Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Florida

Sigma Phi Epsilon Page 5 T his summer, I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Florence, Italy. I had never been out of the country for more than a couple of days, so I was pretty nervous getting on my plane. It was going to be the longest time without seeing my family, my first time living completely on my own, and I didn't speak a single bit of Italian. To say that this was a fun experience, though, would be a huge understatement. This opportunity has forever changed me for the better and has been the best summer of my entire life. Italy gave me hundreds of new experiences. Moving to a new country is no small feat; it's a huge learning curve that takes some time getting used to. The biggest change was the culture shock I experienced from completely immersing myself in a new place. Small things we take for granted in the United States are a completely different story in Europe. Things like paying for water at restaurants, drinking wine with each meal, taking public transportation everywhere, and different styles of cuisine were a big adjustment for someone who had never lived outside of my home state. Coming from a small town in South Florida, I was never interested in city life. However, living in a major Italian city was an experience that taught me a lot. Each day, you get to interact with new people from all over the world, choose from hundreds of different restaurants, and see tourist attractions that people only see once in a lifetime. This was also my first time living by myself in an apartment, so it allowed me to be truly independent. Three months abroad was too long of a time to just stay in my home city of Florence. Nearly every weekend, I had the opportunity to travel across Europe. In total, I traveled to seven different countries (Italy, Croatia, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Netherlands, and France) and 24 towns and cities. Each place had a unique culture and architecture that helped to broaden my worldview and experience new types of people, food, and cultures. The actual "study" portion of my study abroad experience was also life-changing. I took four different classes on topics I found particularly interesting or enjoyable. My Introduction to Italy course led me to several different excursions on the western coastline of Italy, full of thrilling different historical landmarks. Next, I took a class titled Food, Culture, and Community, which was especially invaluable to my time in Italy. Half of our classes took place in a kitchen lab, where we learned to make traditional Italian meals that are easy to replicate at home. For someone whose previous experience cooking was making PB&Js, this class taught me so many valuable strategies and recipes for cooking on my own. The other half of our classes were tours around the city, where our professor showed us historical landmarks and notable places to visit. Another class I had was Wine Appreciation. This class, needless to say, was very enjoyable. Getting to taste wine from every region of Italy and study its composition introduced me to a new industry and interest I didn't know much about beforehand. Lastly, I took an Introduction to Digital Photography class; this was the most impactful class of the summer. I knew little about photography as well, and now it's become a passion of mine that I could bring home— and to SigEp on the communications photography team! Deciding to live in Italy for the summer was the most impactful decision I could've ever made. Through new experiences, learning new skills, and getting outside my comfort zone, I've grown so much as an individual. HFF, Caleb Harris '25 BEYOND NEW FRONTIERS Caleb Harris '25 on His Semester Abroad Serving International Communities A s you read this, one of our brothers is off on an incredible opportunity. Hayden Foster '24 is on a four-month trip to Uganda (which began in August) with the organization Engineering Ministry International. EMI is a non-profit organization that provides engineering and technical assistance to churches and ministries worldwide. Through this program, Hayden gets to share his mechanical engineering skills to help address various challenges faced by Ugandan communities. He's also working alongside dedicated teams across 12 countries to implement sustainable solutions. We look forward to sharing more on Hayden's trip in the spring Gator Heart! For now, you can learn more about EMI at www.emiworld.org. Caleb (left) and Sanitago Alvarez '25 together in Florence. A view of the city from the famous Duomo. Buon giorno, Brothers!

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