Hi! This is Isabelle Low checking in from halfway through my semester in Florence, Italy. I’m studying arts and literature at Accademia Italiana. This semester has allowed me a chance to slow down and speed up all at once. I’m getting to study past and present interests of mine without feeling the pressure of a typical semester in school, which has allowed me to slow down and enjoy what I’m creating. I’m also fortunate enough to be able to travel most weekends, which is a rollercoaster of running around and attempting to see as much as possible before heading back to Florence for the week.
I want to use this space to share my favorite things so far that I’ve come across while studying abroad. In honor of my upcoming trip to Salzburg where The Sound of Music was filmed, these are a few of my favorite things:
1. Early morning walks to the train station as I begin my weekend of travel
2. Dancing with strangers at the Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset
3. Recognizing familiar faces in Florence from my weekend trips throughout Europe
4. The taste of gelato limone
5. Reading at a cafe, with no rush and nowhere to be
6. Meeting my friends for game night, but never even dealing the cards because we spent the whole night talking
7. Ziplining across the river and mountains in Croatia, feeling freedom wash over me
8. Sitting on a sidewalk in the middle of Florence to call my family
9. Visiting friends from GW who are studying abroad in other cities
10. My mom sending me pictures of my cats because I miss them every time I see a stray
11. Getting the signature dessert in every city I visit
12. Sketching views and details from my travels as homework for one of my art classes
13. Learning Italian phrases to better communicate with locals
14. Hanging my laundry from the clothesline to dry
15. Getting a postcard at the end of every trip that encapsulates the trip as a whole
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my fair share of frustrations while being abroad, like missing the people I love back home, train strikes cancelling my trains, and having to use google translate just to figure out which meat to buy at the grocery store, however, I’ve found that reflecting on the good things I’ve found and experienced keeps me grounded. Studying abroad is a temporary moment in my life that I am determined to make the most of and not take for granted. I know that I will never have an opportunity like this again.
At this point, I am halfway through my semester with just as much ahead of me as behind. I’m so excited to see what else this semester holds, and I hope my story gives you a little inspiration and excitement about studying abroad, too.
Isabelle Low
Fall 2025
Semester in Florence - Accademia Italiana
Columbian College of Arts and Science
English Major