Photos by Sydny Welcher, (George Washington University), Student Correspondent for CET Florence, Fall 2022
![Students posing at sunset in Croatia](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Blog_Florence_Sydny-Welcher-1-Students-in-Croatia.jpg)
We couldn’t pass up a sunset group photo on our last night in Zadar, Croatia.
![View of sunset from Piazza Michelangelo with the Duomo in the center of the photo.](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Blog_Florence_Sydny-Welcher-2-Sunset-at-Piazza-Michelangelo.jpg)
Seeing the sunset from the Piazza Michelangelo never gets old. Such a beautiful skyline that makes me so appreciative of the beauty of Florence that I get to see everyday.
![](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Blog_Florence_Sydny-Welcher-3-Friends-in-Nice.jpg)
My friends Kyle and Josh captured as they enjoyed the sunrise in Nice, France over the ocean. This was our first trip together and now we are super close friends and planning more trips together.
![Large tropical trees in the foreground against the backdrop of a blue to orange gradient sunset in Croatia.](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Blog_Florence_Sydny-Welcher-4-Croatia-sunset.jpg)
The sunset in Croatia on our first night as we walked to dinner. Such a beautiful sight to see after the mayhem and stress of trying to get to Croatia. Note to self – that 27 dollar flight sounds awesome until you are sprinting through the airport to make your flight.
![Students running on a soccer field in the middle of Florence, surrounded by residential buildings.](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Blog_Florence_Sydny-Welcher-5-Soccer-practice.jpg)
CET soccer team’s first practice before we start a tournament against the other study abroad teams in Florence. Never thought I’d be on a soccer team during my stay here but I am so glad CET creates so many activities for us.
![A group of students posing for a photo in a highly trafficked tourist spot during sunset. Other tourists are seen admiring the scenery and taking photos in the background.](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Blog_Florence_Sydny-Welcher-6-Students-in-Italy-1024x768.jpg)
One of the first group pictures of some of us in the program we took. We were still learning each other’s names and one month later it feels like we’ve been friends for so long.
![A window with bright pink flowers blooming.](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Blog_Florence_Sydny-Welcher-7-Window-in-Nice-France.jpg)
Just a pretty picture I snapped as my friends and I walked the boardwalk in Nice, France. Nice was such a beautiful city and a great first trip to start study abroad off with.
![Nine students holding small white cups and smiling while posed against a half wall before the ocean.](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Blog_Florence_Sydny-Welcher-8-Students-posing-in-Nice-France.jpg)
Don’t let our happy faces fool you, this was taken at 8 am after taking an overnight bus and arriving in France at 4:30 am. The mimosas and beautiful sunrise were worth the lack of sleep but never again will I do an overnight bus.
![A beautiful sunset over an unsuspecting street alongside a park.](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Blog_Florence_Sydny-Welcher-9-Sunset-in-Florence.jpg)
Florence really knows how to paint beautiful sunrises and sunsets. After taking a bus from Milan back to Florence at 6 am, I was grateful for being up so early (I am never up before 8 am), so that I could see this sunrise.
![A man painting the view on an easel.](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Blog_Florence_Sydny-Welcher-10-Rose-Gardens-painting-in-Italy-577x1024.jpg)
One Sunday afternoon my friend Julia and I visited the Rose Gardens and saw an artist painting the view of the city. One of those “I can’t believe this is my life moments’.
![](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Blog_Florence_Sydny-Welcher-11-Medici-Class-Palazzo-Ceiling.jpg)
The gorgeous ceiling inside the Medici Family Palazzo. My Medici History class took us on a tour of the Palazzo and our teacher told us the history of the building and all the art. As someone who loves ceiling art, this ceiling painting was breathtaking.