Sharing My Erasmus Report:
At the beginning of February, I returned to Florence for my internship. Just like the first time, I worked at the company A Thousand Joys. The business is run by a self-employed artist and goldsmith named Joy. Joy is an American who has been living and working in Italy for over 20 years. Last year, we connected very well, both professionally and personally, so we were both immediately on board when the opportunity for a postgraduate Erasmus arose.
Last year, I digitalized her “Price Book.” I transferred all products and materials from a paper notebook into a digital format, prepared formulas, automatic currency conversions, etc. This reduced the time needed to change prices from a couple of weeks to just two days. However, she still had to manually enter the updated prices for each product into two online stores: one on Shopify and one on Etsy.
My first project this year was upgrading this system. First, I researched everything thoroughly, and then I connected everything into a functioning whole. I introduced SKUs (Stock Keeping Units) for every variation of each product, which allowed me to link products between Shopify and Etsy. Prices are now updated in bulk within spreadsheets; this is transferred to Shopify via one application and then to Etsy via another. This way, the time required to change prices was reduced from two days to approximately 2–3 hours.
Afterward, I started optimizing the website and all products for greater visibility in search engines, while simultaneously working on numerous small tasks. For instance, we arranged it so that customers can now contact her via WhatsApp immediately upon finding her on Google. This quickly proved to be a good move, as new customers began scheduling visits through the app within a few days. Additionally, I implemented several upgrades and fixes on the website, created a YouTube channel (follow her!) where she can publish videos of the jewelry-making process. I set up automated emails for customers and new newsletter subscribers, and much more. We also ensured that gift cards are now available in the store. At the end of that day, she said, “Wow, this morning I mentioned that I thought it would be good to do this, and now it’s already available in the store.” When customers came to the studio, I also actively participated in selling the jewelry, which at Joy’s takes place in a very personal, ethical, and loving manner. When customers arrive, we shake hands; when they leave, we very often end up hugging.
In short, there was no shortage of work and ideas. Working with Joy is a true joy. We can talk about anything, joke around, and then roll up our sleeves and get things done. She always listens to my ideas, trusts me to find ways to implement them, and values my contribution. We agreed to continue our business collaboration even after my return to Slovenia.
Since I went to Italy in February, I focused heavily on the energy rating when searching for accommodation this time. Most apartments in Florence have the worst energy rating, G, meaning they are poorly insulated. I did not want to repeat last year’s experience, where I was cold in both apartments during the winter.
In the last week before my departure, I finally found an apartment. A friend I met last year in Florence went to view it and confirmed it was good. The windows were new, fortunately, there were no tiles in the bedroom, and the thermostat in the apartment was set to 20 degrees. Although I was paying almost twice as much as last year for rooms, I felt it was worth it. I was alone in the apartment, which meant it was clean according to my standards. The location was excellent, very well connected by public transport, with two tram stops a few minutes’ walk away. At the same time, the apartment was in a quiet location, with a view and a small balcony overlooking a green inner courtyard with a large tree, where I could watch the arrival of spring. In the nearby market, there were many small shops and local spots with everything needed, and very close by was also a public fountain where you can fill up on sparkling and still water for free. This saves money and uses less plastic.
I had enough beds/mattresses in the apartment, so I hosted a friend for one weekend, and on the last weekend in March, I hosted three classmates from the college I attended.
Unfortunately, I only had this apartment available until the end of March, so in April I moved into a room I had rented last year. Occasionally, it was almost summery hot outside, so at times the coolness of the apartment was quite welcome.
Since I like walking, I usually walked to work and back home. From the first apartment, it was about a 25-minute walk, and from the second, about 35 minutes.
Public transport in Florence is well-organized; with a single ticket for €1.70, you can use the bus and tram for 90 minutes. Tickets can be bought at machines, via an app, or simply by tapping your card on the transport vehicle itself. I used about 25 tickets. Whenever I went on a trip outside Florence (Pisa, Livorno, Rimini, Grosseto, Pescia), I went by train.
Surprisingly, food in Florence is cheaper than in Slovenia. In the supermarket, I was often scared that I had put too many items in my basket. When I reached the checkout, however, I was repeatedly positively surprised, as the total was always significantly lower than expected. In restaurants, food prices are comparable to those at home. But when it comes to coffee, croissants, and desserts, the tourist-packed, world-famous Florence wins again, as they are cheaper than in Ptuj and Maribor. I drank an extended coffee for €1.30–1.50, and croissants and other desserts were about the same price. It is not uncommon to drink a coffee, eat a croissant, and pay €2.80. A few times, I even paid €1 for a coffee. An Aperol Spritz is usually €6 or €7, and on a couple of occasions, I received chips, peanuts, and even an avocado dip alongside it without being charged extra.
Of course, even in Florence, it sometimes happens that some places try to overcharge visitors they think they will only see once (and consequently, they do). Thus, in one café, my classmates and I paid €3.50 for coffee and €8 for a slice of cake because they heard we were tourists. It made me so angry that I couldn’t sleep, and for the first time in my life, I went to write a negative review on Google Reviews. I discovered that we were far from the only victims. Once in a gelateria, I also received a large portion of ice cream without asking for it or being asked, and I paid €8 for it.
But if I draw a line, rent, toilet paper, and ice cream are more expensive in Florence; everything else is comparable or usually cheaper.
Last year, I felt awkward ordering in Italian as I had almost no practice, and I avoided English because I was interested in learning a new language. This year, however, I was determined from the start to speak Italian with everyone. Even when people approached me in English in the center or at tourist spots, I responded in Italian. I only asked “Parli inglese?” (Do you speak English?) when I truly didn’t understand something.
My Italian has improved significantly. According to the language assessment, I should now be at a C1 level. I’m not entirely sure about that, but I can certainly host friends and converse with them solely in Italian, although I do occasionally ask for further explanations on what something means. I also manage to write short messages in Italian without using a translator.
In other parts of Europe, I usually feel that English is the international language that gets you everywhere. In Italy, however, I feel the need to learn other languages, such as French, Arabic, or Spanish, as it happens much more frequently that people I meet do not speak English or even Italian.
If I felt lonely often last year, I didn’t have time for that this year. On the bus ride to Florence, I already made friends with a fellow passenger. The first weekend after I arrived, we already had dinner at a friend’s from last year. Very soon, I became friends with a neighbour, with whom I often went to galleries and for coffee, discovering in between that we had tons of things in common.
I had wanted to try improvisational theater for some time now, and I was convinced I could find it in Florence. Since searching the internet yielded nothing useful, I asked in the Facebook group “Creative People in Florence.” I received a reply that a new group was starting soon, and on the organization’s website, I also found a drawing course. It was an Erasmus organization, AEGEE.
At improvisation group we quickly started forming friendships. And since it was on Friday evenings, we often went out to eat, have a drink, and walk around the city with classmates afterwards.
Between last year’s friendships, numerous new ones, and visits from Slovenia, my social life in Florence was truly wonderful. I spent the entire last weekend in Florence saying goodbye to friends. This included Monday, my last working day, when Joy and I went for lunch and cried a few times.
Through my social life, I also developed my intercultural competences. My friends are from Congo, Cameroon, Libya, Tunisia, Brazil, Colombia, Italy, Pakistan… At work, I was mainly in contact with Americans and other English-speaking customers. Regardless of culture, seeing the human in another human, showing interest, a smile, and a bit of humor, opens many doors.
I developed my digital competences primarily through my work. Here, I gained a deeper understanding of Shopify, enhanced my knowledge of Google Sheets, refreshed and learned new functionalities of Etsy, and delved deeper into Google’s business tools… I communicate with friends in Italy via WhatsApp, as it is the app everyone uses. There, for example, I discovered a feature I had never noticed before – live location sharing, which made it easier for a friend and me to find each other when I visited her town. Although I am well aware of the unethical aspects of using these apps (I wrote a thesis titled The Ethical and Environmental Impact of Big Tech), I still use them for convenience, consoling myself with the fact that at least I don’t pay for them.
With people back home, I communicated via regular calls or video calls on Signal.
I did not use the OLS language course for anything other than the knowledge test, as I use Duolingo and Busuu, and I learn the most through conversations with people themselves.
I ensured green mobility by traveling to Florence and back home by bus. In Florence, I was usually on foot; if not, then on the bus or tram. For trips, I usually went by train.
This time in Florence, I noticed more recycling bins. In stores, there are only biodegradable bags for fruit and vegetables, and at the checkout, they offer you a biodegradable bag that you can use at home for organic waste.
I would recommend Erasmus to everyone. You gain a lot of knowledge, expand your social network, see many new and beautiful things. You also gain immense confidence, as in a few months in a foreign country, in a foreign language, you arrange accommodation, work, acquire new skills, and make friendships. It is truly fascinating what you can achieve in such a short time.
Last year’s Erasmus experience was so great that I wanted to repeat it. This year’s was incomparably better. It was as if the whole city was saying “Welcome back” and then giving me gifts every day through beautiful views, satisfaction at work, and through numerous friendships.
