By oncptime
I haven’t been blogging diligently these past few weeks. At least not for GWU. You see I have been “dropping the ball,” as the kids say. But hear me out. I’ve got a good reason. It’s not that my classes have been particularly hard—we’ve still only really discussed one topic in each of them. I haven’t been doing too too much traveling. And my brief bout of homesickness cleared up after my first few days here.
“Well Charles,” I’m sure you’re thinking. “What ever could be your excuse for slacking on your blogs?”
Here’s the thing. I have a job. Here in Florence. I didn’t go looking for the job; but rather it found me. It’s sort of taking over my life and to be perfectly honest with you? I absolutely love it.
Currently, I work .as a fashion blogger for an American-focused Florence-based publication called FloNTheGo—a blog that searches out all the fantastic things in Florence so that its visitors don’t have to. I like to think of my job as equal parts The Devil Wears Prada and No Reservations. Working in the lifestyle department, I focus on the “offbeat” fashion beat ranging from vintage boutique/gallery fusion stores to faux-toure street vendors. I go to these places, take some pictures, interview the proprietors, and write up my impressions of the experience.
Here’s the thing though—I’m not a fashionis…to. Or whatever. I can appreciate fashion, yes, but it’s never really been a passion proper of mine. Like I said, this job kinda just found me. Though FloNTheGo though, I’ve gotten to see a side of Florence that I doubt I ever would have been aware of, and its enriched my experience both as a journalist and as a student studying abroad.
The thing about the eclectic fashion world—you meet fascinating people who are beacons for other similarly quirky types. While interviewing Sabrina Querci for the Elio Ferraro gallery/boutique I learned of a place not too far from the store where I could snag a used bike for 40 euros (as opposed to a full-priced one at 130 euros.) While at said shop, I learned of Florence’s answer to the American social biking-flashmob-turned party Critical Mass which I’ll be attending later this month.
It’s the little threads of information that have made themselves clear to me thanks to my going out and about in the city for this job that are truly making it worth my while. So often, people think of going abroad as a long-form vacation, refuge from the academic rigor of the US. That isn’t exactly wrong, per se, but I challenge you to realize just what sort of opportunities exist for you professionally while abroad