A weekly assignment from our Intercultural Communication course (Prof. Christian Tarchi).

Written by: Meghan Andrews (UConn), Alex Briggs (UConn), and Michelle Barrett (UVA)

When we first arrived in Florence the maps and the street names looked more like a puzzle that we would have to solve, getting groceries became more of an endeavor than we hoped, and even finding our way to class became more a production than we could have ever imagined. However, as we learned to discover, all of the wrong turns we made or the turns we missed, lead us to uncover things about Florence that we probably would have never found if we hadn’t got lost.

It isn’t the worst thing to go the wrong way in Florence. Taking a turn down an unplanned street may end up bringing you to the beautiful Ponte Vecchio, or the breathtaking panoramic view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo. Being abroad is a time to explore and immerse in a new culture and getting lost may be a step outside the comfort zone, but it is a great way to expand knowledge of a culture, coming across all kinds of people and things.

Studying abroad is a once in a lifetime adventure to cherish and value for the rest of the life!