Florence

Explore the world
By NewsHouse Staff
April 27, 2010 - 7:01pm
Our abroad blog delivers students' experiences from across the globe.

For Passports, Syracuse University students studying in China, Spain, Chile, England and Italy share their adventures, misadventures, travel tips and insights, offering a peek into the life of an American student abroad.

Check out a sample of their stories:

Beijing

Home is everywhere
By Meredith Popolo
April 13, 2010 - 3:13am
Finding comfort in a foreign land

“It’s getting late,” my friend shouted in my ear at a noisy, sweaty discoteca. I looked at my phone. It was 3:47, and I had to be up in less than five hours. It’s time to go home, I thought.

Home. The long walk back gave me a lot of time to think about that word. Home. As I stumbled through the dimly lit Piazza della Repubblica, I wondered, is Florence really my home now?

Studying abroad is about more than studying
By Meredith Popolo
March 30, 2010 - 3:36pm
Wandering the streets of Florence is as much an education as class.

On an average Wednesday morning, I wake up to the sun pouring through my window. Breakfast is waiting for me on the kitchen table—a bowl of fruit, Nutella, colorful jams, and crackers, which are really more like biscotti. A brisk 15-minute walk and I’m at the Accademia and there it is—larger than life, Michelangelo’s David.

Dinnertime and maternity pants
By Meredith Popolo
March 22, 2010 - 10:18am
Getting more than my fill of delicious Italian food around my host family's dinner table in Florence.

I came to Florence to learn Italian. I came to study Renaissance art. No matter how convincing I say the excuses, the truth is, I came to Florence for the food.

Meredith Popolo: Florence
By Meredith Popolo
March 9, 2010 - 10:26pm
First impressions of Florence leave Popolo clinging to her pocket dictionary.

It sounded easy enough, I thought, as I dug my toes into the silky sand. The surf instructor smoothly demonstrated how to mount the surfboard. “Just let it happen,” he said. “When you get out there, you’ll know what to do.” I dove into the warm Hawaiian water and saw a perfect wave approaching. It wasn't until I was swimming after my surfboard that I realized I had no idea what I was doing. When I got to Florence, I felt the same way.