During the week, I typically wake up around 8:30am. I start my mornings in Florence with a coffee and something for breakfast. When cooking at home, my go-to breakfast is avocado toast, some fruit and a yogurt with jam. On days I like to treat myself to breakfast, I will go out to one of my favorite cafés with friends or grab a croissant and cappuccino from the Gilli in the Piazza della Repubblica. Depending on the day, I will work on some homework and journal in the mornings before classes, or I will go to the grocery store for dinner or do some laundry. After that, I get ready for classes and pack my backpack.

My classrooms are a short five minute walk from my apartment and I get to pass the beautiful Duomo on my way there. I am taking communication and film courses this semester, each one of my classes lasts two hours and ten minutes. After I finish my classes for the day, I go for a walk with my roommate around Florence and we explore the city for a bit. We have a long list of gelato places we want to try, so we typically try a new place on our walk! For lunch, I go to my favorite panini place and grab a quick bite! Around mid-day, I will head back to my apartment or my program’s student center to work on some homework for a few hours.

In the evenings, my roommates and I head up to the Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset. You can get an amazing view of Florence from up there and the atmosphere is energetic with live music and a big crowd. For dinner, I typically cook at home and take advantage of fresh, local food options in the markets and grocery stores. My favorite dinner meal to cook is pesto pasta with chicken and a side salad. After dinner, I usually plan out my weekend and book any train tickets or flights for my upcoming trips. I research every place I go and try to find the best restaurants and things to see in that city!

That is a typical day during the week in my life while studying abroad in Florence, Italy!