Author Archives: jmc722

10 Surprises I’ve Encountered in Florence

These past three weeks have flown by and I’m not sure where the time went!  I’m going to try to catch up on my blogging, but I thought I’d start off by listing ten surprises that I’ve experienced in Florence already:

1.  You have to pay to use the restroom.  Not only that, but restrooms are few and far between! 

2.  Tipping is not a concept in Florence.  Instead, you are charged a 1 or 2 euro cover charge per person.  It’s definitely a plus!

3.  Florentines don’t seem to understand the concept of lines!  We’ve had numerous occasions (such as waiting for a bathroom or a taxi) where they simply breeze right past you!  Definitely something to get used to!

4.  When you order pizza, you get a whole pizza!  And there pizza is absolutely delicious!  I’m not sure how I’ll ever return to Pizza Hut after this!

5.  People do not move out of the way or let you pass in the streets!  It’s every man for themself here in Florence, and I find msyelf walking on the street instead of the sidewalk to avoid it!

6.  There are sandwich shops and cafes everywhere!  We’ve had such fun trying different sandwich shops everyday!  So far, my favorite sandwich shop is The Oil Shoppe!

7.  Walking is the way to travel!  We walk everywhere, and I love just taking in the city!  I’m definitely not concerned about all the pasta I’ve been eating, because I certainly walk it off.

8.  We’ve had little to no problems with language!  Everyone here seems to speak at least a littel bit of English.  It’s been convenient, but I’m still trying to pick up on Italian.

9.  Italians like there coffee strong.  I’ve become a big fan of espresso, simply because we get little to no sleep here and it’s the only thing that gives me the jolt that I need!

10.  Italians don’t buy there groceries in bulk.  The first time we went grocery shopping, we had so many people staring at us!  Since then, we’ve tried to buy only groceries we will need for a few days!

I’m absolutely loving Firenze and I’ll give a more detailed blog when I find a spare moment!

Ciao!

Jen


Location: The Computer Lab, Palazzo Rucellai, Firenze, Italy

T-Minus 2 Days til Florence!

As I was sitting on my couch this morning watching The Today Show, it finally hit me…In three days, I will be on my way to the airport headed for Florence, Italy!  It’s hard to believe that in three days I will be across the world, experiencing Italian culture and having the journey of a lifetime! 

After I came to this realization, my first thought was the empty suitcase that is sitting up in my bedroom, waiting to be packed.  As anxious as I am to go on this adventure, the thought of packing for SIX WEEKS makes me cringe.  I’ve told myself that as soon as I finish this blog, I’m going to go pack…We shall see how that goes!

I’m not sure what to expect when I get to Florence.  I am so anxious to see where I will be living, who I will be living with, and what the city will be like.  Everyone that I’ve spoken to has only good things to say about the city, and I can’t wait to experience it first hand! 

My roommate is also studying abroad in Italy, and it’s comforting to know that I’ll have someone there who I know well to travel with.  While there, we’re hoping to travel to Venice, Rome, Milan, Cinque Terre, and various other cities in Italy.  We also hope to make it to Dublin, Ireland and London, England.  It’s so weird to know that flying in Europe isn’t a big deal, and I couldn’t get over how cheap plane tickets were!

I’m off to pack – looking forward to keeping everyone updated on my adventures in Florence!  Stay tuned 🙂


Location: Butler, Pennsylvania

Less Than a Month Until Florence!

Hello to everyone!

Just got trained on how to blog during my time abroad.  I can’t believe that I am less than a month away from being in Florence, Italy for 6 weeks!  It’s very exciting!

A little background info on me…My name is Jennifer Cully and I’m from Butler, Pennsylvania which is about forty minutes outside of Pittsburgh.  I am an Accounting Major in the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University.  This summer I am studying abroad in Florence, Italy for 6 weeks and I cannot wait.  During my time there, I will be taking two classes, one on Italian Art and one on real estate in Italy.

The next month is going to fly by.  I haven’t even considered what I’m going to pack yet, but packing light is definitely going to be a challenge for me! 

I cannot wait to study abroad.  I am sure it’s going to be one of the most memorable experiences of my life and I’m so excited to share it through these blogs!  I definitely have some anxiety about going abroad, but it’s a positive anxiety (more like excitement/anticipation!)…  I’ve never considered myself the adventurous type, but this is definitely going to be an adventure.  I cannot wait to soak in every minute of it!


Location: Butler, Pennsylvania