After the first week of exploring, we remembered that we do indeed have to go to class! Realizing Florence isn’t just one big vacation spot was actually super helpful for me as someone who values routine and schedule a lot. Nobody really talks about the difficulties of moving to a whole new place without a set structure… It definitely hit me out of the blue. Having class everyday has helped me feel like I belong here and become more accommodated to the city. I was excited to start my first class and see what my new school, Florence University of the Arts, had to offer me. My class schedule for abroad is set up as taking one intensive course for 3 hours each day Monday-Friday. After the first three weeks, we have spring break and then our next courses begin and carry on throughout the next 11 weeks.

The class I started this past week is “Food, Fashion, Wine and Art: Creative Advertising for Italian Destinations.” Doesn’t that just sound like a dream?! I really wasn’t sure what to expect with this class; I have taken one advertising class at USC in the past and it was admittedly quite snooze-inducing (snooze city, some might say). I pictured this class to be a similar set up to my usual classes at USC, since it is counting towards my major (SJMC girls unite), with some note-taking and projects. It has been everything I hoped for and more! I knew this was the class for me when I walked into an all-girls class in an all pink room. The school building and even my classroom is furnished with elegant pieces, with oil paintings on the walls. I was immediately obsessed. My professor is a cool, young woman named Olga, who is the sweetest and clearly very knowledgeable on Italian markets. The only struggle I’ve had with class is the fact that there are no desks in my classroom, instead cushioned benches line the walls with several rows of them in the middle as well. Because I tend to enjoy a cappuccino before class, my back has suffered through several three hour classes on one of the less-than-ideal spots in the center of the room. But who cares, I’m in Italy :)

My morning routine has been quite enjoyable, waking up around 7 AM with three of my roommates: Lauren, Liv, and Olivia. After throwing on a sweater and jeans and getting ready, we have really liked walking to caffe before class and getting a cappuccino and the occasional croissant before our classes start at 8:50 AM. Although we enjoyed our original spot, Ditta Artigianale, we have parted ways due to the high prices (can you believe that a cappuccino is typically 2 euro or less?!) and the fact that we almost forgot to pay several times (you typically pay on your way out instead of after ordering). I will say their croissants are fabulous though. Olivia and I have class in the same building so we have since tried a new spot a little bit closer to school, Caffe Maioli, which has a more authentic vibe. After coffee, we arrive at class and I rush to my classroom to try and secure a spot against the wall. Class consists of mostly note-taking, where so far we have learned about the different tactics Italian brands will utilize in their advertising. Italy is essentially a brand in itself, pursuing an aesthetic that is rich in history and culture, fashion, quality food, natural beauty, and pleasure. It has been extremely interesting to notice the differences in Italian and American ideals and how we present ourselves differently. When we are not note-taking, we have left the classroom a couple times to see our studies in real life. While learning about food branding, we visited Eataly, a high quality market, to see how different labels, signs, wording and art were utilized to sell certain products. I now know how to identify if a product is made purely in Italy or if the ingredients are from different countries based on the quality label!

Besides class, I still have a lot of time during the day that is free time for me to do as I please. On the first day of class I finally tried affogato for the first time, which is espresso in the middle of a scoop of vanilla gelato. Let me tell you, that was a highlight of the week in itself. There has also been a panini addiction start and end, as we decided our bank accounts might not survive. We got too comfortable with meeting up after class at our favorite panini spot and sitting there for probably too long that we have resorted to making our own at home. I explored other markets around Florence, ate some of the best gnocchi I’ve ever tried, had my first cannoli here, explored the Arno river, and hiked up to Piazzale Michelangelo once again. Overall a very relaxing, wonderful week.

To close out the week, Lauren, Liv and I made our way to Milan for the day. After successfully navigating the train and metro system (still proud of us for that), we sat down for three hours at Osteria del Gnocco Fritto for one of the best meals I’ve had so far. A three course meal, complete with wine and limoncello of course, and so much laughter that the meal alone was worth coming to Milan for. We had cold cuts, cheese, jams, the gnocco frittos, two different types of pasta, and three different desserts. Trust, we all struggled to walk out of the restaurant after. The server told us he watches the Bucks, or as he said, “the team with the big freak”. However, he could not remember what Wisconsin was and resorted to calling Lauren and I the “Michigan girls” because he did know that Lake Michigan is shared between the two states.

After lunch we walked to the Duomo, admiring the city along the way. The city, while still Italian looking, felt much more urban than Florence to me, with more traffic, people, and stores. The Duomo has such a booming presence; more gothic and dark feeling than any other Church I’ve seen. I loved seeing how many different people, Catholic or not, come to admire this Cathedral. It is the 2nd biggest Catholic cathedral in the world and took nearly 600 years to build! Being in a place of such beauty, history, and faith was so touching. We finished out our day by walking through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which is a luxury fashion mall. Looking at all of the luxury fashion in the windows was so cool because I had the opportunity to apply the knowledge I had just leaned that week in class to what I was seeing in front of me. After nearly missing our train home, we crashed right away back in our own beds (still full from lunch!)

Week 2: Starting Class

Madeline Cesarz

Week 2: Starting Class

Week 3: Hello Interlaken!

Week 1: Florence

Madeline Cesarz