Abby Peska, Pitt in Florence, Summer 2026
This photo pretty much sums up my best piece of advice: say yes to the spontaneous plans, even the ones that happen at 10pm on a weeknight.
We’d just finished dinner, someone suggested walking over to see the Duomo lit up at night since none of us had actually seen it that way yet, and twenty minutes later we were standing right in front of it, freezing a little, taking way too many photos, laughing about nothing in particular. It wasn’t on any itinerary. Nobody planned it in advance. It just happened because we were all willing to keep the night going a little longer.
That’s basically my number one piece of advice: don’t over-plan your abroad experience. It’s tempting to build a massive checklist before you even land. Every museum, every day trip, every “must-see.” And sure, do some research, know the highlights. But leave a lot of space open, because the best stuff tends to happen in the gaps.
A few other things I wish someone had told me before I started this program:
Get comfortable being a little lost. Wrong turns in Florence usually lead somewhere good. A smaller piazza, a bakery with no line, a street you’ll want to come back to. Let yourself wander without a destination sometimes.
Say yes to people, not just places. The friendships you build with the people in your program end up mattering just as much as anything you see. Some of my favorite memories aren’t attached to a landmark at all; they’re just “that time we all ended up somewhere together.”
Talk to locals, even badly. Your Italian doesn’t have to be good. Ordering coffee, asking for directions, attempting small talk with a shop owner- it adds up, and people generally appreciate the effort even when you’re clearly struggling.
Keep a running list of small moments, not just big trips. The sunset walks, the random dinners, the nights like the one in this photo, those are the things you’ll actually want to remember. Write them down or take the photo, even if it feels unremarkable at the time.
Give yourself permission to not do everything. You will not see every museum. You will miss some day trip someone else is raving about. That’s fine. This isn’t a checklist to complete; it’s a month of your life, and it’s okay to actually live it instead of just documenting it.
If you’re heading into a Pitt GEO program, my honest advice is: plan less than you think you need to, say yes more than feels comfortable, and keep your camera ready for the moments you didn’t see coming.
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