This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the Applied Human Factors and Art in Florence, Italy study abroad class. For three weeks, I was able to live in the heart of Florence while learning about the interaction between art and human factors over time. It was very interesting to learn just how connected these two things are. As art has become more realistic and requires more advanced techniques, human factors have followed a similar path and they have actually grown in parallel. For example, in 1200, portraits were not drawn using perspective, making them lack true depth. But during the Renaissance, Brunelleschi, a renowned architect known for his creation of the dome and is also considered one of the first engineers, invented the drawing concept of perspective. Around the same time, he also invented a lift to be able to move building equipment to the top of the Florence Cathedral while building the dome. This was a development of the human factor that is now known as cranes. Both of these developed alongside each other and have come to be very important to our world. This also is a great example of what we were learning in our course and gives a glimpse into the connection we were tasked with making.

Throughout our class, we went on lots of cultural experiences, artisan and business visits, and tours of the city. Some of my favorite places we were able to visit were the Pitti Palace which also houses the Boboli Gardens, the Florence Cathedral, the Academia where the David statue is housed, a leather factory, and group dinners at local restaurants, as well as the Vatican Museum and Domus Aurea while in Rome. The amount of beauty and history surrounding you everywhere you go is truly amazing. I found it very interesting how almost every building there, whether it was a museum or grocery store, was older than our entire country. Everywhere I went I felt as if I was stepping back in time, immersing myself in the rich history of the city. We also had the opportunity to meet so many lovely people and see the cultural differences firsthand. One of my favorite interactions of the trip was on a visit to a bespoke purse maker, where he told us all about his process and the system he had created. While he may have been speaking in Italian the whole time, we were able to grasp what he was telling us through the examples shown to us. You could feel the passion he had for his craft and the joy it brought him, which made me want to find something I have that level of passion for.

While everything I learned in class was so interesting, the most impactful and memorable parts of this trip took place outside of the classroom. Living in a foreign country where I don’t know the language or culture was such an eye-opening experience. I was way outside of my comfort zone but having to just figure things out as I went allowed me to grow so much as a person and learn that I truly am capable of anything. I also was able to explore more of the country over the weekends with my roommates. Over the three weeks we were there, we went to Lucca, Pisa, La Spezia, the Cinque Terre, Modena, Maranello, and Siena. Every city and town we explored was so unique and had its own little pockets of culture that we got to be a part of for a couple of hours. Being in Italy and experiencing it the way I did only makes me want to go back and see more of the unique country. But this trip also ignited a spark in me, making me want to see and experience the world and giving me the confidence to chase that dream. Studying abroad has shaped me as a person, and I am so grateful to have been able to go.

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