WE'RE MOVING!!

Our new blog is officially up and running! Please join us on our new site by clicking he...

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Spring Break Experiences: By Hailie G.

I am ending my spring break with my last few hours in London and I feel like I have seen so much. I found myself a little emotional yesterday as I was sitting on the Tube waiting to go see my next major landmark and just thought, "All my life I have seen these places on TV, in textbooks, and in my dad's art books, but now I am here.. seeing this with my own eyes." Everything that was so far away is now right in front of me and...

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Roma, Roma: By Brigitte F.

I have been to the Eternal City; Rome was overwhelming and awesome. I saw more monuments and ruins than I have ever seen before. When we first arrived in Rome, before our group tour, a few of us explored the area around our hotel before our group tour....

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Rome Weekend with AIFS: According to Elizabeth M.

       The Colosseum in all its amazing glory! I wish I could have explored the bottom area. The Colosseum from another view, although it was pouring rain most of the tour, I still had an amazing amount of fun seeing it for...

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Cultural Differences: In the Restaurant

One of the experiences that constantly teaches me new things about Italian behaviour standards is going out to eat dinner. I’ve mostly been making my own food at home (a lot of rice and veggies; also, I recently found some gluten-free tamari/soy sauce!...

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Living Like A Florentine

Ever wondered what Florentine apartments look like? Lily C. gives you a sneak preview of what to expect when studying abroad in Florence, Italy: I apologize that it took me so long to get this post up. This is the apartment that AIFS has provided us with....

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Impressions of Florence: According to Hailie G.

I can't describe how much things have changed for me since I have gotten here. Before Florence I had only lived away from my home for 6 months, 3 months with my best friend and her family, and the other 3 with my brother. Even though I wasn't at "home" I was with people who I knew loved me. Coming here has helped me realize that more than one place can be my home. I refer to my house in the states now as my "home home," but I...

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Knights in the Afternoon: By Elizabeth H.

The other day during my afternoon break between classes I decided to do something a little different. Normally I would walk home and make lunch but today I wanted to try one of the local café’s or sandwich shops. I stumbled upon a great place...

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Carnevale in Venice: According to Kaitlin J.

Over the weekend, 75 students from Northern California traveled to Verona & Venice to take part in the world-famous Carnevale celebrations! Here are some photos from Kaitlin J's point of view... ...

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Settling In: According to Zach W.

During my second full week of living in Florence, things began to become more and more normal. I can now walk the city and get to all major landmarks without a map; i know a couple hole-in-the-wall authentic Tuscan/Florentine restaurants; and I have a favorite caffe to get my morning coffee. I’ve come to realize how different the culture really is here. You will never see an Italian running after a bus or hurrying in any way...

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Cooking Class: According to Hailie G.

Just got my hands messy making some home made raviolis with spinach and cheese, with an artichoke quiche appitizer (not sure if that's what it was called) and panna cotta with chocolate for dessert. Mmmm! Don't tell my mom that I am learning how to cook.....

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Week 2: According to Brigitte F.

It has been about two weeks now that I’ve been living here in Florence. I’m getting around the town pretty easily and don’t get lost as often. Already, there are a few things I love about living here. I love waking up each morning, sticking my head out the...

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Shoe Shopping in Florence: According to Fiona

Like most people visiting Florence, I wanted to buy some nice Italian shoes. I went online and simply googled “10 best shoe stores in Florence,” and after some clicking around I ended up on TripAdvisor.com, where I found two promising shops. The one I decided...

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Weekly Round-Up: According to Elizabeth M.

Elizabeth M. shares a few photos and talks about pizza making, the hunt for the perfect gelato, and more... Ciao! It’s been about a week and a half now that I’ve been in Florence, and it’s hard to believe that it’s still only the beginning of the trip! I...

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