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As a native of Massachusetts, I sometimes criticized myself for going to college in the same state where I grew up. However, I knew UMass Amherst was the right school for me because I quickly made lifelong friends, set myself up for a successful career after graduation, and paid considerably less than I would have at other schools. Still, I hoped to see what the world outside Massachusetts had to offer.

It was with this mentality that I began to see what options UMass students had to study abroad. It was an intimidating process at first, but things got much easier once I went to the International Programs Office. Inside was a group of students and employees who helped me and my friends determine that we wanted to study in Florence, Italy.

Florence stood out for myriad reasons. Its location is relatively central to Europe, meaning students use it as a home base to travel across the entire continent. UMass students who study in Florence spend their weekends in bustling cities like London or Budapest, the snow-capped mountains of the Swiss Alps, on beautiful beaches in Capri or the Canary Islands. Some students even venture to another continent on trips like riding camels in Morocco.

Florence was also highly recommended for a business major like myself, and now that I am enrolled in classes, I can see why. My professors are highly qualified to teach their disciplines. For example, my Organizational Behavior professor served as deputy mayor of Florence, while my Wine Business and Marketing professor operates her own winery.

After selecting my program, I had a ton of paperwork ahead of me to complete. Once again, my advisors made it easy and stress-free to get accepted, pick my classes, and obtain a student visa. The entire process was spaced out across the semester before and I was able to prioritize my own schoolwork and extracurricular activities while setting myself up for adventure.

Upon arrival, I thought I might get a little homesick like I had been during my first year at UMass, but things here are so fast-paced and comfortable that it never happened. I think this was an easier transition for me because UMass sends a large number of students to Florence, meaning I had a ton of friends that I already knew. In addition, going abroad was an excellent opportunity to meet new people. I have classes with students from all over the country and even a few from different countries. And in my time here, I have also interacted with countless fascinating native Europeans although my Italian still needs a lot of work. It might be far from Massachusetts, but to me, Florence is still one of my homes.