Studying abroad was completely unexpected, slightly impulsive, and extremely exciting. When I finally made my decision to apply to the Florence program- I was all in.
This could be controversial to say in regards to this being an honors experience reflection... but what I am most proud about this semester is the fact that school was, for once, not my priority. I have spent my entire life completely devoted to school; crying over letter grades, losing sleep over deadlines, and abandoning my hobbies in order to be academically productive. I don't regret what I did to get myself to where I am now, I am still proud of my academic achievements- but I also don't regret my neglect of school this past fall. I spent my study abroad semester doing the bare minimum for my classes. I participated in class, I got my work done as much as it needed to be, and I connected with my teachers and peers. What I really wanted from the semester was experiences- and something different than all of my other semesters at UC. 
Other than the required studios- I took "fun" classes: oil painting, sketching, and Italian language. I kept referring to this semester as my chance to pretend to be a fine-arts student, and as much as I love architecture it was a big relief to take a step back. 
I also took a step back from being the perfect student. I prioritized travel. Out of the four months I was living there, only two weekends were actually spent in Florence. I was constantly on the move, seeing and exploring new places every weekend, and reconnecting with friends and family all over Europe. The "stamps" on this page are some of the cities that I'd traveled to. I was learning in ways that I would never be able to achieve just within the school. 
I am very happy with the direction that I took this semester in, and even happier with the outcome.