Written by Sofia Gonzalez (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Student Correspondent for CET Florence, Summer 2026
Studying abroad is an amazing opportunity, but adjusting to life in a different country can be hard. This blog post will cover my experience during the first few days of the program as well as some of my broader thoughts and goals for my six weeks in Florence.
Settling In
After a long day of travel, I arrived at my apartment and started getting to know my roommates. There are four of us living in a cute old apartment building right next to the Arno River and just a 5 minute walk to class! It is a bit small, but very well decorated, and CET provided us with all the essentials, like dishes, bedding, appliances, etc.
The next few days were spent at orientation, which gave us a chance to meet all of the other students in our program and get to know the city a little more. Some of the things we did included a walking tour of some important places around our apartments plus some of Florence’s famous sites, a day trip to the Villa Demidoff Garden in Pratolino, and of course lots of free food.
My favorite activity we did so far was the trip to the garden, which used to be owned by the Medici family. It was a great mix of beautiful green space, walking trail, and historical statues and buildings. It was so interesting to hear the history of the location from our tour guide, and it was also lovely to get back into nature after spending the past few days in airports and exploring the city.
Although we’ve had a lot of great food so far, my favorite has been the gelato. I had it for the first time in my life here, and I’ve really been missing out by not having it sooner. It’s the perfect refreshing treat after walking around in the hot Italian sun. I’m excited to try as many flavors and gelato places as I can while I’m here!
Adjusting to Life Abroad
While I have enjoyed the things I’ve seen and experienced in Florence so far, living here has been quite the adjustment. Since this was my first time abroad, I didn’t expect jet lag to hit me so hard. It affects everyone differently, but it seemed like most of my fellow students were also very tired the first few days.
Jet leg, messed up sleeping and eating schedules, dehydration, and the stress of being in a new country are all things you might have to deal with when studying abroad, so make sure to give yourself grace and be patient with your body as it gets used to things. Drink lots of water especially!
Why I Chose CET Florence
As an art history lover, Florence seemed like the perfect place for me to study abroad. It is the birthplace of the Renaissance, filled with so many museums and beautiful churches. After walking around, the city itself feels like a work of art. I also chose it because Italy has amazing food and I like how easy it is to catch a train and travel all around Europe.
I chose CET specifically because I like how committed they are to helping students enjoy all the aspects of study abroad. The classes they offer all seem so interesting (I am going to be taking Renaissance Art & Architecture and Wine Studies), but many of them also include field trips to relevant sites, so it’s a great way to both learn about and see amazing things. CET also offers many fun activities outside of class to explore the city and get to know the other program participants. I also appreciate how kind and helpful the CET staff are because they know we are going through a lot of changes.
I chose the summer program in particular because six weeks abroad sounded a lot more manageable to me than a whole semester, and it would still allow me to get to know life in a different country and travel to new places. Before I came, six weeks sounded like a long time, but now it seems like it will go by very quickly. I can definitely see the appeal of a semester-long program, as it would allow you to immerse yourself more in the culture.
Goals for the Program
For me, studying abroad is a great opportunity to experience a different way of life and get out of my comfort zone. Even though I have only been here for a few days, I’ve already done so many scary things, including flying both by myself and abroad for the first time. For the rest of the program, I want to do my best to balance time spent getting to know Florence and diving into my classes while also traveling to new places. I don’t know if I’ll ever have the chance to live in Florence for so long again, so I want to take advantage of the time I have now!