I was determined to ride a camel this semester. Many people can say they have been to France and saw the Eiffel Tower, or went to London and saw the Big Ben, because those are always top tourist destinations, but not many people can say that they rode a camel in Africa so, I booked... Continue Reading →

In preparation for our class field trip to Rome, I decided to spend my Thursday night watching the Lizzie McGuire movie. For those of you that don't know, the Lizzie McGuire movie was filmed in Rome and highlights many of Rome's famous attractions such as the Trevi Fountain. I think the major difference between my... Continue Reading →

In America, at some places, it is a common courtesy to buy something if you're going to use the bathroom. However, it is not mandatory to do so. You are able to walk into any place and use their bathroom free of charge. When I first arrived in Italy and traveled to the Amalfi Coast,... Continue Reading →

As a student studying abroad in Italy, you would expect my favorite restaurant to be one that serves italian food. But no. My favorite restaurant in Florence is FirenZen. FirenZen is an asian noodle bar located right near my apartment on Via Guelfa. The best part about this place? They deliver. What made me fall... Continue Reading →

Over break, I had the opportunity to travel to five different cities in a bunch of different countries. I visited Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and Barcelona. This year, Halloween fell on a Wednesday which is when I was in Paris. In the spirit of Halloween, I decided to do something spooky and visit the Catacombs... Continue Reading →

Is “home” a place or a feeling? I think it’s both. Home for me is Rochester, New York. Home is where my family lives and where I have met all of my closest friends. Home is a place where I feel comfortable. But hey, great things happen when you step out of your comfort zone.... Continue Reading →

Moving to Italy was a huge adjustment for me but also one of the best decisions I have ever made. I have never been away from home for this long. Realizing that I was completely on my own for the first time was weird. I was at my apartment, in the kitchen, trying to cook.... Continue Reading →

Grocery shopping in Florence is definitely different than what I am used to. Living in Rochester my whole life, I was fortunate enough to grow up with multiple Wegmans locations in my town. For those of you who don't know, Wegmans is a grocery store but it is not like any ordinary grocery store. I... Continue Reading →

Would you like to get paid to travel? Yeah, me too. Recently, I met a 23 year old travel guide named Gavin, who works for Florence for Fun. Gavin was actually my tour guide during my trip to the Amalfi Coast a couple weeks back. I decided to interview Gavin to learn more about his... Continue Reading →

Yesterday, I walked toward the Duomo behind two American women who were chatting loudly, wheeling luggage behind them and obviously using a phone as a GPS. I identified them immediately as tourists, and so did a guy on the street "selling" bracelets. In Florence, the closer you get to the Duomo, the more tourist traps... Continue Reading →