Over the past 2 years, study abroad opportunities for university students have risen and more students now have the ability to experience a new culture for a semester, or even

year. This experience is unlike any other. I interviewed my sister Gabriella Nowak who is currently doing a semester in Italy for Marywood University to let us know what a Day in the Life in Italy looks like!

This is how Gabriella starts her typical day:

“My day starts at 8 AM, then I get up and go to the gym…Italians don’t really have a gym culture like Americans do so the equipment is very compact. Then, I’ll go to the bar (which is the American equivalent of an American cafe) and have a macchiato and a pastry, which is a traditional Italian breakfast.

“After that I’ll walk to school and have a beautiful view of the River Arno as I walk to my first class of the day at ISI Florence. I pass the Santa Maria Croce church every day which is stunning. There’s lots of things happening on the city streets everyday, from construction to angry people on the phone to laughing friends to hopeful pigeons.”
“In between classes I usually have some free time to explore, some places I’ve really enjoyed are the Boboli Gardens as well as some awesome lunch places, like All-Antico Vinaio”

“My favorite sandwich so far has been the one with mortadella, stracciatella cheese, pistachios and pistachio cream. I also like to take a peek indifferent shops and find little treasures to take home.”

“After classes end, we’ve learned that Italians do something called aperitivo sometimes, which is a little drink and appetizer before they eat dinner. We like to go to Nab Firenze for a tagliere appetizer (charcuterie board) and a limoncello spritz!”

“For dinner, I’ve tried a LOT of different kinds of pizza and pasta, and everything is so fresh and delicious here. And of course, gelato is always the way to end a great day!!!”

Overall, Gabriella has loved her experience in Florence so far this semester, and she would recommend the program to anyone heading to university next year!

Experiencing the culture, people, and food are some of the many reasons to head to a new environment and study abroad!