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It’s hard to believe we’re already entering our last week of session I of our “Drawing in the Capital of the Arts” program in Florence! Our artists have worked so hard to improve their drawing skills, but also to navigate life in a new city, develop new friendships, and create memories that will last a lifetime! In just a few short weeks, this session’s students have visited many of the city’s most important historical sites and museums, ziplined through the treetops and hiked in the hills outside the city, cooked handmade pasta, and even made new friends while spending time with Italian peers. To best capture some highlights from the trip so far, I turned to the students to share some of their most memorable experiences together. 

What has been your favorite activity we’ve done as a group this trip, and what made it special?

Hana: “So far my favorite thing we’ve done as a group would have to be the hiking trip we went on. I thought it was a really fun thing to do as a group because I got to walk around in nature with my friends, the weather was really nice, we had a great guide, we had ice cream, I bought a gnome for my dad, and the views were beautiful. I wasn’t expecting it to be that beautiful. I brought my sketchbook, the barbecue was nice, I got to sit in a really calm place… it was just really nice.”

Atlas: “I think my favorite activity was going to the natural science museum   because I really liked seeing all the specimens right there instead of just in pictures, and being able to see all of the different things they had preserved. I’ve painted some of those animals before, like some of the bugs and butterflies, so it was cool to see my reference pictures in real life.”

Joel: “The art class in the , not just because of the roses but also because of the people…it’s not just the art, it’s also the community that’s been one of my favorite parts of the trip.”

Anyango: “I really liked it when we were at the pool for the pool day. I brought a bunch of stuff to do because usually at the pool, I don’t swim. I lay down or crochet or draw, but I didn’t touch any of my stuff once because we were all just playing games and stuff in the water. We were just all hanging out and that was fun. We didn’t have any homework or anything else to do that day, just swimming.”

Galen: “I liked going to the pool too! The reason I liked the pool was because everyone was there and it was a really good group bonding experience. It was nice because it was a relaxing day after a lot of days that weren’t relaxing. I also got really good chicken nuggets and fries.”

Erin: “Walking around and going to see the Duomo and . That one was probably my favorite [site visit] because I got to see one of the only statues I really cared about seeing and I didn’t even know it was there, so it was such a cool surprise! I just looked up and was like, ‘wait a minute… that’s so cool!’ [The statue] was one of Donatello’s first works, and it’s kind of funky looking because he made the head really big, so its nickname is ‘Pumpkin Head’ and I kinda love it.”

Melanie: “My favorite thing we’ve done is going to the adventure park. Even the people who didn’t go [on the ziplines] were able to spend time walking around the park and drawing. I went on the ziplines and it was really fun! It felt so fun and energetic that afterwards my energy was drained. I fell asleep so quickly that night. I also felt like that was when I started to feel better and more comfortable talking to people because I would just walk up and be like ‘oh, what are you guys drawing?’ and we would keep talking and drawing. So yeah, that was my favorite.”

It’s going to be so hard to say goodbye on departure day next week, but these students have made so many memories and new friends during their time here so far. I can’t wait to see how they make the most of their last week in Italy!

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