Italy | Under the Tuscan Sun

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By Andrea Arredondo

If there is one thing that makes Florence unique, it is that the city is beautiful to walk though. Whether you are on one side of the Arno or the other, there is so much to see that you could easily spend a few hours taking in Florence. With little shops along the streets, one-of-a-kind museums, and restaurants that smell divine from outside—it is easy to find things to do even after you think you have seen it all. Trust me, when I say that there is always something new to do or see in Florence, there always is…

It was a Friday afternoon and I had just left my school bag in the apartment. I went outside only to embark upon the perfect afternoon walk! Image the most unreal, only happens in a movie type summer weather. Not too hot, a slight breeze, and low humidity. Aware that I had to be back in a few hours for dinner with a friend, I decided to wander Florence for around two hours.

Before going much farther, the first place I stopped at was a gelato shop near my apartment. Unlike most gelato shops, this one was special because it made freshly squeezed lemon-flavored treats every day. A lemon and gelato lover, this particular shop was my favorite in Florence.

Cone in hand, I then headed toward the Pitti Palace, where I finished my gelato and took part in some people watching. After, I headed down some smaller, ordinary streets. Intending to avoid the crowds along the river, I didn’t expect to find the art.

I have noticed a stigma against art painted on streets. Whether it’s street painting in America, or remaking signs as I saw in Florence, people love to judge street artists. Clet Abraham is a French artist who over the last few years have caught art-lover’s attention with his politically charged images. Painting over street signs, Abraham plays with lines, colors, and cultural references to make statements.

The further I walked down the tiny street (sorry guys, I didn’t take note of the street’s name), the more of the artist’s signs started to show up. Eventually, I realized why—there was a store which sold his work on that street. Impressed and amused, I went inside only to find stickers, bags, and posters of Abraham’s sign art.

Hoping to see a bit more of Florence, I eventually left and started to climb up a mountain. While it looked easy at first, the path quickly became very steep and I started to wonder, what if I just turn back now…? What at the top of this mountain can possibly be worth seeing? Half-determined to turn around, I then realized where I was heading: Piazzale Michelangelo.

Impressed that I had made it so far, I decided to finish the climb and see the view so many claimed to be the best in Florence. When I got to the top, I could see why others had fallen in love with the view—it was incredible. Arriving at sunset, the sun struck the Tuscan city with a soft glow that felt straight out of a movie (I know I keep saying that, but Florence really is so beautiful that it is the film site for many movies). Moments later, the sun sank further away and I realized it was time for me to head back.

Having an itinerary is great, but sometimes not having one can be super rewarding—especially in Florence! 

Andrea Arredondo studied abroad in Florence in Summer 2019. https://ieo.ucla.edu/travelstudy/English-Florence/

Italy | Solo Trip to Milan

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One of the scariest things about going abroad is going abroad by yourself—especially if you are a woman. But sometimes, it is important to have that alone time. While I was in Italy, I felt inspired by the powerful women I was reading about in class. So, one weekend, I decided to travel to Milan—alone.  

Now, I have traveled alone before, but I had never been to Milan. Excited as I was, truth be told, I wasn’t sure what I had in store for me. Would I be able to navigate the public transportation? Would I get to see all the museums that I wanted to? Was the hostel I was staying at be in a safe area? There are so many questions that went through my mind, but I just had to keep reminding myself that I was going to be okay!

When I arrived in Milan, I was very happy to find out that my hostel was less than a five-minute walk from the train station. Even better, when I arrived, the hostel was still serving breakfast (my favorite meal of the day) and I was able to check in without a problem. Even though I may have been nervous at first, clearly my day was already brightening up.

After a light breakfast, I then decided to start exploring the city. Before I left, I made sure to pull up the directions for the Duomo and downloaded them onto my phone. Ready to explore a new city I made my way until I found the large church where I have seen so many people take pictures before. After taking my own picture, I went inside the church and took in its historic beauty. After looking around, I made my way back outside and joined a group of students climbing to the church’s roof. The climb to the top of the Duomo in Milan may not be as long as the one in Florence, but it’s still took some energy out of me. Regardless, I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t a little disappointed by what I saw: construction.

Beams and poles were everywhere. It was still possible to see the gothic architecture and a view of the city, but each time I looked back at the center of the roof, wooden panels covered up ongoing projects. I am had a great time in Milan, but it seemed like I just picked a busy time to visit. Similarly, when I went to visit Teatro alla Scala later that day, the theater was also covered in scaffolding. Frustrated by all of the construction happening, I reminded myself that it was for the maintenance of the decades-old infrastructure.

Following my morning visits, I took the rest of the trip relatively calm. I hadn’t planned much so I was able to really walk around and take in the city. I went to McDonalds where I ordered some sort of coffee espresso cream. Then, I went to the Starbucks Reserve where I had more coffee. As a recent coffee lover, I found the Starbucks Reserve to be everything I through it would be–the pastries were divine and the coffee smelled unreal.

My experience in Milan might not have been as picture perfect as I wish it had been, but in hindsight I realize that I had an amazing time anyway. I had been to some of the most famous buildings in all of Italy after all! So, if I can remind you of one little detail it’s that there’s no such thing as perfection. My trip to Milan was wonderful. I ate great food and I was able to appreciate incredible art pieces. Even though some of the other things I saw weren’t perfect, they were still breathtaking. Best of all, I was able to create an amazing weekend for myself, without running into any trouble. So, if you find yourself planning your first solo trip in a new city, I encourage you not to be so nervous that you talk yourself out of an incredible opportunity. Perhaps, there might be some bumps along the way, but hopefully there will be more successes as there were for me in the end.

*Although I did meet up with a few friends for lunch on Sunday, I consider this to be a solo trip as I arranged and fulfilled all of my transportation and site visits by myself.

Andrea Arredondo studied abroad in Florence in Summer 2019. https://ieo.ucla.edu/travelstudy/English-Florence/

Italy | Textbooks and Traveling: What It’s Like to Take Classes A Foreign Country

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By Andrea Arredondo

Studying abroad may seem to be a bit counterintuitive. You are traveling to a foreign country and encouraged to see new places, yet you also have to take classes and are given assignments to complete. You are told that you should interact with locals and try to soak up as much of this culture and community you are experiencing, but that can seem challenging when you have to meet deadlines. It may seem like a lot, or impossible to try and strike a balance between the two, but keep reading to see what an average day abroad was like for me! 

7:00AM- Although I certainly did not need to wake up this early, my roommate and I regularly left the windows open overnight, forcing us to wake up earlier than either of us liked. After getting up, the weather was pretty cool so, I liked to do some of my readings. About an hour later, more girls would wake up in my hall and I would great ready for class. Depending on if I had groceries, I would either make something in one of the shared kitchens or buy breakfast at a local café.

10AM- In the morning we had a two-hour long lecture. Lectures were usually held inside the Accent Center, but at times we would visit museums or go on walks during these blocks of time. Professor Looby was really great at making lectures interactive. Often, he would ask us to read passages and state our thoughts. In class, we would expand our conversations by connecting the readings to famous paintings or statues. My favorite day in class was when we were talking about a song reference in one of our books and Professor Looby suddenly started to sing!

12PM- Lunch time! The nice thing about having such a long lunch was the ability to go across the Arno to try new places AND still make it back in time for class. Sometimes I even used this time to get ahead on work, visit a museum, or talk to family and friends back home.

2PM- After lunch we would have another two-hour lecture, discussion with our Teaching Assistant, or site visit. My favorite class trip was when we went to see the Pitti Palace. Here we were able to look at art which dated back centuries. There were also more modern exhibitions which showcased the influence of the late Renaissance period on modern fashion. 

4PM- Up to you dude! Once class was over, we were never forced to stay at the museums or churches afterward. After class, we were free to do as we liked. Of course, we could stay longer, but some days I went back to my apartment to do homework or else where to explored the city (read “Under the Tuscan Sun” to learn my favorite after class walk). Although class met every day, Professor Looby was very transparent about the work he wanted from us. As such, I was always able to plan my excursions accordingly.

The things that makes studying abroad manageable is that your professors know you want to spend time exploring the city where you are at. Of course, they will give you readings and papers, but it’s up to you to use your time efficiently. After all, studying abroad is more than just what you learn inside a classroom. 

Andrea Arredondo studied abroad in Florence in Summer 2019. https://ieo.ucla.edu/travelstudy/English-Florence/

Italy | Ciao Italia!

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By Andrea Arredondo

After a beautiful month in Italy, at last my time to leave had come. Clothes washed and bags packed, I reflected on everything I had just experienced. Cheesy as it sounded, I was already feeling nostalgia and I had not even left my apartment. Florence is a magical city and I had just experienced the trip of a life time. On my last day in Florence I decided to do everything I had not yet done. I woke up at five in the morning and walked across town to the big outdoor leather market. The San Lorenzo market is one of the most famous leather shops in the worlds. Thousands stroll through it each and every day. That day, I decided to look around for the best deals and find the cutest bags. After looking at hundreds of designs, I eventually found a tiny little red bag that would complete my closet.

Following my success at San Lorenzo, I then went looking for breakfast. If I am being completely honest, before this trip I was never really into coffee, but for whatever reason while I was in Italy my taste for it flourished. I mean it started from a cup every now and then to what I believed was a daily essential. Thankfully coffee is easily available and pretty inexpensive in Florence, so, on my last day I enjoyed not one, but three cups of coffee (Hey! They are a lot smaller in Europe).

Coffee-fueled, I returned back to my apartment, grabbed my suitcase, and headed back to Santa Maria Train Station for the last time. Since I was flying out of Rome, I was once again traveling to the Roma Termini. After checking in at my Airbnb, I decided to similarly do one thing I had not gotten the chance to do on the trip yet: go to the beach.

As a Southern California native, the beach is my happy place. So, when I found out that there was a beach only a short train ride away, I had to go. When I got to the beach it was beautiful and sunny. The water looked clear and there were families everywhere. In true English major fashion, I found a comfortable chair, enjoy the breeze, and read from a book I had found in my bag. Pages turned into chapters and eventually I noticed that the sky was changing colors.  Blues turned to grey and clouds were rolling in. Seconds later, a storm unleashed itself.

Unprepared for the storm, I ran for the train station and returned back to my Airbnb, where I would change and prepare to go out in the storm toward the city center. When I made it back to the the Airbnb, it was as if Spring had come. The air smelled clean and roads were clear. Excited to make the most of my last night, I looked up the best gelato place and tried flavors I had never heard of. Then, I went to a pizza shop where I had potatoes on pizza! It might sound a bit strange, but I can honestly say I have never had anything more delicious.

After eating my last slice of pizza, I returned back to my Airbnb, only having missed the return of the storm by a faction of a minute. Lucky for me, after I went inside the rain immediately returned and quickly soothed me to sleep. The next morning, I woke up early and took a train to the international airport. I couldn’t believe I had just spent a month in Italy—it all went by so fast! 

Andrea Arredondo studied abroad in Florence in Summer 2019. https://ieo.ucla.edu/travelstudy/English-Florence/

Italy | Weekend Trip to Rome

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By Andrea Arredondo

The first weekend of the program, Professor Looby organized a class trip to Rome. Although it might sound like a lot to take a group of 25 college students to a different city for a few days, the professor really did an outstanding job helping to create the mini-trip. It might not have been incredibly long, but the itinerary was full of things to do and places to see.

The first Friday of the program, we were instructed to meet at the Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence around 7:30am to depart to Rome. As soon as we arrived in Rome, 25 college students looked around the Roma Termini train station. Early morning and bushy eyed, I was excited to see what this ancient city had in store. Would this city be anything like Florence?

Shades on and soaked in sunscreen, I hoisted my backpack over my shoulder and waited for the group’s tour guide to find us. Eventually we spotted her and she informed us that we would be taking a walking tour of the city. Walking out of the train station in Rome is a completely different experience than going through Union Station or Grand Central Station. Stores line the walls and people rush to their work, homes, or airport. Nonetheless, we eventually we made it out and started our walk.

Rome is very different from Florence. The streets are wider, there are more cars, and I could not shake the feeling that the air felt more hectic. There are street vendors everywhere and uniquely, there were Roman statues on top of pillars throughout the city. Along the way we stopped by a church and went inside. Churches in Italy are incredibly beautiful. They have ancient designs and paintings that can be traced back to centuries ago.

After our walk around the city, we decided to check into our hotel and leave our bags. After a few minutes of relaxation and freshening up, we all meet back in the lobby to go out for lunch. Lunch was a delicious three course meal with classic Italian dishes. After lunch we had free time to explore some more. I decided that I wanted to use this time to meet other students and see some ancient ruins.

Rome really has a lot to offer. Sometimes, you just need to be willing to walk… a lot. I realized this the moment when the class met up to walk to the Vatican. One hour of walking later, we arrived at the Vatican where I was happy to learn that we would not have to wait outside for hours. TIP: always make reservations when you’re crunched for time—especially for popular tourist sites. The Vatican was incredible and I was lucky to get to see the Sistine Chapel. After the four-hour long tour, I was happy to splurge on a taxi back—beware that Ubers are illegal in Rome.

While the trip was only two days, a few girls and myself decided to extend our trip by one more day. During that extra day in Rome, we mainly relaxed and ate at restaurants in the city. Of note, we were able to eat at Felice a Testaccio, the rumored birth place of cacio e pepe. Unfortunately, it rained for most of that extra day, but we had a great time anyway.

Would it rain the next time I returned to Rome? Read to find out!

Andrea Arredondo studied abroad in Florence in Summer 2019. https://ieo.ucla.edu/travelstudy/English-Florence/

Guam | Hiking and Chamoru Village

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By Tecpatl Kuauhtzin

We began the day talking about the ethics of conducting interviews in a community setting. Best practices, as told by my professor, include keeping sensitive information undisclosed and sharing how any and all information will be used with the participant. We then proceeded to cover health and illness in Oceania.

 Later, we visited the coast. I don’t quite remember the name of the area or the beach, but it was astonishing. The waves were like none I have ever seen before and they crashed beautifully against the rocks. I sent my drone up to get aerial footage, and was not disappointed!

We ended the school day with a visit to the mountains as the sun was setting. Because we jumped out of the car and watched the sun set so quickly, we never checked where we were. We were running on island time and island schedule, lol.

That night, we visited Chamoru village, as we were told by locals that it is always active on Wednesdays with numerous food and jewelry vendors. There is also a lot of dancing and laughter everywhere! We had a blast looking through the booths and we even got called up to dance. It was an experience.

Tecpatl studied abroad in Guam in Summer 2019. https://ieo.ucla.edu/travelstudy/asianam-guam/

Guam | Prutehi Litekyan

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By Tecpatl Kuauhtzin

In class, we learned about a movement on Guam to protect a sacred site known as Litekyan. The local Chamoru community is trying to raise awareness and seize the destruction of the land by the United States Marines. The Marines plan to use a segment of Litekyan, which is currently open to all, to serve as a firing range. Although they will not use all of Litekyan, their environmental impact will damage the area and if they build their range, the entire land mass will not be available to the public, including the indigenous Chamoru people that have taken care of the region for thousands of years.

We were fortunate enough to engage in the demonstration and meet members of the community that were passionate about protecting their sacred sites. Being these reminded me of home and our Protect The Sacred rallies on the mainland.

I came across Amber, a Chamoru woman who was holding up a familiar sign. I introduced myself and my communities, explained what I am doing in Guam and asked her if I could take her portrait. Telling this story is important to me because it hits very close to home. Constantly, we are struggling against desecration of our sacred sites as Indigenous Peoples all over the world. Furthermore, we are constantly having to be at the forefront of environmental protection because it impacts our communities first.

It was beautiful to see families and youth demonstrating together. The signs the community was holding up were very thought provoking, and I was surprised to see that many cars passing by honked in support. The movement is growing.

Guam | Class Field Trip to Hagatna and the Town

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By Tecpatl Kuauhtzin

Every Wednesday, we have a class field trip as part of our course. This wednesday, we went to Hagatna and toured parts of the city with Elder Malia. One of the most notable parts of the trip was traveling to the canoe house where the most traditional canoes are still kept to this day. The Chamoru people are a canoe maritime people, and it was incredible to see their traditional structures as well as their contemporary changes. Malia was very knowledgeable about the history and language of her people, and shared in detail.

We spent some time learning about the importance of the canoe and how fast it was, as noted by Spaniards during the 1500s. It is truly remarkable technology, as the canoe is shaped differently than most canoes in the world. Instead of keeping a symmetrical shape, it is curved and this allows the air to flow differently, letting the small canoe soar.

Our next stop was the Guam museum, but on the way we stopped by the town’s Catholic church. Right in front of the church, there was a vendor selling Coconuts, and because it was a really hot and humid day, all of us wanted a coconut. He sold it with a straw and told us to come back when we finished the juice. He would then open it for us and serve it with soy sauce. it was delicious!

After being refreshed by the coconut, we headed to Guam museum! It was closed, but Elder Malia’s status as a leader in the community granted us access because she was giving us a tour. It was beautiful and had a really nice view of the town. As we all gathered on the outlook, Malia explained the history of this town center and how the Spanish gathered and displaced Chamoru people when they were colonizing the island. The Spanish relocated Chamoru people around the churches and the Spanish officials lived in the hills to police the community with a good view of the land.

Fortunately, we ended on a happy note as we then traveled to a Latte site where there were multiple giant Latte structures. Malia explained that these structures were used as foundations for the traditional Chamoru houses. They are found all over Guam and are reminders of its original inhabitants. The Latte are very important to the Chamoru.

Tecpatl studied abroad in Guam in Summer 2019. https://ieo.ucla.edu/travelstudy/asianam-guam/

Guam | Visiting the Island You Can Walk To

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By Tecpatl Kuauhtzin

We want to take advantage of our free time before classes start, so today we hopped in our rental cars and headed to a beautiful beach we found on google! It was relatively close, and it sure was beautiful. On the way there we told jokes and shared stories, getting closer with every passing minute.

There was a small island in the middle of the water, and I had the urge to try to swim to it. About 5 minutes out, I realized the shore was just not going to deepen. We ended up walking about 3/4 of the way to the island but some in the group were not comfortable swimmers so we decided to turn back and leave it for another day. We later googled it and found that on low tide, it is perfectly safe to walk to.

We then noticed a swing set in the water built out of wood and approached it. We figured it was there for the public to use and my classmates began doing photoshoots on it, haha. The tide was only knee high, so we were not able to use the swing set to jump, but nevertheless it was a good time.

Tecpatl studied abroad in Guam in Summer 2019. https://ieo.ucla.edu/travelstudy/asianam-guam/

Guam | First Visit With Guam’s Waters

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By Tecpatl Kuauhtzin

After our orientation and initial introductions, my group decided to take a sunset stroll to the beach by the University of Guam’s campus. It was a short 15 minute walk and allowed us all to get to know each other a little more. We talked about our majors and what each of us were hoping to get out of the program. After a bit of walking, we reached the shore and were amazed by the view. The water was also incredibly beautiful and warm, something I was not used to feeling. It was an awesome first day.

Tecpatl studied in Guam in Summer 2019. https://ieo.ucla.edu/travelstudy/asianam-guam/