella

Language Practiced

“hello!” — Ciao (chow)

“Good morning!” — Buon giorno (bwon jor-no)

“Thank you very much!” — grazie mille (graht-zee-ay me-lay)

“Peace” — pace (pah-chay)

“To the right” — A la destra (ah-lah dess-truh)

“To the left” — A la sinistra (ah-lah sin-iss-truh)

“Sorry” — mi dispiace (me dis-pee-ah-chay)

“How do you say…” — Como se dice… (coh-mo say deech-ay…)

“Excuse me” — Scusa (scooz-ah)

“I don’t understand” — Non ho capito (Non o cah-peet-oh)

Pre-Departure Musings

Florence (n.) – the capital of Tuscany; the birthplace of the Renaissance; once named one of the world’s most beautiful cities by Forbes’ Magazine; my home for the first four months of 2016

Wrapping up winter break with a visit to Little Italy, NY

Ciao, my name is Angela. I am a junior majoring in journalism and minoring in international studies at Penn State University, and I’ll be living and studying in Florence, Italy for a little while. I come from a little town about 20 minutes outside of the city of brotherly love. Although my hometown and my neighboring home-city are my two first loves, I’ve dreamed of travel ever since I was little—a much bolder and far more fearless dreamer—and nothing in this world (other than travel) has ever looked so exciting! I’m not sure how I’ll process all of the “new” once I arrive, but for now, I’m just preparing myself (the best I can) to be open, optimistic, and ready to embrace everything as much as humanly possible.

Why Florence, Italy?

To be quite frank, I actually didn’t know where to go. But, I had always heard stories about Italy’s beauty, charm, and of course, its gelato. Once when I was little, I stumbled upon the words, “You may have the universe if I may have Italy,” by Giuseppe Verdi, a composer of Italian operas. The sentiment fascinated me, and travel had my heart ever since. Growing up, I continued to come in contact with beautiful images of Italian sights and splendid stories from my friend Katie Mae, who was an au pair right outside of Rome.

When it became time to choose my host country, all I knew was that I had warm and homey feelings attached to central and southern Italy. I figured, I’ve got to start somewhere if I intend to see everything, and Florence seemed like a lovely place to begin.

Three Days Before Departure

In just three days, I’ll step foot onto a plane. This makes me a little bit nervous! Although, I have traveled before—adventuring through Eastern Europe for two weeks. It was Easter break of my junior year in high school, and twelve other girls and I set out to explore Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. A little, old, Austrian man named Norman accompanied us as our tour guide along with Chief, our chaperone. Norman would tell us stories about each place we visited, and everyday he’d let us go exploring on our own. Mind you, we went to an all girls high school, and we were all 16 or 17 at the time wandering about countries that were foreign to us (buddy system of course!) Needless to say, the quote of the trip was, “Norman is out of control!” Thankfully, getting stuck in an elevator with my lovely rommate, Megs, was the only bad thing that had happened, and probably the funniest, too.

The next four months will be my longest stay overseas yet. I feel little butterflies, and my tummy kind of does somersaults when I think about it. So, I have been trying not to think. The older I get, the easier it is to be fearful because I am little more aware.

Little Italy, Mulberry Street, Brooklyn, New York

At this point, I’m just gathering last minute items like locks for my backpack zippers and other staple pieces of clothing so I can pack lightly and re-wear a lot of the same clothes in an array of creative pairings. I haven’t yet packed my suitcase, but that’s next on the list. I’m afraid I’ll forget things, but then again, I can always run to the markets once I get there in case anything imperative is left behind, (or so I tell myself). Compiling the travel playlist is also pretty exciting. I’ve got a stellar christian contemporary line-up for the plane.

Expectations

I think I’ll miss my family and my pup. I love them so much, but at the same time, I am so excited to get away for four whole months to see things, (and hopefully) grow, and change, and be a bit stronger when I return. I’m treating these next four months as a retreat from everything I have ever truly known.

I imagine living among the locals, studying, deepening my Catholic faith, visiting the Eternal City, exploring churches and other places of religious significance, admiring art and ancient architecture, enjoying Italian food and hospitality, and (most hopefully) blending in as a seasoned traveler and modeling the Italian ideal of fare bella figura—to have a beautiful figure.

Although these wishful reveries are true to Florence, there’s definitely a ton about this city that I do not know, and it’s already apparent that this could very well be an unforgettable experience…

Join me as I find my bearings and, explore lo stivale, the boot, the beautiful peninsula the Italians call home!

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

About Angela M Sanders

The romance of a moment, irrepeatable.

Who knew a piece of my heart was in Florence?

“The threshold which the world crosses in him is the threshold of wonderment.” -Saint Pope John Paul II

“My soul doth magnify the Lord.” -Mother Mary

More sweet moments

Ciao a tutti! Come state?

Home

Shocking first impressions

An answered prayer… plus some!

Santi Apostoli transforming my world

“Sono andata da Firenze a Ginevra e ritorno!”

“Oggi a Firenze”

Current mood: in love

Study abroad can be exhilarating and sublime, especially when all of Europe is suddenly at your fingertips.

A glimpse of Roma

A lesson well learned

So far, I’ve been here for 23 days, and I’ve experienced quite a whirlwind of events.

Learning the language

Wine tasting in Chianti

Adventures in Siena

V for Venezia!

The not-so-wonderful truth

Next stop… Roma!

Just five days ago, I boarded a plane and flew across the Atlantic Ocean. Since then, I’ve arrived in the wondrous city of Florence.

My new home

My new family

My first encounters with Italy

Classes! (I almost forgot!)

Finding my way around

Glossary

Language Practiced

Florence (n.) – the capital of Tuscany; the birthplace of the Renaissance; once named one of the world’s most beautiful cities by Forbes’ Magazine; my home for the first four months of 2016

Why Florence, Italy?

Three Days Before Departure

Expectations

“The threshold which the world crosses in him
is the threshold of wonderment.” -Saint Pope John Paul II