My time abroad was a truly incredible experience. It’s really hard to pick just one story, but if I had to pick one day it would be the daytrip from Florence to San Gimignano. This was really special to me because my family had visited Italy much earlier and my mom always talked about how San Gimignano was her favorite place that we went to, so it was really cool to return again since my memories from when I was younger were a little vague. It’s an incredible medieval town, found in the hills of Tuscany. There are tons of cute little shops and one of the most famous gelato shops in the world. I have to say, I had a lot of gelato while I was there and that was definitely my favorite. After exploring San Gimignano, we went to Fattoria Poggio Alloro, where we were served the most amazing lunch. The first course was appetizers with bruschetta, fresh cheese, fresh Tuscan bread, and prosciutto. The second course was pasta with red sauce, the third course was roasted chicken, and dessert was a custard with fruit. We didn’t know what to expect and continued to be shocked as they brought out course after course. We all were happily stuffed by the end and were ready to explore the beautiful grounds of Fattoria Poggio Alloro. The views were absolutely amazing and we could see San Gimignano in the distance.

Due to Covid-19 causing my first to years of college to be almost entirely online, I hadn’t met many people in my major before this experience. I think that was the biggest way my experience abroad enhanced my pursuits and career goals because I met so many people in the same major as me and now I have people I know in my classes and we can discuss different things about our career goals and just support each other. I am so thankful for this experience as it was truly incredible and allowed me to connect to so many new friends at MSU and experience living in a different culture. I feel like it has affected me in such a positive way and I would relive this program over and over again if I could.

Name: Kaylee Gallatin
Status: Junior
Major: Dietetics
Hometown: Brighton, Michigan
Program: Global Food Systems and Health in France and Italy