Another week in Italy gone, and now it’s halfway through the month! Only two weeks left in this beautiful country, which is bizarre to even think about!

Last Friday, every Kent student in the program, no matter what major, had to take a mandatory field trip to Siena, an hour and a half outside of Florence. To be honest, I’m not sure exactly why it was considered “mandatory”, especially because they waited to tell us till we got to the orientation the previous weekend. Despite that though, I’m really glad I went and experienced it in person. Siena is BEAUTIFUL! We didn’t have all day but we still made the best out of it. We went to the Siena Cathedral, walked around the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, climbed the Facciatone to a get a view of the whole city and Tuscan countryside (ABSOLUTELY worth it, despite the amount of steps!), explored the Palazzo Pubblico, and, of course, ate some gelato. I highly recommend visiting Siena if you have never been. It’s such a charming, vintage European town with so much history and wonder. It kind of reminded me of a village you would see in an old-fashioned movie or also the opening scene of Beauty and the Beast!

The following day, me and my friends Megan and Chelsey decided to spend the day exploring Pisa. It took less than an hour to get there by train (we didn’t take the faster train, we just took the normal one), and it was only around $8 euros per person. In my personal opinion, while the city is beautiful and iconic, it’s only worth a day to visit rather than a whole weekend. The only thing that most tourists really do there is take pictures with the Leaning Tower of Pisa 😂 But I still recommend going for a day and exploring. It’s totally worth it and you’'ll learn so much more about the city than you did before!

From right to left: Chelsea, me, and Megan

On Sunday, to end the weekend, me and two of my roommates, Marj and Haylee, took a day trip to Viareggio to hang out at the beach. It was 90 FREAKING DEGREES in Florence, and we felt that we would probably die if we decided to stay there for the day. So that’s when we looked up some train tickets and booked them for a beach day! We left in the morning to take a train there and we arrived there within an hour and a half. By the time we were on the train and at Viareggio, it was PACKED. There were a lot of students who, just like us, were on their weekend break going to the beach for some fun in the sun. We met two really nice Italian girls, Francesca and Demet, who were heading to the beach as well and they spoke clear English, so they let us hang out with them! We chatted with them on the train and went to a grocery store to get some snacks and drinks, then we headed towards the beach. Thank goodness that we met them because Francesca spoke Italian to all the employees there and helped us get chairs by the water to layout on! It was such a nice day. We went for a few dips in the ocean, ate, drank, took some fun pics, and just chilled in the sun. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

From right to left: Marj, me, and Haylee

Selfie at the beach with our new friends Francesca (top right) and Demet (bottom right)!

Week 2 of classes started off with another field trip to the Palazzo Vecchio for my Italian Fashion & Culture course. I’ve only seen the outside of the museum, so I was definitely excited to see the inside of it. It was absolutely stunning, just so purely authentic and historical! Later that day, I went to a food tasting with a bunch of other students hosted by Pozzo Divino. The owner was so sweet and intelligent, he gave us so many insightful information as he served us cheese, bread (with no salt!), olive oil, balsamic vinegar, prosciutto, and salami. He also said that the restaurant hosts special wine tasting events every week, and that Kent State students get a 20% discount on wine bottles … I’m certainly going to one those for sure for good wine with good discounts!

On Tuesday, my first class met for our next field trip at the Pitti Palace, home of the famous Boboli Gardens. It was so beautiful and majestic! Except I didn’t have time to use the bathroom beforehand, so I had to hold it in for at least over an hour which was a little uncomfortable, especially in a big ass museum 🙃 Afterwards, me and a few friends in my fashion classes decided to get lunch at La Milkeria (of course after I was finally able to pee). Y’all, I HIGHLY recommend going there if you ever come to Florence! It’s soooo good. They serve Nutella crepes, pancakes, and waffles that are unreal. They also have delicious iced vanilla lattes. It’s now officially one of my new favorite restaurants in Firenze that I’m definitely going back to at least ten more times this month! Later that night, me, my roommates and a few of our gal pals decided to hit up a sports bar called Reserve, which a lot of Kent State students go to for Tuesday night discounts on drinks. Despite not being a big partner, that was one of the best nights of my life! We drank, we danced, we drank, we danced … thankfully, I drank plenty of water afterwards to avoid having a hangover. Still, I enjoyed that night with my friends and all the other students (at least the ones I know). It was much needed break for all of us!

On Wednesday, for our European Fashion Study Tour class, we went to the Salvatore Ferragamo to learn about how sustainability plays a major role in the fashion industry. They showed off a bunch of displays featuring outfits made out of reused material that are environmental friendly and help decrease pollution (the fashion industry actually ranks in the top of most polluted industries). It was seriously one of the most intriguing museums I’ve ever visited. I love that sustainability is becoming more of an awareness in the fashion world, we need it now more than ever! And the sustainable outfits that were on display at the museum were CHIC AF. I’d definitely wear them!

Another successful and amazing week in Italia, if I do say so myself. This weekend I will be spending Friday in Rome, Saturday in Chianti and San Gimignano for a wine tasting tour as well as spending Sunday in Cinque Terre. I also have field trips to Prato and Milan for my European Fashion Study Tour class, so stay tuned to hear about them all in next week’s post!

I’m here in Florence for another two weeks and I’m still open for any recommendations, so comment below if you have any for me!

Hey, y'all!

I know I say "y'all" quite often, but I'm really starting to think that I'm developing a Southern accent. Why? Because I recently came back from my first ever trip to Nashville! Why? Because me and my Delight Ministries group at Akron attended the national leadership conference and it was AMAZING! I'm going to be a social media coordinator and leader for Akron's Delight chapter this fall semester, so this conference was the perfect opportunity for me to get some leadership advice and connect with other Delight chapters around the nation. It was all so worth it and I wish I could relive those past two days!

We left for the conference in two separate cars (four people per car) almost about a week ago. After a long but fun eight hour drive that consisted of both worship and Disney music, we finally made it to Music City. We were starving, so our first stop was at Hattie B’s Hot Chicken which is a hot spot among natives and tourists. Their mild jumbo chicken tenders with fries, mac n cheese, and ranch dressing is sooooo divine!

After dinner, we went on a mini night adventure and explored Broadway. It was full of honky Tonks and Western boot shops, basically every country loving girl's dream! After a night out on the town, we went to Brentwood where we were staying at a host's home. The residents living there weren't there because they were out of town for the summer, but they and their friends who hooked us up with the house were so kind enough to let us say. It was a beautiful home and we were so grateful to stay there!

The following day, we woke up bright and early to attend the first day of the conference, which took place at Marathon Music Works. We got there sometime between 8-8:30 and spent that time getting our swag bags, meeting girls from other chapters, taking pictures, drinking coffee, eating donuts (Krispy Kreme to be more specific), and buying some cute merchandise!

The conference started around 9, which was introduced by Delight co-founders Mac and Kenz, who are basically celebrities. They both started the ministry as a small Bible study at Belmont University, which then turned into a national college organization for women. They were so cute and so friendly, they are literally the perfect role models for women. They opened up with an adorable and hilarious dance number with all the regional directors, dancing to the song "The Middle" by Maren Morris and making all of us in the audience dance along with them!

The rest of the morning consisted of worship, an inspiring speech by Hannah Brencher, and journaling before heading into lunch. During the meal, I got to sit at a table with different women from other chapters and learn more about each of them. They were all so down to earth and I plan on staying in touch with them always. Overall, it was so amazing to be in the same room as so many other women in different chapters around the United States!

After more discussions during the conference, we were all let out around four o'clock for a two hour break. That gave me and my friends enough to explore Downtown Nashville. We managed to find the famous and artsy #WhatLiftsYou wings mural located on 302 11th Avenue S, along with a few other mini murals. I was so happy, that definitely checks off one goal on my bucket list!

Afterward, we stopped by Milk and Honey Nashville for some iced coffee before heading back to the conference. I highly recommend it, one of the best of many Nashville coffee shops!

My iced almond vanilla latte from Milk and Honey Nashville — My iced almond vanilla latte from **Milk and Honey Nashville**

For dinner, they served delicious tacos either choices of either steak or grilled chicken. It was like we were catered by a mini version of Chipotle! I ate with the same group I ate lunch with, and we got to get to know each other by sharing testimonies with one another. It was a very special breakout session, I even teared up a bit sharing my testimony and listening to others tell theirs. That first day of the conference, I made some new amazing friendships as well as spent quality time with my Akron friends. The eight of us stayed up till two in the morning that night at our host's home. We were just laughing and having a good time with one another!

Day Two - the second and final day of the conference - we woke up bright and early once again to take more pictures (thank you to the kind woman who took our pictures and let us hold her adorable dog!). This time, we all wore our Delight merchandise in honor of merchandise day. From sweaters to hats, every girl was all decked out and full of pride for the ministry!

The first half of the second day was pretty similar to the other day, consisting of worship, speeches from other leaders/directors and lunch. However, we also played a super fun trivia game that involved groups selecting a runner to run over, chug a can of La Croix and answer the trivia question. Then at the end, the two groups with the most points had a tug-of-war battle. It was a blast, so much feisty action and laughs! Unfortunately my team didn't make it to the final "battle", but we still had a fantastic time!

After more speeches and group chats, we had another break period from four to seven before the conference worship finale. We met one of the photographs at the event named Jayda and she went to explore 12th South with us. Y'all, she is one of THE most kind-hearted, pure, creative, optimistic and beautiful women I have ever met! Her photography skills are amazing, and we had so much fun with her. We got coffee with her and talked about Jesus and other good things. She also took the time out of her break to do aesthetic photoshoots with us!

The University of Akron chapter with Mac (far right) and Kenz (bottom right)!!!

The University of Akron chapter with Jayda (center to the left)!!!

After shopping and dinner, we went back to Marathon Music Works for the final worship. The band played a few songs before Mac came out to give the most inspiring speech ever. She talked about John 21:17 in which God asked Peter, "Do you love me?" to which Peter responded "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you" and the Lord replied, "Feed my sheep."

That verse is so powerful in so many ways. Despite when we're confused as to why God puts us through challenges, what matters most is that we must love Him and feed His sheep. This was an important message for me after a long, busy summer with happy moments yet also disappointing moments. Mac preached about how important it is to feed Jesus's sheep no matter what, whether during positive or negative situations. And during the worship, I kept telling God that I wanted to keep feeding His sheep for the rest of my life. That night, I felt so much weight and anxiety lifted off my shoulders. I prayed with friends and other girls, teared up with joy, sang my heart out, and praised His name. I've never felt so blessed in my whole life. That night, I was changed and I left the conference feeling that exact same way. I'm so grateful for everything that God put in front of me during those two days. The leadership conference will in fact be one of the most memorable, raw, and weightlifting memories of my lifetime. I am now even more eager to be a leader for the University of Akron Delight chapter this fall semester!

S/O to Jenna Clare for capturing this beautiful of me praying for my friend Abby!

If you want to learn more about Delight, how to join and possibly how to start a chapter on your campus, check out their website and follow them on Instagram!

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