Italy

March 30, 2010 - 4:36pm
Wandering the streets of Florence is as much an education as class.

On an average Wednesday morning, I wake up to the sun pouring through my window. Breakfast is waiting for me on the kitchen table—a bowl of fruit, Nutella, colorful jams, and crackers, which are really more like biscotti. A brisk 15-minute walk and I’m at the Accademia and there it is—larger than life, Michelangelo’s David.

March 22, 2010 - 11:18am
Getting more than my fill of delicious Italian food around my host family's dinner table in Florence.

I came to Florence to learn Italian. I came to study Renaissance art. No matter how convincing I say the excuses, the truth is, I came to Florence for the food.

March 9, 2010 - 11:26pm
First impressions of Florence leave Popolo clinging to her pocket dictionary.

It sounded easy enough, I thought, as I dug my toes into the silky sand. The surf instructor smoothly demonstrated how to mount the surfboard. “Just let it happen,” he said. “When you get out there, you’ll know what to do.” I dove into the warm Hawaiian water and saw a perfect wave approaching. It wasn't until I was swimming after my surfboard that I realized I had no idea what I was doing. When I got to Florence, I felt the same way.