Host Family Life

Living with a host family was something I wasn’t totally sure about when I first came to Florence, but now I can’t imagine my semester without them.

I lived with a mom, a dad, and their 15-year-old son and over time, we got really, really close. From day one, they welcomed us in like we were part of the family. We ate dinner together every night, and it honestly became one of the best parts of the day. The food was always amazing (obviously), but it was more about the conversation and the fact that we all just sat around the table together, talking, laughing, trying to understand each other. They wanted to practice their English, and we tried our best with Italian.

One day, our host mom took us to a vineyard for a wine tour, and it ended up being one of my favorite memories of the whole semester. It wasn’t something we booked through a company or found online, it was just something she wanted to share with us, and it felt really special to be included in that way.

They also had three dogs, which made the house feel even more like home.

When I got sick at one point during the semester, they took care of me like I was their own. Tea, medicine, checking in on me everything. I didn’t expect to feel so looked after while abroad, but they made sure I never felt alone.

There’s something different about experiencing a place through a family’s home. You don’t just learn about the culture, you live it. You see how people actually spend their evenings, what they cook, how they talk to each other, what they value. It made Florence feel less like a city I was visiting and more like a place I belonged.

I’m so grateful for the time I spent with them. They weren’t just my host family, they became real family. Luckily it won't be a goodbye, just a see you later

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