STUDYING UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN.

• Author: Dunleavy, Katherine
• Position: EXTRAORDINARY EDUCATION - Personal account

It was noon on a hot August day when I landed at Florence's little airport. In the distance, I saw the Tuscan hillside and its rolling landscape and vineyards. The bright Italian sun hit my cheeks, and the apprehension I had before leaving America, before leaving HPU, vanished.

Among the many things that drew me to HPU were the vast study abroad opportunities. England, Spain, Italy, Australia, Brazil, China and beyond. Florence, Italy, found its way to the top of my list, and HPU offers an affiliated program in the heart of the city.

Fast forward to the spring semester of my sophomore year when I accepted my offer to study at Lorenzo de' Medici Institute for the fall. I was ready to experience a new culture--an entirely different world. Little did I know, my time spent at HPU had prepared me for this adventure. Entering a world far beyond my college campus didn't feel so foreign after all.

The first week or two was an adjustment period. I was far away from my usual life with all of my friends and sense of familiarity back at HPU. Life in Italy was as wonderful as it was different from my life in America. But I saw it as an opportunity for growth. My knowledge of Italian grew each day as I picked up words and phrases from conversations. And when my Italian failed, I figured out other means of communication. Walking around was the only mode of transportation, meaning I averaged seven miles a day and managed to see some of the most historic sites the city had to offer.

I strolled past the childhood home of Dante on my way to class and traveled through the Medici Palace, where Michelangelo used to live. I walked past the world-famous Duomo, a fixture in the city's historic skyline. I volunteered at a local kindergarten class, and the children ended up teaching me Italian. Every corner of Florence had a story to tell.

The pace of the city was slower than back home, and I learned the value of pausing to fully embrace opportunities and the value of discovery. I learned that even in the hustle and bustle of college life, I can make room to slow down and embrace these years, absorbing all that HPU offers. I learned to find adventures, even at home--at HPU.

Over the course of four months abroad, I was able to travel to 10 countries outside of Italy. I experienced Europe's history from walking along the former Berlin Wall, to taking in the grandeur of the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum in Rome. I applied the...