At this point in the trip, our time in Germany was coming to an end. However, I was not looking forward to what was to come. We had planned a 16 hour coach trip from Berlin to Florence, breaking another personal record of mine: the longest I’ve traveled in a day. I was not looking forward to it to say the least. 

Even though the trip was painful, it was well worth it for the views on the trip to Florence. We traveled through the Alps and saw some of the most beautiful views. My body was aching to go to sleep, but I knew I needed to power through it as I may not get the chance to see something like this again. 

The first thing we did in Italy was grab pizza from a local place around the corner. To say it amazing would be an understatement. It tasted much more fresh than something in America and you didn’t feel guilty eating it either. The dough was the real twist in the pizza. It was much more soft than what we are accustomed to back home and was fluffy and light. 

At times, Florence felt like a fever dream. The architecture and way of life was so different and didn’t feel real. We found a local spot that took a hike to get there, but it was worth it in the end. The view was the entirety of Florence and was a great attraction. There was a guy who would play classic rock on a guitar and it made the perfect atmosphere for a sunset. 

A lot of lessons were learned in Florence. One was to live in the moment. There were times when I knew I would be back home in a moment’s notice and made sure to consciously think about what I was doing, so I would not forget it. If you are even slightly interested in studying abroad, take the leap and do it!