All articles by jgalvin

One of the coolest cities I visited in Italy was actually very close to Italy’s French and Swiss border. Bard, Italy is unlike any other place I visited during my travels. Its scenic, winding roads give you the chills as you experience views of quaint villages nestled into the Alps and the aqua blue water
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Milan Calling!

Spending a semester in the fashion capital of the world was one of the best decisions I have ever made. If you haven’t been to Milan, it’s time for you to book a trip there. Right now. Milan is a magical city. The first time I laid eyes on the Duomo, I could not believe
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Bergamo: An Italian Treasure

When you think Italy, what cities come to mind? I already know the answer: Rome, Florence, Venice…the usual go-to cities when your destination is the fabulous Italy. While these are all great cities and are popular for a reason, I was lucky enough to discover a hidden gem of a city that should be at the
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Milanese Withdrawals

After being home for about a week, I realized how lucky I am to have had the opportunity to spend a semester abroad. Just as my advisor said before I embarked on this journey, every day was not perfect. I had my ups and downs and days of missing home a little more than usual,
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The Denial Phase

One week from today at this time, I will be a half hour into my journey back to the United States. Hence, the denial phase. Where did the semester go? It feels like just yesterday that I was seeing the Duomo for the first time and attending my first week of classes. I simply do
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La Città Alta

Buongiorno tutti! I have been meaning to post for awhile now, but these last few weeks have been crazy and unexpected! Long story short, don’t get injured while abroad–you’ll end up spending precious travel time in the dreaded emergency room or in bed with Netflix. Not fun! Anyway, I finally had some visitors from my
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Checking In

Buonanotte tutti! Or, I suppose it’s still the afternoon for my friends and family back home. The past two weeks have been filled with so much exploration and adventure and I am not complaining. Last weekend I went on one of the most amazing trips of my life to Amsterdam. This city is so perfectly
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Venezia, tu é bellissima!

Last night I returned from one of my favorite trips so far-Venezia! The City of Love was as beautiful as all the pictures I have seen on Google images. My friends and I were able to book the trip just a few days before leaving since traveling within Italy is pretty simple. We took a
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Class…? What’s That?

It’s a beautiful Friday afternoon in Milan and I am officially finished with my first full week of classes here. Yes, that’s right…studying abroad in Italy is more than just traveling and eating pasta! I must say that my classes here are fantastic. I began my week with an elective course entitled “Television, Advertising, and
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A Taste of Italy

Three weeks have gone by in the blink of an eye. At the same time, it feels like I have already been here for several months! I have met countless new people from countries all over the world, I’ve gone on three trips, and I have eaten a scary amount of carbs. Luckily, I am
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Una Settimana Dopo….

While grabbing “un cappuccino” with my roommate before class this morning we both realized that it had been exactly one week since our arrival in Milan. When I first arrived I was beyond excited to start a new chapter in my life. As I stepped off the plane, I tried to wrap my head around
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Pre-Departure

A week before my arrival the nerves were setting in. I had a constant countdown in my head starting from the beginning of August right up until the day before my departure. As the numbers dwindled down to single digits I felt a combination of excitement, curiosity, and fear. I had only been to Europe
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