A lack of homesickness and proficiency in Italian were widespread among Santa Rosa Junior College Study Abroad Students as their semester in Florence, Italy, came to a close in May. 

“Not me,” SRJC study abroad student Leo Galbraith said when asked if he was feeling homesick. “Maybe soon, but I’m still a little enamored by everything, and California’s great, but not quite ready to go back yet.”

SRJC student Ava Sigala shared a similar sentiment, though she noted she misses smaller comforts like a full closet and a dryer.

“I don’t feel that homesick, honestly,” Sigala said. “Even when my family was here, I didn’t feel like I needed to be home right now with them. It’s never been like, ‘I really am sick and tired of this.’”

SRJC student Jack Johnson was surprised by his lack of homesickness. 

“I definitely thought I would be a little bit in the beginning. I was just waiting for it to hit me, but it never really happened,” Johnson said.

Study abroad students have also settled comfortably into day-to-day life in Florence, even in spite of initial anxiety or a general rejection of routines.

“I was scared of what my routine was going to be like here or how long it was going to take for me to get that routine,” Johnson said. “But it came pretty quick and I had no issues.”

Despite claiming to be “not really a routine guy,” Galbraith confessed to going to the same sandwich spot every day. 

“Lo Schiacciavino, never a line. Delicious, about seven or eight euros, unbelievable sandwich for that price,” Galbraith said.

His go-to is the Oh Mama sandwich, which has cured ham, a pesto tomato sauce and pecorino cheese on schiacciata bread. 

Florence’s location at the northern edge of central Italy, along with the European Union’s expansive rail network and relatively affordable price of short-distance flights, gives study abroad students an excellent opportunity to travel during their semester, both domestically and internationally.

Johnson has traveled to Switzerland by train and to Greece and Croatia by plane through Ryanair. Despite mentioning some initial anxiety with traveling in Europe, he said, “Once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty easy.” 

Johnson continued, “This trip has given me a lot more confidence to do things on my own.”

Other students, like Sigala and Galbraith, have decided to focus primarily on traveling within Italy.“I think I was panicking a lot at the start and being like, ‘I have to go to every country in Europe,’” Sigala said. “I came down from that feeling and I’m trying to soak up as much of Italy as possible.”

In addition to venturing directly north of Italy’s border into Austria, Galbraith has visited Venice and Capri, which he strongly recommends.

Study abroad students universally struggled picking up the Italian language, ironically citing the widespread use of English in Italy as a barrier.

“I came here thinking I would, and I’m a little disappointed I didn’t,” Galbraith said. “I think the fact that everyone kind of speaks English has been a crutch for me, so I haven’t felt forced to.”

“It’s a little challenging when you live in such a touristy area,” Sigala said. “Every time I attempt, I’m being spoken to in English back.”

As the semester approached its end, study abroad students evaluated their relationship with the city and country they had lived in for the past three months. Some, like Johnson and Galbraith see this as only their first visit of many, while others are leaving Florence with a more general taste for travel.

“For Florence, probably not for a long time,” Sigala said. “I kind of want to just do other regions in Italy or countries in Europe at this point.”

Students seemed satisfied with their classes in Italy, particularly since the workload did not detract too much from their free time in Italy.

Students adjusted to life in Italy and left Florence with a greater sense of confidence and appreciation for their faculty. Students were required to take at least one class with their home school and students often mingled with faculty during program trips or events. Some students found a greater appreciation for their faculty during their semester abroad compared to back home. 

 “Shoutout Laura Sparks, SRJC,” Sigala said.

The next adventure SRJC students can take will be to London in Fall 2026. Beyond that, students can reach Barcelona, Spain and Kyoto, Japan in the coming semesters.