Hi everyone! My name is Natalie Miller and I am a senior studying Nutrition and Dietetics at Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences. While my major is Dietetics, I am also passionate about sustainability and agriculture. With that being said, it does not surprise many that this summer I studied farm to table concepts in Florence, Italy.
In the beginning, I found the study abroad process very overwhelming, especially since I was going through an external program. Luckily, between the Hogs Abroad office and friends who had studied abroad in the past, I was able to take it all step-by-step. It seemed like in no time that I was accepted into my program, which was fully funded, and found out that my course would actually count towards my major! I was thrilled. I already felt so blessed to be planning a trip to Italy, and then everything just fell into place.
Thankfully, since my trip to Italy was my second study abroad experience, I felt a little more prepared once I had received acceptance, funding and credit pre-approval. One thing I was not prepared for – arranging my own flight! My first time abroad, the flight package was included so I did not have to organize my flights at all, unlike my trip to Italy.
After several flight delays and cancellations due to weather on the east coast, I found myself scrambling in the Chicago O’Hare Airport trying to find a way to arrive in Rome on time. Fortunately, in the end I arrived in Rome only two hours late!
When I arrived in Rome, I had to take a cab from the Rome Airport to the hotel we were staying in for our two-day excursion in the city. While this was stressful, Rome was definitely worth it!
After our two-day excursion, my group and I were on a bus to our host city of Florence. We were all anxious and excited to arrive and see the beautiful city we would call home for the next month.
I shared a 3-bedroom apartment with 6 other girls who attended college all over the States. While the apartment had no A/C and was a 25 minute walk from class, the worst part was trying to carry our suitcases up 4 flights of stairs! But in all reality, the apartment was absolutely amazing. We had a beautiful view of the Santo Spirito Piazza which included a church, fountain, and several cafes. I would not have changed a single thing about where we lived because it was such an amazing experience to live in the same apartments as locals because it allowed us to interact with them daily.
While Florence is a gorgeous city, just absolutely breathtaking, one of my favorite parts was just right outside of my apartment. Every day, 7AM to 2PM there was a farmer’s market in our piazza. Since I have already expressed my love for food, agriculture, and sustainability, you can probably imagine how excited I was about this! Every day I would stop by this market on my way to class and while many farmers and artists were there every day, there was always something new. The market had fresh produce, locally made clothing, art, and all sorts of treasures.
As if I haven’t talked about food enough, my farm to table course was perfect too. We participated in tastings, field trips, weekly cooking labs, and we learned not only about Italian food culture and industry, but also about how it compares to the U.S.. The icing on the cake was that my teacher was a dream and she and I still keep in touch. What more could I have asked for? I stayed in an amazing city, filled with vibrant people, in a beautiful apartment, learning about what I love from someone who is just as passionate about the topic as I am.
If you are thinking about studying abroad in Italy, I would 100% recommend it. The food, locals, cities, and coasts are just as amazing as you could imagine, and more! I have never experienced a culture so rich that after only a week I was seeing life through a new lens. I came back from Italy with a deeper understanding of who I am, and who I want to grow to be. I made friends from all over the country who I still talk to everyday, and the memories I made in just a few short weeks will forever be some of my best! When I think back to my time in Florence, I actually get emotional about how much I will endlessly cherish my experience there.
