A Brief Reflection on My Semester in Florenze, Italy

In the Fall of 2008, my sophomore year at Stony Brook University, I spent four months studying abroad in Florence, Italy. I studied at Florence University of the Arts (FUA) which had a sister school, Apicius that specialized in culinary, wine and hospitality. I wrote and edited for the school's magazine, Blending Magazine during that time and continue to maintain a strong relationship with the folks at the school.
The group of students that I studied abroad with was sent a list of questions that we were asked to answer and submit back. Because of the distinct impact the experience had on my life I felt obligated to respond. The following are the questions and and my responses to them:

- How did your study abroad experience impact your life?
Hah! If it was that easy to articulate effectively I'd have a book contract by now.
To this day, the group that was in Firenze during the fall of '08 is family. Borgo Ognissanti, the name chosen after the street of the flat - the thirteen of us essentially lived together and came to rely on one another for the most important and the most mundane aspects of life.
Firenze awoke two passions within me that have and will undoubtedly continue to play important roles in my life. The Regional Wines of Italy course brought me to the vineyards of Tuscany in San Gimignano where I was enchanted by the estate life of a vineyard family. For over a year I've been working for a vineyard on Long Island where I've continued the education and passion for that sacred nectar. The vineyard produces estate wines, some of the best in the region, and is run by a beautiful family of European descent. Since Italy, my bar for acceptable wine has been set high, although if the group of friends is right, exceptions can be made for the sake of special occasions.
Secondly, the experiences abroad brought forth a distinct yearning to better understand the complexities of the world we live in, participate in enacting solutions to the challenges we collectively face and a desire to better grasp our place on this planet. Since Firenze, I've taken time off from school to work in the emerging field of renewable energy and have since returned to Stony Brook's new Sustainability Program. I'm majoring in Environmental Humanities (environmental anthropology). I plan on continuing to work within the complex framework of the interconnected international system, maintaining a focus on society in the environment and examining the inequalities that are present throughout the globe.

- What was the most surprising form of reverse culture shock that you experience upon re-entry?
For some time afterwards there was a distinct disdain for the sporadic, seemingly meaningless method of development in the majority of the United States. Stony Brook is on Long Island, full of strip malls and a lack of community. I missed the urban accessibility of Firenze and the small town feel of villages outside of Firenze; they all seem to be built with purpose.

- What or who do you miss the most in Florence/Italy?
Although I mentioned the group that came to be family, Borgo Ognissanti, I especially miss the other students of FUA and Apicuis who became dear friends but do not live close by as well as the group of people who make it possible the faculty and staff. They were a blast and I still keep in touch with many of them.
However, I'd be lying if I didn't say that what I miss most were the times alone either wandering aimlessly or running along the curving street, Viale Galileo that offered tree covered paths, expansive public gardens, a separation from the bustling streets of Florence and an expansive view of the city from Piazzale Michelangelo. Those were the moments that Florence became alive and opened itself up to be experienced fully.

- What did you learn about yourself while studying abroad that has changed your outlook or interactions with others?
(These answers are essentially provided above. In the sake of not repeating myself I'll leave the decision to you as to keeping them within the framework of that question or separating them. If you're going to separate them, forward me the revisions if it's not too much trouble and I can adapt them if necessary. Grazie!)

- Have you been able to maintain the bond with your former roommates or class?
Borgo Ognissanti does keep in touch. Given the time since our experience together in Firenze, changes have naturally occurred. Many of us are onto the other endeavors; school, internships, graduate school, work, etc. Some of us do still manage to get together during opportune moments and these times are cherished to the fullest.

- Open Topic: Tell us something that is interesting :-)
The concept of the "real world." Many times throughout the course of my experiences in Firenze, friends (and myself included) would be disillusioned with the idea that Firenze must be something separate from reality. How could such a period of time continue or exist ever again? It must be too good to be true. What would it be when we got back to the "real world?" - we would ask each other.
Of course time and space changes. We move, we "get on with things," we are faced with decisions. However, I would argue that, in part because of my time in Firenze, I was re-awoken to the belief that I could do anything. I say "re-awoken" because we start out having the belief instilled in us by family and friends and this seems to gradually deteriorate as we increasingly enter into society. I should put that statement into context; I don't mean "anything" relative to the entire globe, but rather anything within the confines of my individuality and passions. (Point being, why would I want to do anything if within anything there are things that I inherently wouldn't be interested in.)
The time we spend abroad is not some sort of alternate reality. You don't reemerge into the "real world" upon touching down in the United States. That being said, while abroad you are afforded the possibility of separating yourself from the routine that society has come to expect us to follow. It is a chance to learn about yourself and about things that may have been completely foreign to you beforehand. Firenze is very much the real world and should be experienced as such.