I do not know how, but somehow it is already the weekend before finals week at Accademia! This is technically the last week of school but all my teachers are having us turn in our projects/ take our tests this coming week. In order to prepare ourselves for the week we have coming us most of the study abroad kids stayed in Florence and just spent the weekend working on projects and studying. Even though my weekend was filled with finals preparation I made an active effort every day to enjoy the amazing weather Florence is currently enjoying. At the beginning of November it was cold and rainy and no one was ready for it. We were all so scared that that is how it was going to be for the rest of our time here and that it was going to get colder because none of us had the right clothes! But somehow after our rainy week in Paris, Florence cleared up a lot and now that it is December we are able to walk around without any issues. I remember how confused I was when packing for this study abroad since it encompasses so many different seasons so here are some packing trips for your study abroad:
Bring two good pairs of shoes: I made the mistake of only bringing one pair of shoes and though they lasted a long time, I have walked so much here on the uneven cobblestone streets and they needed to be replaced!
When picking shoes make sure one is OK in the rain because if your weather is anything like it was this year, you will be jumping in a few puddles!
A good rain jacket and umbrella is a must
Another jacket: My rain jacket is extremely lightweight and though it protects me from the rain it does not do much to help against the cold. Like every travel blog you will ever read: It is important to layer! The easiest way for me to stay warm was just to wear many different layers. If you bring things that you can layer is makes it easier to wear them in many different seasons rather than just the one.
Winter gear: Though Florence does not get particularly cold, other parts of Europe do! If you plan on traveling even just to north Italy, gloves and a beanie will be very helpful.
Clothes you do not wear as often: I tried to pack clothes I did not wear as much back home because I knew that there are only so many things I could bring and that I would be rewearing clothes a lot. Bringing clothes I am not used to wearing a lot helped me not get as bored with my wardrobe as I know some of my friends have been feeling.
I was lucky enough to have my landlord provide towels, bedding, and kitchenery. And from what I understand all of my friends here also had those things provided to them so those are not things you need to worry about. If it turns out that you need to buy things it is pretty easy to figure out once you are settled in so you do not need to stress about those things!
I was able to survive with just my one check in bag. I have not really gotten sick of my clothes either. I have worn the same thing multiple times but I think I have been doing so much since being here that I do not really think about it!
