The sun was setting over the Arno, and Chloe and I were walking home with gelato, our feet were sore from another day of wandering side streets and getting just a little bit lost. At that moment, everything felt surreal. Florence was no longer just a place on a map, we were living here for the next six weeks. 

But just a year earlier, none of this was certain. I had only recently started thinking about studying abroad during my sophomore year. As I began to research programs and locations, I quickly became excited by the possibilities. One afternoon, while hanging out with Chloe, my roommate of two years, I brought it up. She told me she had always dreamed of studying abroad but had never seriously considered it. From that moment, we began imagining what it could look like to embark on the adventure together. A year later, we finally got serious and started planning our summer in Florence. 

By the time we made the decision, we already had years of shared memories and plenty of experience living together. We met during our freshman year while living in the same hallway and naturally became roommates our sophomore, junior, and now senior year. We knew each other’s habits and routines like second nature. So, when we decided to take our friendship abroad, it felt like the perfect start to a new chapter we’d get to experience side by side. 

It was the first time either of us had traveled outside the U.S. While we were both comfortable navigating domestic travel, we knew this would be a very different kind of challenge. Arriving in Florence felt like a dream, but it also came with a learning curve. We had to figure out the train and bus systems, translate grocery labels, and adapt to Italian culture. The first few weeks were filled with small mistakes, some of which now make us laugh, but also with little victories. Having each other during that transition made all the difference. 

Living abroad together for six weeks tested our friendship in new ways. Even though we’d lived together for years, we’d never shared a room and bathroom before. That adjustment wasn’t always easy, but we quickly learned how to operate as a team. We weren’t just roommates anymore, we were travel partners, navigating unfamiliar territory and leaning on one another every step of the way. Whether we were dealing with delayed trains, ordering in Italian, or managing the stress of a lost phone, we tackled every challenge together.

We also learned new things about each other. I realized Chloe was great at not being afraid to ask for help, wave down the check, and figure things out on the fly, while I was more comfortable planning ahead and doing research. Our differences balanced us, especially while traveling. Of course, we had our off days too with moments of miscommunication or times when one of us just needed space. However, those moments taught us to communicate more clearly and to be patient with each other’s needs. 

Spending nearly every day together meant we had to be intentional about maintaining space. In the mornings, Chloe had class while I took time to myself. After lunch, typically together, she’d usually nap while I ventured out. We came to appreciate the quiet in-between moments just as much as our shared adventures. That balance helped give us both the space to recharge individually, while also making many shared memories. 

As we settled into our routine, our friendship grew. We supported each other through homesickness, language barriers, and the personal growth that comes from being far from home. We created new memories together. Some of my favorites are the simple ones like walking home at sunset, listening to live music in Piazzale Michelangelo, or ending the night in our room, struggling to make a free VPN work just to watch a show. 

Now, as we are back home for the summer, I know this experience will stay with us. Studying abroad with Chloe is something I’ll always cherish. I don’t know exactly what the next chapter will bring as we begin our senior year and think about life after graduation. However, I do know that we’ll always have Florence. The memories we built here will continue to anchor our friendship, no matter where life takes us.