Rome to Florence to Paris (And a Heatwave)

Just one week ago, I packed up my new life in Rome. It was surreal to know that my four weeks in Rome were ending, and that I still had a month to go before returning to the United States. In just one month, I created a new routine, met new people, and learned my way around Rome. The same apartment I entered in May became my home. I knew its quirks, and it felt familiar. After a long day, it felt great to go to sleep in my bed. Leaving was different than leaving a vacation within the United States or returning home from school at the end of a semester. While it may not be true, it felt more permanent. You cannot just take a weekend trip across the world when you miss a city abroad. It can’t be that spontaneous. It was sad to leave Rome behind knowing I might not be back anytime soon, but I looked forward to the adventures that awaited me in the coming weeks.

Our first adventure was the trip to Florence. After a four hour bus ride, all 35 students in my program made it to our hotel. We weren’t able to check in yet, so we stored our luggage in a storage room at the hotel before heading to the Uffizi Gallery for a tour. This walk was my first taste of what I have been experiencing for the last week. It was 97 degrees Fahrenheit with blazing sun. After a day of traveling and carrying luggage around, this was not for the faint of heart. The gallery itself was beautiful. While I had been before on a trip to Florence a few years ago, it was so fun to experience it with more of a background in art history. As I walked around, I was able to spot paintings I had learned about in class this past spring. For the rest of the weekend, the temperature stayed high, but our hotel luckily had air conditioning, which stayed set at around 60 degrees Fahrenheit for the entire trip. The following days, we did city walking tours, saw the David, and took a day trip to Siena. One of my favorite parts about studying abroad is the opportunity to do the things in each place, all provided by IES Abroad. At multiple famous landmarks, we have had the opportunity to skip long lines or use our student passes to have discounted access to museums. By the end of our time in Florence, we were all ready for some rest time, but the adventures did not stop there.

Just a few days ago, we took a flight from Florence to our next destination: Paris! I must admit that I questioned the logistics of successfully getting 35 students to the airport and through security on time, but we all made it. Thankfully, we arrived at the airport in Florence extra early, so there was plenty of wiggle room for the hour-long line to check bags. The flight itself was relaxing. It was fun to look around the plane just to see so many familiar people from my program. It was also a great time to reset before the next steps of arrival in Paris. Once we did arrive, we were split into groups based on our Paris apartments and separately shuttled to our new homes. During the drive, we caught glimpses of the Eiffel Tower, the Seine, and the overall vibe of Paris. It was a quick turnaround when we arrived at our apartments. We brought our bags inside and immediately left for dinner. This is where I had my first burger and fries in a long time. It was delicious.

One thing I must mention before continuing is that Paris is experiencing a major heatwave. In fact, the temperatures over the last few days have been the highest recorded temperatures in Paris ever. Something to know about Paris is that air conditioning is rare. Our apartments do not have air conditioning, most restaurants do not have air conditioning, and the IES Abroad Paris offices do not have air conditioning. For the last few days, it seems that we have all been in survival mode. Personally, I have been drinking water like crazy, showering multiple times per day, and sleeping with a frozen sock on my forehead (that is typically melted before I can fall asleep). The weather is unfortunate as we try to adjust to a new city, but it only makes me more excited for when it cools down. I’ve seen so many pieces of this beautiful city, so I’m just itching to get to know it. With just three weeks in Paris, time is going to pass so quickly. I can’t wait to soak it all in as we get deeper into our classes.

As always, my three words to describe the last couple weeks are movement, new, and resilience. The last week has been busy. Everyone in my program has been moving quickly from place to place. I chose resilience for many reasons. First of all, the heat is something to push through. There really is no better way to get through it than to be patient and understand it will end. I have also had to be resilient in friendships. Now that we aren’t in the same old Rome classes, I have had the opportunity to get to know so many more people in my program. Everyone is at least familiar, but I love talking to new people and hearing how their experiences compare to mine. My advice for a time of transition like this is to be patient, just like being patient with the heat. It’s easy to feel like everything is unsteady when you’re with new people, in new classes, and in new places, but everything will fall into place in time. Sometimes it requires effort, but sometimes it will happen automatically. Despite the heat and unfamiliar friendships, I can’t wait to see what Paris has in store for me.