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After spending the first twenty years of my life within the United States, I now have the privilege of being able to study abroad. I will be studying this fall at the Accademia Italiana in Florence, Italy. A couple of friends and myself stopped in Paris on the way over. It was so surreal standing underneath the Eiffel Tower. We also took a boat tour and spent a substantial amount of time just walking around. The food was wonderful, and I especially enjoyed the fresh croissants and crêpes. The architecture was very interesting and Notre Dame was especially stunning to see in person.

However, our stay in Paris was short and we were soon on an overnight train to Florence. Our train arrived late and we quickly had to grab a taxi to get to our housing. I went to my friends’ apartment, but had to walk to mine from there. I felt incredibly out of place walking through the narrow, stone-paved streets of Firenze with a 29-inch suitcase. I’m sure it must have been quite comical for locals. After settling in, all the students went out to dinner at a local restaurant. The main dish was a pasta stuffed with pears and cheese and it was delicious. That weekend we went to the Tuscan countryside and visited Greve in Chianti and visited a local winery. It was exciting to see where wine is made and aged. We also tried four wines: Super Tuscan, Super Tuscan Reserve, Merlot, and Vino Santo. Super Tuscan was a dry red, while the Reserve was a little sweeter, but both were wonderful. My favorite however, was the Merlot — it had such rich, complex flavors. The Vino Santo is more of a “dessert” wine, if there can be such a thing. It is incredibly sweet and syrupy, not something to be had in large quantities. Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera with me and I am still kicking myself. However, I just see it as motivation to return to the Chianti region.

On September 8th the students had the privilege of going on the top balcony of the Duomo. This balcony is only open one day of the entire year. From the balcony it was possible to see much of Firenze and I took many pictures. The following weekend a couple of my roommates and I went to the beach at Viareggio. The city seemed somewhat similar to Firenze, but a little more open. There were also more tropical plants and brighter colors that really made the architecture pop. Almost all the beaches were paid, and it was obvious that the beach was the commercial center for the city. We did find a free beach, a 15-foot-wide strip of sand leading to the water. It seemed comical compared to the others. There was also about 10 feet along the shore where red seaweed washed up, making the water look almost purple. There was a large park nearby where we rented a bike-car and rode around. I didn’t go swimming while I was there, but it was nice for a change of pace.

This Friday I went to “Abitare il Tempo,” an Interior Design convention in Verona. It took place in what looked like several large warehouses. The parking lots were lined with Ferraris, Audis, BMWs — you name it. The products I saw there were absolutely stunning and make me want to study Industrial Design. Who knows, maybe I can do an independent study at home. Although it was an international event, I think it was an interesting look into Italian Style. The event was so overwhelming that I can’t even describe everything I saw, but I hope to renew my Pro membership with Flickr so I can share them.

In school, I will be studying a couple Graphic Design classes of course, but I will also be taking a Fashion Illustration class. I am looking forward to getting out of my comfort zone a little and learning some new illustration techniques. I am also taking a photography class and I am excited to work in a darkroom rather than putzing around on Photoshop. I am also taking a beginner’s Italian class. I feel horrible being unable to speak Italian in Italy when many Americans expect others to speak English the moment they set foot on U.S. soil. Thankfully, Italians are more gracious and I have yet to have a horrible experience.

As far as Italy goes, the food has been wonderful, the coffee has been great and the wine has been even better. I am looking forward to my future adventures and will keep you all updated here. I will make a post when I renew my Flickr so that you can see my photos. Ciao for now!