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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CU Boulder chapter.

I always wanted to study abroad in London when I was in college. I have a fascination with the city and its history. I can’t overlook the immediate comfort I felt when I visited for the first time. 

However, the idea of studying abroad ended up differing from the actual act of going. I decided last minute that I would apply to a program and let the influence of others sway my decision to pick Florence, Italy instead. When I applied, I honestly didn’t think it would ever manifest into me actually going. It seemed like a mere idea that wouldn’t turn into anything more. 

The weeks leading up to leaving were an absolute roller coaster of emotions, with the back and forth of wanting to go or stay. But as I always do, I put those feelings aside, telling myself I still had time until I left. 

But then I packed a small part of my life into two suitcases and boarded my first flight to Paris. I had never flown abroad alone and had no idea what to expect. As the plane slowly flew further from New York, the reality of everything began to set in. 

Finally landing in Florence after traveling and anticipating it for so long felt unreal. I was the first person to arrive at the apartment and had a few hours to myself before everyone else arrived. Those first few hours alone in my new home were a mix of emotions— I remember lying down, overwhelmed with the exhaustion from traveling and the anxiety of actually having to go through this experience that I still felt unsure about. I began to spiral thinking about spending the next three months, in a time zone completely different from my friends and family in the States. I got lucky to be sharing a room with one of my best friends and roommates from Boulder, but aside from her, I knew nobody. 

It felt like freshman year all over again— being far away from home, knowing only a few people, and feeling very much out of place. And I won’t lie, the first few weeks were rough. I spent a lot of time questioning myself and my decision. Aside from crying, I found that the only thing that helped me during this time was planning and reaching out to people in my classes to try and create bonds that I could rely on in addition to the ones I had with me already. 

It took me at least a month to finally feel somewhat comfortable with the adjustment that study abroad forces us to address. When I was “home” for the first week in Florence, I was met with the comfort of friendship and support in my classes, most specifically in beginning Italian where I met my closest friends who, like the places, helped make my experience when I finally opened up to the opportunities in front of me. 

Another thing that helped me during my adjustment to the city and the study abroad experience was immersing myself in the food and fashion culture of Florence. I consider Italian food to be my favorite cuisine and I heavily stand on the fact that I don’t think you could ever really get a bad meal in Florence. This was before my celiac diagnosis, so there were no limits on how much pasta, pizza, and sandwiches I could consume.  Additionally, I was able to explore a different fashion culture through one of my classes that focused on fashion marketing, which motivated me to get out of my comfort zone with my style and fueled my growing shopping addiction. 

There was something so surreal about planning trips to places such as Copenhagen, Paris, and Malta. I had a newfound sense of freedom to travel wherever I wanted and got to experience new places, people, and cultures almost every weekend. In the end, I made it to seven countries and three different cities in Italy. Getting to visit and revisit places that have always been on my bucket list was an experience I have no words for, but a fondness in my heart that I’ll always look back on.  

While Florence wasn’t my original destination, I am forever grateful for the experiences I had there and throughout my study abroad experience. Being surrounded by a city of rich history every day is something I still look back on in awe. Getting to explore Florence, both on my own and in combination with my classes, allowed me to view the city in a multitude of ways that I may not have considered on my own. All these things deepened my appreciation for the city and allowed me to acknowledge how lucky I am to be able to have that experience. Along with my thankfulness for the experience, I also thank myself.

And in the end, while it wasn’t my home base… I got to go back to London.

Tess Norris

CU Boulder '25

Tess Norris is a new contributing writer for the Her Campus, CU Boulder chapter. She aspires to use her voice as a member to express opinions, inspire others, and give a sense of understanding and reassurance around the topics she covers. Tess is a senior at CU Boulder originally from New York City. She is majoring in English Creative Writing and minoring in Journalism. Tess has a passion for current events/politics, and mental health/disability awareness, and is a huge advocate for self-care/love. She strives to be a support system through her actions as a writer and friend/family member. She hopes to lean on her love of writing and desire to give a voice to everyone through her time at HCCU and after graduation. Outside of school, Tess loves to spend time with friends and family, do anything outdoors, try out new recipes to cook or bake or rewatch comfort movies. Tess loves to travel and spent her Spring semester of Junior Year in Florence, Italy where she visited 8 countries outside of trips within Italy. She will also never give up an opportunity to talk about her cat Daisy.