Hi, my name is Liv. This past summer I went to Florence with ACA to take Photography and art, as well as see some incredible destinations scattered around Italy. This trip was life changing because it brought my best friends and me close together, meanwhile offering us the opportunity to explore the world.
From the minute I got the airport, I began to bond with new friends over how excited we were for the trip to come. We settled in at the Albergo Firenze and got the lay of the land. Immediately, we hunted for the best gelaterias near our new home. We found that in its central location, the hotel brought us close to some of the worlds most impressive gelato!
We easily learned how to navigate our way through Florence, and by the end of the first week we were able to walk to and from class without directions. Each day we had two classes split by a free lunch period. We had a lot of freedom to explore Florence and test our Italian skills.
At night, we would participate in group activities and group dinners, often followed by free time or a night at the disco (which was my personal favorite). I quickly became accustomed to life in Florence from daily encounters with the Duomo, walking over the Ponte Vecchio at sunset, art excursions to world renown museums, the hidden panini shops and more.
Each weekend, we were given the opportunity to see even more of what Italian summer has to offer. Some highlights included our two day stay in Venice and our three day stay in the Amalfi Coast. In both scenarios, it was the perfect amount of time to indulge in the culture and history of each city.
In Venice, we saw the glass museum and floated around the city on a gondola. In the Amalfi coast, we got to taste lemon flavored everything, drive passed the pastel houses boarding the Positano seas, go to the beach, and more.
ACA provided me with the best summer I could have imagined. I am forever grateful that I did this program because there is something unexplainably freeing about roaming and adventuring Europe with great company in the summer.
I gained so much from SRISA, the school of international arts of Florence, which will provide me with credits for college. Additionally, the memories and experiences fill me with joy and will not be forgotten.
Doing this program introduced me to new faces stretching from New York (where I live) to Maryland, LA and more.
To someone who is looking to spend their summer in the best way possible, I recommend ACA because in just four weeks, I guarantee you will have the time of your life. Without ACA, it never would have been possible for me to see so much of Italy and to meet so many fantastic people.
-Liv Pilot, New York