Madeleine Herberger

My time in Florence was life changing, eye opening and inspiring. I was able to study within my art focus while also expanding my horizons with language, history, and cultural learning experiences. I made new friends and strengthened existing relationships through our shared experiences abroad. I was able to travel around the country, engage with the cultural landscape of multiple cities and regions of Italy, and spend a great deal of time getting to know the unique culture of Florence. The time spent exploring and pushing my comfort zones helped me to learn more about myself as a learner, and traveler, and a person. 

I knew prior to traveling to Italy that it was quite common for people to speak English, especially in large cities and touristy areas. What I was surprised by was how many people I encountered, both in touristy city centers and small towns spoke proficient if not fluent English in addition to Italian and often a third language. It made me think differently about how we treat language learning in America, a unique skill for a resume, or a proud academic accomplishment rather than a necessity. The more Italian I learned in my time abroad, and the better I was able to converse, I felt I had a growing understanding of the culture and ability to be independent in a world that was previously unfamiliar to me. This experience opened my eyes to the real-world possibilities of language learning in an increasingly globalized world. 

During my time in Florence, I learned the skill of oil painting, the rich history of Italian art and wine, and studied the Italian language. As I grow as a student and a person, I hope to continue to explore the intersection of these learnings. For one, I learned that I really enjoyed doing design and illustration related to brands with multi-faceted storytelling and history. In a project for our wine class, we were tasked with developing a brand for a winery, from the viticulture, to the land, to the history, and to the wine labels. I would like to continue to explore the intersection of brand, storytelling, culture, and unique visual elements in my work as an illustrator and designer. Additionally, I had the opportunity to attend both the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, and the Biennale Art Exhibition. I was able to see art, both commercial and contemporary fine arts from all over the world, and was struck by how transportive these global works were. As I develop both my personal work and my thesis further, I want to keep in mind a sense of identity, place, and both classical and modern methods for image making that I learned through my experience in Italy. 

I think going abroad can be a great lesson in independence. In addition to all of the academic and cultural experiences I had, I cannot be more grateful for the life lessons I learned. From how to walk confidently down a city street, to navigating new travel systems, to enjoying peaceful and still time with myself along the river, Arno, I feel that my time in Florence allowed me to grow in more ways than one.