Meghan Bucheral, Pitt in Florence Summer 2023
The biggest piece of advice I can give to those wanting to study abroad on this program is to not be afraid to do things by yourself. I was so afraid of going places alone in Italy. The country is full of tourists, and with that comes pickpockets or people trying to scam you, so it can feel scary sometimes. But in general, Italy, especially Florence, is safe and you don’t have to worry about going places alone. I didn’t want to visit cities like Rome or Venice alone because I was afraid of being alone in a new city surrounded by thousands of strangers, which is a very valid concern. However, I found that in most cases, I ended up breaking off from the people I went with anyway. I wanted to see St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice and my friends didn’t, so I went alone. In Rome, I wanted to see the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill but my friends didn’t, so I visited those sites by myself. My last trip out of Florence was to Lucca, and I had a whole itinerary planned that I knew I wouldn’t be able to complete if I went with others, so I went by myself and had a great time.
In all of these instances, I felt safe and was able to do what I wanted. Sure, I had no one to take pictures for me, but I have some pretty good selfies. I don’t get the opportunity to travel out of the country much (actually this was my first time outside America), so while in Italy, I had very specific things I wanted to do since this was a once in a lifetime chance for me. For a good portion of my trip, I let the fear of being alone and the fear of letting my friends down by not staying with them ruin some of the things I had planned. But once I decided to just go out on my own and see the sites I wanted, I had such an amazing time.
Now I want to say that I’ve done a lot of solo travel before (not outside of America but still), so I felt comfortable doing things on my own. I realize that not everyone has the experience I do or will feel comfortable being on their own in a foreign country. I think in Italy especially, there’s so much to see and do that not everyone you meet is going to want to do those things. I’m the type to plan out the activities I participate in and I wanted to see the famous attractions, but not everyone is that way. My friends preferred relaxing meals and exploring while I wanted to see the famous attractions and maximize my day as much as possible. Both preferences are valid, but can be hard to work around like it was in my case. So, don’t hesitate to go do the things you want! You’re in Italy and paying to be there, so you should do what you want and not worry about others if their preferences differ from yours. It’s very much possible to have a good time with others because I did enjoy the time I spent with my friends, but it’s also okay to want to do things alone. You may only be in Italy one time in your life, so go enjoy it the way you want!
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