With the company of her visiting boyfriend, Payton spends a long weekend exploring her host city. From rooftop sunsets and a quick trip the Chianti region, to free museum day and gelato, get inspired by this perfect stay-cation itinerary!

This weekend, I was lucky enough to have a visitor in Florence! My boyfriend, Wylie, who is also studying abroad this semester in Madrid, came by for a few days to check out my new city. Staying in Florence for the weekend to show him around and enjoy the place that I’m calling home for the semester was a nice and much-needed rest from all the weekend traveling that I’ve been doing. Don’t get me wrong, I love that I am able to explore so many parts of Europe so easily while I’m here, but constant traveling can start to take a toll on your energy levels. Florence is also such an amazing place, it deserves it’s fair share of my time, too! And what better way to appreciate where you’re at than with the people that you’re closest to.

Posted in: Activities in Florence, Food in Florence, Day Trip, Must Do, Florence, Italy

A Day Well Spent in Capri

Oct 10, 2018 10:30:00 AM / by Irene Kanthan Michaella Estevez is an official CAPA vlogger, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Marketing major at University of Massachusetts Amherst, she is studying abroad in Florence this semester.

In this today's post, Michaella takes us on a trip to Capri and shows us the beautiful nature and scenic views of the island.

Thanks Michaella!

See more of Michaella's journey in Florence. Posted in: Florence, Italy, Travel, Nature, Environment, Activities Abroad, Activities in Florence

5 Myths About Studying Abroad in Florence

Oct 2, 2018 1:30:00 PM / by Connor McGlone In this week's post, Connor uses experience so far on his CAPA Florence program to debunk some myths you may have heard about studying abroad in Italy.

Before coming to Florence to study abroad, I had a lot of pre-conceived ideas about what my time here was going to be like. These notions came from my own head, what I read, or what other people told me they thought it was going to be like. After being in Florence for about a month, I realized a lot of these ideas were just myths. I am going to debunk some common study abroad myths in the following post:

Posted in: Activities Abroad, Top 10, Study Abroad Myths, Florence, Italy, Activities in Florence, Tips, Accessibility Abroad, Practical Study Abroad Advice, Travel

Experiencing Cultural Immersion in Italy Through CAPA's 'Ganzo!' Program

Sep 28, 2018 10:07:46 AM / by Payton Meyer In this week's post, Payton gets together with a local Italian family through CAPA's 'Ganzo!' program to help them practice their English and experience for herself what the day-to-day life of a Florence local is actually like!

Ciao! I just got back from one of my favorite experiences I’ve had in Florence thus far. CAPA offers a wonderful program called ‘Ganzo!’ which translates to ‘Cool!’ in Italian, that gives students the chance to immerse themselves in the Italian culture by meeting regularly for dinner with an Italian family. I chose to participate, as it sounded like a truly invaluable opportunity that no CAPA student should pass up. I got to meet the family that I was paired with for the first time this afternoon, and can already tell that this is going to be a life-changing experience.

Posted in: Florence, Italy, Personal Learning, Cultural Insights, Activities in Florence

My Global City: 'Secrets of Florence' Tour, Hikes, and More!

Sep 25, 2018 4:30:00 PM / by Connor McGlone Connor McGlone is an official CAPA blogger for fall 2018, sharing his story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Marketing and Supply Chain Management major at  University of Pittsburgh, he is studying abroad in Florence this semester.

In this week's post, Connor recaps his experience participating in CAPA Florence My Global City events. From discovering secret facts about historical Florence during a guided tour, to hiking a mountain at sunset, follow along on his Italian adventures!

One of the best things to take advantage of in the CAPA program are the My Global City events that CAPA organizes. A My Global City event is an activity such as a boat ride around Florence, tastes of different eateries, or a hike to certain hot spots in the city. These events allow the students to discover more about their new city and meet new people along the way. These pre-planned and well-organized events take the stress out of trying to plan something fun to do, as all that is required from the students is to sign up. This past week I was lucky enough to go on two My Global City events. Both events helped me to see the beauty of Florence while learning more about the city itself. An example of the plaques people used to write on buildings around Florence to communicate with their friends!
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