Ciao! My name is Livi Mazerolle, I am a current junior at Williams College, majoring in English and Art History. I am on the track team at my college and spent the Fall, kind of, training in Florence! I had an amazing time with ISI and would be more than willing to answer any questions about life abroad, Florence, ISI, or anything else!

My favorite experience abroad was a trip I took early on in the semester. I knew it would be my favorite trip from the moment I left. The trip that took the cake for me was a weekend in the Dolomites with one of my roommates. The two of us took two trains, a bus, and a taxi to our trailhead in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Although there were many moving parts (literally and figuratively) this was one of the easiest travel days of the semester. From the trailhead we hiked an hour and a half to our home for the next two days, Rifugio Croda da Lago. We spent two nights with this wonderful family who ran the small, cozy hut. At the Rifugio, we were joined by other hikers stopping along their journeys. We did an 8-mile hike through the Dolomites, ate home-cooked meals, took a dip in the freezing cold pond, and, my favorite, had an afternoon in the sauna/cold plunge. It was the most relaxing, beautiful, and mindful trip. I would recommend everyone to visit the Dolomites while they are in Italy. I went in late September right after peak season ended and it was already pretty cold, so I would recommend visiting in the summer, early fall, or late spring. 

Say yes to everything! Say yes to that €20 flight to a random city, say yes to going out with new friends, say yes to participating in community activities. Life abroad presents itself with so much newness and unfamiliarity. My advice is to lean into that – in the grand scheme of things, your time abroad is short, and before you know it you will be back to the comfort of what you know and are familiar with. While you are here, bask in the uncomfortableness and unknown, you only have it for so long. This semester is a time for you to explore. Put yourself first and create as many memorable experiences as you can, and all that is required from you is saying yes.