The travel day is all worth it when this is what greets you when you arrive!
Getting to travel to Italy with the Art and Art History department was the greatest decision I could make this summer. For a degree like art history, travel and practical experience are imperative to understanding the scope and depth of art historical study. However, the weeks leading up to the trip would not be filled with thoughts of all the amazing things I would see and experience. I spent this time, instead, scouring every Instagram reel I could find about what to wear in Italy and all of the long-haul flight tips (I am a nervous flier and simply hate a long-haul flight.) So, if you are like me and struggle to envision the incredible trip at hand in favor of thoughts of packing the “perfect” things and being totally prepared for every circumstance, I am here to tell you that you won’t be perfectly prepared, and it is totally okay, but here are some guidelines to get you started.
My practical tips for packing for Italy:
- Light clothes!! Italy is HOT. I found that dresses, skirts, and short sleeve tops with light pants and even one pair of jeans was the way to go. Pack tops that will go with all of your bottoms to mix and match, especially when laundry is limited.
- Pack as many pairs of socks as your suitcase will allow. I was SIX pairs short and had to buy a pack in Florence. Count and count your socks and then add 5 more pairs!
- 2 pairs of shoes max. Save that suitcase space, sister, you will realistically only wear one or two pairs of shoes consistently.
- A light shawl AND a light cardigan! I only brought a light cardigan and regret this. Our trip involved many trips to Catholic cathedrals that would check for covered shoulders and knees. If you plan to visit a lot of churches, bring a light shawl or scarf to cover your shoulders on the hot days. We had a couple of cold days, so my light cardigan came in handy, but you need an option for the hot days.
- A bag that is not too big, but not too small. My medium-sized leather purse has been with me to Spain and Italy for study abroad trips and has been the perfect vessel for carrying a sketchbook, pencils, small water bottle, a portable charger, souvenirs picked up along the way, and anything my friends didn’t have the hands for! It can get heavy by the end of a long day, but having my hands free and the essentials I needed was so worth it. For museum trips, pick a bag that can bypass the need to check your bag in a locker.
My practical tips for the dreaded long-haul and time change:
- Sleep, sleep, sleep. My travel day ended up beginning at 5am, and the long-haul was not until the afternoon. But even with the early start, I recommend that you cut off the caffeine intake early into the day. After the meal, put away your movie, put on an eye mask, and try to get some winks. Any amount of sleep will be your best friend after the long-haul.
- Brush your teeth right after the flight. After we landed in Italy, there was no time to sleep until that evening if we wanted to acclimate to the time change. Brushing your teeth and even having a quick change of clothes right after the flight will be a life-saver for going straight into the first day.
- When you arrive, eat a meal and get moving! We landed in Rome and our hotel was a short walk from the Trevi Fountain. Getting out and exploring helped to keep me awake and feel excited about being in Italy after what can be a disorienting travel day.
- Sleep, sleep, sleep. Our welcome dinner began and ended late, but I am grateful, because I was out like a light when it was time to sleep. And the next day, it was not hard to adjust to this time change!
I would urge anyone studying abroad to spend as much time researching what you will be seeing as you do researching what to pack and travel tips. I had little knowledge going into this trip of the museums and sites we would visit (Italian Renaissance and Baroque is not my specialty) and would have been able to understand and absorb them better had I done basic research beforehand.
But ultimately, the practical mistakes and shortcomings, the anxiety about packing and travel, will not take away your ability to deeply appreciate the incredible experience it is to study abroad. I do not remember the lack of sleep or if I wore the perfect outfits, but I do remember the things I have only seen in pictures materializing in front of me. I do remember how deeply and emotionally I was able to experience the artworks I saw in person. I do remember how much more I was able to appreciate art history by traveling through Italy with UA.