Home Sweet Home

So I've been home now for three days and it's lovely. Well, except for the fact that I have a cold, but that was inevitable since I always get sick at Christmas. The trip home was very long, especially since both my flights were delayed. Never-the-less I made it to Logan and was greeted by my parents and my puppy!
One of the first differences I noticed about home is how weird dollars look. I had gotten so use to euros that I almost didn't recognize them. I'm so happy to be home surrounded by family especially for the holidays, but I'm also glad for the last three months I had in Europe where I discovered so much about myself.
It's weird being home, I know I've been gone for a decent amount of time, but it feels like I never left, because everything is the same. The hardest thing to readjust to so far is the time difference, I keep waking up really early.
Studying abroad is definitely a trying experience, but it is worth it. I would recommend it to everyone. It truly makes you appreciate all you have even more and you meet some amazing people along the way.
Now hopefully for me I will find a job.

Woo I graduated :)

Comparison

Saci v. NEU

Pros:
Teachers: in the sense that are truly skilled and go above and beyond (for the most part) to help you with anything

Responsibility: I feel I was given more responsibility here and trusted to do tasks. For instance in photography we actually work with the chemicals and perform the whole process ourselves. Everything is hands-on instead of like at northeastern where usually everything is lecture.

Cons:

Time: Building hours and facilities need to be worked on. Having a building open till 7 during finals week is very annoying since you need the materials and computers.

Structure: There was a lack of schedule and order in some things

offerings: need to offer more student activities!

Tips

Restaurants:

Grom – gelato

Spera – pizza

Da Mimmo – great lasagna

Osteria di olio

Quattro de leoni

Places in Italy to Visit:

Normal touristy places like to see the David

Piazza Michelangelo – panoramic view of the city

Cinque Terre – great hike and swimming

Chianti – enjoy some wine

Amalfi – one day ill get here when the blue grotto is open

Other Places to visit:

Paris – amazing city, feels like home with so much to do and see. Don’t miss
Versailles if you go here!

Austria – It is so beautiful definitely go to Salzburg it is a charming city with delicious pretzels. Vienna is more of a modern city but visit Schronbrunn here.

Switzerland – so beautiful the Alps are breathtaking. Go to the top of Europe, visit a Christmas market and ski

Reflections

I’ve met so many amazing people here, who not only helped me get through the semester but also taught me so many things. I will miss everyone so much including some of my teachers who were just amazing and inspirational. Saci is an acquired taste. It is an amazing school, but it’s not for everyone. I would recommend it only if you are truly in to art. While, you will get a great study abroad experience and make great friends for students from a liberal arts background it’s a very different school system. Most of the teachers are truly leaders in their field however they’ve never taught before. From someone coming from a school where time is strictly adhered to it was nearly impossible to get use to classes starting always at a different time. Also, I was sad they different offer us more. There were no clubs or student groups, something that’s second nature in the U.S. and I felt those would have been a great way to meet people and learn more about the city. However, I regret nothing and would do it again in a heartbeat.

My Last Day

It’s my last week in Florence; it doesn’t seem real. I feel like just yesterday I stepped off the plane with an abundance of enthusiasm ready to take on the world; or at least Italy. Now, I’m stepping back on a plane but this time I’m filled with memories, excitement for home and a new found sense of self. As much as I was looking forward to this day now I’m feeling a slight sadness, goodbyes are so hard. The beginning of the term was rough and seemed endless. Several setbacks and let downs marked this time. But midterm break was a changing point. Everything began to click and time just seemed to fly. As I’m sitting here writing this in my apartment I look around my now mostly empty room; my bags are packed and at attention and the bare room seems depressing. I just keep thinking it can’t be over, I can’t be going home, I couldn’t have just finished college. But good or bad it’s reality. Tomorrow night it’ll be all over, so I’m going to go out and take my last sips of Florence. A stroll down the river, a last gelato and a gift from the market and it will all be complete.

Finals

Finals week is very stressful. At this point in the semester I’m all out of creativity, but that doesn’t fly at an art school. All of a sudden there’s a mad rush of students using the labs and darkrooms trying to create masterpieces. I hate to say it but I miss a good old-fashioned final; I’d take a test any day over this. It’s very irritating trying to finish projects when the buildings are open only at certain times, and usually when I have another class.

The finals themselves are so different. You have a critique where you present your work to one or two teachers who ask you questions and rate your finished product. For someone with no artistic ability it is very daunting.

Thanksgiving

It’s very strange to be away for a major holiday, especially when that country doesn’t celebrate it. At home it would be a shortened week and everybody would make the trek back to their hometowns. Here we had to negotiate with our teacher to get out of class and take a trip to Siena, where we enjoyed a delicious meal of pasta, which just isn’t the same. No turkey, no pie, no football and no White Christmas viewing, this just wasn’t Thanksgiving. But I made it through the day with the comforting knowledge that I’d be home in two weeks and can have a T-giving redo, black Friday and all.