Passion Project

study abroad FEBRUARY - MAY 2023

Meredith moore

WEEKs 1&2

I wasn’t exactly thrilled about our apartment because it was definitely on the simpler side.

We even tried to move out and blamed it on pigeons mating outside the window. Maintenance came and fixed it, and I secretly hoped our excuse would work, but it didn’t. Still, I reminded myself that I didn’t come abroad to sit in my apartment. I was there to explore.

Our first weekend out, we went to Lion’s Fountain, the Irish pub every study abroad student talked about. They had shots for each college, so of course I tried the South Carolina one. It was blue and honestly wasn’t bad compared to some of the others.

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BIRTHDAY

I arrived in Florence on February 22nd, so six days later it was my 21st birthday. I struggled a bit because I didn’t really know anyone yet, and I had only come with one friend. We had also joined the program two weeks late, so I was still catching up socially. But then I met Box’s childhood friend and her friends from the College of Charleston, and they invited me over and went out with me. It was so sweet and made the day feel special in its own way. It wasn’t how I pictured spending my 21st, but I was grateful to be in Florence and to have that experience.

One of our first outings was with the program to a gelato place. Then we climbed up to Piazzale Michelangelo with wine, took photos, and soaked in the view. It wasn’t my first time there, but I was still in shock that this was the place I got to call home for the next three months.

The only sightseeing we did on this trip was visiting the Astronomical Clock. It is one of the oldest working astronomical clocks in the world and has been marking time, zodiac signs, and the movement of the sun and moon for more than 600 years. This trip wasn’t really about sightseeing. It was about catching up, hanging out, and spending time with the people I was with.

The next day, some people went sightseeing, but a few of us chose an Irish pub instead. We talked, played drinking games for hours, and just hung out. Later, we went to a seven-story bar where each floor had a different theme. The coolest part was the floor where you ordered drinks on an iPad and a robot made them.

This was my first trip out of Florence. I met up with Lexi, who was studying abroad in Barcelona, and I finally got to meet all of her roommates. We had such a great time together. We celebrated Leah’s 21st and did lots of drinking. The first night, we went to a fancy sushi dinner. There were flappers walking around, the food was amazing, and the vibes were immaculate. After that, we hopped around to a few different clubs.

amalfi cathedral

AMALFI COAST The Amalfi Coast was beautiful, even though the weather wasn’t on our side. It was gloomy, rainy, and cold, and since we went during the off-season, the town was pretty quiet. Luckily, our Airbnb was really nice, which made the trip feel cozy and relaxing. We ate a ton of seafood and visited the Amalfi Cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo, which is dedicated to the Apostle Saint Andrew and holds his relics. Even with the weather, the trip ended up being peaceful and enjoyable.

I tried to take advantage of all the classes the program offered, so within just two weeks I did bookmaking, pasta making, and foiling. In bookmaking, I learned there were so many different stitching techniques used to bind a book together, something I had never even thought

WEEKs 3&4 I spent St. Patrick’s Day with my roommate.

We got American brunch at Rooster and later met up with friends at an Irish pub.

piazzle michelangelo

One of my favorite routines was climbing up to Piazzale Michelangelo. Every time I went, I discovered something new. First it was the views. Then I noticed people gathering on the steps to hang out, play music, and entertain. If you kept walking a little higher, you found a church and the largest catacombs I had ever seen.

Basilica de San Miniatio

My favorite places I ate were Gusta Pizza and Osteria Santo Spirito. Gusta Pizza’s pesto burrata pie was unreal. At Osteria Santo Spirito, I ordered the gnocchi “mac and cheese,” which ended up being my favorite meal in Florence, and the olive spread they served with their bread was addictive.

I attended a wine tasting class that was part of the program with my roommate. I already knew most of the information, which was cool because I was connecting the dots from what I learned in my food and wine pairing class. The class was run

by Pinos, who owns a famous sandwich shop, and he hosted it in his own wine cellar.

In ceramics, we made a miniature heart and brain to practice for our final. We also got to see how our pots turned out. One of the legs fell off mine, but my teacher said we would have no problem gluing it back on.

In my food culture and society class, we made onion soup and a savory rice cake.

I took a day trip with SAI to a mushroom farm that practiced a circular economy. They used coffee grounds to grow mushrooms and then reused the soil to grow microgreens. We also visited Zero Lab, where they recycle leftover designer leather to create bags and wallets. We even got to make our own wallet.

I went on a wine tour with Lexi and her friends and had the time of my life. We visited two wineries, drank a lot of wine, and our tour guide was amazing.

I was so happy I got to spend another day with Lexi and her roommates. We went to All’Antico Vinaio, one of my favorite spots because I got to make my own sandwich. They didn’t realize you could customize it, which is a mistake most people make. Then I took them to the Duomo, and we hung out at a rooftop bar overlooking it on the most beautiful day. We ended their time in Italy at the Central Market with cannolis and gelato. It was such a great weekend.

venice

My parents arrived in Venice. As soon as we got there, we started exploring. We headed to Murano to see how they make glass sculptures, and of course we had to buy something because the glass was so beautiful. Next, we went to Burano to see the famous colorful houses. The legend is that the houses are different colors so fishermen could tell which one was theirs from the water. After Burano, we headed back to Venice and had a really nice dinner.

We spent the day in Venice exploring the main attractions. Our first stop was St. Mark’s Basilica. We did an audio tour that was helpful but way too long. Next, we hopped on a gondola, which ended up being one of my favorite activities because the views were so beautiful. After the gondola, we went to Doge’s Palace, which was used for political purposes and has a prison underneath.

After a long day, we went to a restaurant where all the locals eat and housed two bottles of wine. That still wasn’t enough, so we got cocktails at the hotel. We also visited one of the coolest bookstores ever, Libreria Acqua Alta, where the stairs are made of books and books are stored in gondolas and bathtubs. There were cats everywhere.

st. mark’s basilica

weeks 6&7

I met my parents at a pasta-making class. Before I arrived, they prepped the tiramisu, and by the time I got there they were already making sausage, artichoke, and fava pasta. We made the dough by hand, and I felt like a pro after my first pasta class. We also made a salad with onion, peas, and pecorino. The class was held in the instructor’s home, which made it feel so personal. She was from Queens and had lived in Florence for seven years.

We went to Il Profeta for dinner, and it was amazing. The owner brought us free tastings and made the whole meal feel special. We ordered chocolate fudge, and he told us we should have gotten tiramisu, so he brought us a sample. He was right. After dinner, we went to the hotel bar and met a woman named Kim from Florida. She was hilarious and instantly became the life of the party. She was with her son and his fiancée looking at wedding venues and had a lot to say about it. We stayed up talking to her until 12:30am.

We went to Lucca for the day and explored the city, which is surrounded by huge walls you walk through to enter. We climbed a tower with beautiful views and had a fantastic lunch.

OPERA HOUSE

Once we settled in, we explored the city and did a little shopping. My mom was on the hunt for a Swarovski ornament, which we finally found. She bought an adorable rocking horse. It felt like there were churches on every street. Before dinner, we walked around an Easter market. For our first dinner, we had traditional Austrian food.

My dad got goulash, and I learned that goulash looks and tastes completely different from what we have in the States. My mom and I split a wiener schnitzel, and I was surprised by how much I liked it. I think I liked it because it was salty and something different from pasta.

Austria

We had a packed schedule in Vienna. We woke up at 7am for a 9am opera house tour, motivated mainly by the all-you-can-eat hotel buffet we devoured beforehand.

The tour was really interesting since I had never been inside an opera house before.

Afterward, we met my dad’s coworker for coffee and then took the metro to Schönbrunn Palace. I was shocked by how huge it was and how beautiful the gardens were.

The palace was so big it even had its own zoo. The tour ended up being one of my favorites because our guide made it fun and focused on “girl power,” which I loved. I wish we could’ve spent the whole day there. After the tour, we headed back into the city for dinner, which was a mix of Georgian and Mediterranean food. It was amazing, and I didn’t realize how much I missed Mediterranean food until that meal.

Schönbrunn Palace

belvedere palace

Happy Easter! We went to Belvedere Palace, but I have to say it wasn’t as interesting as the other palace because it was more of an art gallery. I prefer learning about the history of the palace itself. Still, it was cool to see “The Kiss,” even though I had never heard of it before coming to Vienna. Before dinner, we stopped at Demel to try their famous dessert, which was basically chopped-up pancake with lots of butter and berry compote. It was delicious. For dinner, we went to a place that served traditional Austrian food, and I ordered goulash, which was very tasty.

sicily We tried to go to the beach, but one was being used for a movie shoot and another was closed for the off-season. We eventually found a small beach, even though it was cold. Back in town, my bartender friend remembered me, and we tried a Sicilian drink that tasted like a lemonade slushee. That night we had dinner at the restaurant where his brother works. It felt like we were the only people in town, and everyone knew us.

I woke up early to train to Rome and fly to Sicily. I got lost trying to get to Scopello, which taught me that sometimes the pricier transportation option is worth it. I finally arrived around 3pm and explored the little town alone. I sat at a café for hours, made friends with the bartender, and even got free shots. I chatted with the waiter at dinner, took a nap, and waited for the girls to arrive at midnight. We got a late start and skipped the beach because of rain. Palermo was too expensive to taxi to, so we stayed in Scopello. The town is tiny, so it quickly turned into a day of drinks, games, and a trampoline park.

pitti palace

weeks 8&9

One of the activities offered by the program is paper marbling.

It was way easier than I expected, and we could turn our designs into items, so I made a picture frame and a scrapbook. After the activity, I went searching for a bathing suit but had no luck. I ended the afternoon with a six-mile walk/run with Riley. It was beautiful out, and I felt so good afterward.

In my Florentine Art Walks class, we visited Baroque churches, and in ceramics I made ring-shaped animal holders for my final.

During my Love, Sex, and Marriage class, we visited Pitti Palace, and our assignment was to take photos of art and turn them into memes. I loved it because it was something different.

Our first day in Ibiza was amazing. I had been craving the beach and the sun, and we kicked things off with delicious nachos and smoothies. We spent the day at a nude beach, which was definitely an experience, and I left way more sunburnt than planned.

The next day, we went to a beach club and somehow managed to spend an absurd amount of money, but it was worth it. As we were leaving, we caught the most gorgeous sunset over the water.

On our last day, we stayed by the pool. After the sunburn incident, I was not risking it again, so I camped out under an umbrella while everyone else tanned. Honestly, it was the perfect way to end the trip.

IBIZA

Casa Milà

Casa batllo

I spent the day in Barcelona exploring Gaudí’s apartment and house. I love his work because it is so colorful and so different from anything else. I was staying with my friend Lexi, and since it was her roommates’ last few days abroad, they made a homemade spaghetti and meatballs dinner. Later that night, we went to the clubs to celebrate Zoe’s 21st birthday.

BARCELONA

On my second day in Barcelona, I spent most of the morning getting my hair done. I desperately needed a refresh, and I’m so glad I went to a stylist recommended by other USC students studying abroad there. I’m so happy with how it turned out. I spent the rest of the afternoon shopping before my 9pm flight home.

lon don

london bridge

KING’s cross

On our first day in London, we arrived to gloomy, chilly weather, but we did not let it stop us from exploring. After checking into our hostel, we walked around the city and ended the night with some really good burgers.

The next day started with brunch, French toast and bacon, before we bought a 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus ticket, which ended up being the best decision. It came with three free walking tours, and our guide Phil was amazing. We wandered around St. Paul’s Cathedral before the tour, rode the London Eye afterward, and finished the night seeing The Book of Mormon, which was hilarious.

The following day was just as exciting. Being in London the week before the coronation felt so special. We tried to see the Changing of the Guards, but it was cancelled due to preparation. Instead, we visited Buckingham Palace, and I spent time exploring Notting Hill, Paddington, and Kensington Palace. I did not even realize Paddington was an actual area and not just the bear. That night, we went to a ball pit bar, which was ridiculously fun, and yes, we stayed out a little too late.

london eye

On our last day, with a 9:55 pm flight, we had plenty of time to keep exploring. We visited the Harry Potter store at King’s Cross, went to the Science Museum, which was honestly anticlimactic, and tried to see the Natural History Museum, but it was sold out. Our flight ended up being delayed, so we did not get back to Florence until 1 am.

My roommate and I took a day trip to Forte dei Marmi, which is near Pisa. The weather was beautiful, and we spent the day lying on the beach and enjoying good food. I especially loved my All’Antico Vinaio sandwich. This location was different from the others because they actually served you, and you could sit outside at tables to eat.

forte dei marmi

week 10

In my final days in Florence, I found myself trying to soak in every moment. I did a bar crawl with Riley and her roommates, and we all wore I Heart Firenze shirts and had a blast. For my roommate’s last day in Florence, we went grocery shopping for charcuterie board ingredients and took everything up to Piazzale Michelangelo to watch the sunset.

My last day in Florence was spent by myself. I spent the day packing, then had dinner and gelato in the piazza where I lived.

The next morning, I said goodbye to my apartment in Florence. Although it wasn’t the nicest place, I learned to love it, and it truly made Florence feel like home. I took one last picture of the Arno River as I walked across the Ponte Vecchio.

My first day in Lake Como was pouring rain, so I spent the afternoon relaxing and planning activities for when my mom arrived. I ventured out for dinner at a really cool restaurant with flowers and vines hanging from the ceiling. My hotel, on the other hand, was quite an experience. There was one tiny window in the ceiling, and the room felt like a sauna. They told me they weren’t allowed to turn on the AC.

LAKE

como This was my first time traveling alone, and I have to say it was not bad at all. I met so many people along the way, and it was refreshing to spend some time on my own. I took the funicular to the top of Como and climbed up the tower, which was definitely a hike. Afterward, I took the ferry to Varenna and had the most amazing bruschetta. From there, I caught another ferry to Bellagio and wandered through the gardens. Some ladies I met on the funicular gave me their extra garden tickets, which was so kind.

On the ferry ride back, I saw George Clooney’s villa and the villa where a Star Wars scene was filmed. Later that night, I went to dinner and ended up talking for three hours with a mother and son from Como. The son had actually studied English at Georgetown Prep for three summers. It was such a wholesome and unexpected ending to the day.

amsterdam

heineken brewery I met my mom at the airport, and we are visiting three different countries while she is here. Our first stop was Amsterdam. We started the day with a walking tour, and it was frigid compared to Italy.

For lunch, we stopped at a place that served amazing white asparagus soup. After that, we visited the Lord of the Attic Museum, a secret church hidden in the attic of three houses from a time when practicing Catholicism was not allowed in Amsterdam.

We later took a canal tour and even got hydro massages before ending the evening in the Red Light District, which was definitely not what I expected. I love Amsterdam because everything feels so different—leaning houses that look like they might fall over, half-naked girls in windows, men casually peeing into a hole in the street, coffeeshops full of people smoking weed, and bicycles that would absolutely run you over without hesitation. It is one of the most interesting and beautiful cities I have ever visited, with so much to see and so much to learn about.

lord of the attic

We went to the Rijksmuseum, which is filled with art and sculptures by artists like Van Gogh and Rembrandt. My mom and I agreed that the audio guide was one of the most interesting and well-organized tours we had taken. The museum even had a beautiful library and a full-size dollhouse on display. After that, we visited the Moco Museum, which featured work by Banksy and other contemporary artists, most of it centered around social messages. Of course, we had to get a stroopwafel, and it was amazing. We ended the day with dinner at a Michelin-star restaurant, and it was incredible. The fried onion was especially delicious. My mom has done such a great job picking restaurants.

We started our day with a tour of the first Heineken Brewery, which was a very cool experience. I had never tried Heineken before and was surprised by how much I liked it. I also learned their beer is 95 percent water, which I had no idea about. After the tour, we walked through the Nine Streets, a super charming shopping area, and stopped at Winkel 43 for their famous apple pie. My mom and I agreed we still prefer American apple pie because the Dutch crust is much thicker.

For dinner, we went to Restaurant De Kas, a greenhouse restaurant that served some of the best food I have ever had. Everything is made with ingredients grown on-site. I also could not believe how late it stays light in Amsterdam. It was still bright at 9:30 pm.

We took a train to Bruges, and the trip ended up being much longer than expected because it was Ascension Day, when people celebrate Jesus’s ascent into Heaven. In Bruges, they hold a massive event called the Procession of the Holy Blood, where performers reenact scenes from Jesus’s life and carry what is believed to be a relic of His blood through the streets. After watching part of the parade, we wandered through a few chocolate shops and explored the beautiful Market Square.

We woke up early and climbed to the top of the Belfry Tower, where we had a beautiful view of all of Bruges. After that, we visited the Basilica of the Holy Blood before taking a canal tour of the city. Honestly, the canals here are even prettier than the ones in Amsterdam. Then we toured a chocolate museum, which was surprisingly interesting.

Even though I’m basically a chocolatier at this point, I still learned a lot about how chocolate is made. To end the day, we climbed up to the top of a windmill. It is the only windmill in Bruges that is still operational.

PARIS The train from Bruges to Paris takes about three hours, and we arrived around 2:00 p.m. Once we got into the city, we walked around to get a feel for the area. We passed Notre Dame, but we couldn’t go inside because of the 2019 fire. There is construction everywhere as Paris prepares for the 2024 Summer Olympics. They are doing 250 million dollars’ worth of renovations for the games, which is crazy to see in person.

We took a boat tour along the Seine River and were surprised to see a huge statue of Yayoi Kusama. We call her the “crazy pumpkin lady” because she paints pumpkins and once checked herself into a mental hospital.

My mom and I were laughing because she always says she loves pumpkins, so we joked that she finally met her match.

We started the day with a guided tour of the Louvre. It was amazing but also incredibly overwhelming, and we definitely didn’t come close to seeing everything. After the tour ended, we somehow managed to get lost in the museum for at least 30 minutes. Once we finally found our way out, we grabbed a delicious lunch, where we had snails and gazpacho. Then we walked down the Champs-Élysées, stopping in the Adidas and Chanel stores along the way. We eventually made it to the Arc de Triomphe. While looking for a taxi, we spotted the crazy pumpkin lady again. This time she was in a store window, and she moved and looked so real that it totally creeped us out. We took a taxi back to the hotel and ended the night with a charcuterie board and some wine.

arc de triomphe

S the louvre Eiffel tower

the notre dame

yayoi kusama

My final day in Europe. I cannot believe how quickly these weeks have flown by, and I feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to study abroad and experience all of this. I couldn’t have asked for a better last day. We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and soaked in the incredible views before wandering around Paris one last time. It was the perfect way to end an unforgettable trip.