“Do they even know what lactose intolerance is?” Kansas-born Madison Moore voices her concerns about her inability to eat cheese and milk during her time in Florence, Italy.  Moore, a fashion marketing and management major, will study there this spring semester.

In Italy, Moore will study fashion marketing and management at the city’s University of the Arts.  Although only one course she’s taking will count directly for her major, Moore believes Italian, painting and advertising will apply to her studies in fashion.

Moore looks forward to only having classes Tuesdays through Thursdays and spending her four-day weekends on excursions throughout Europe.  She said she plans to take trips to Tuscany, Sicily, Rome, Barcelona and Munich, to name a few.

One cultural difference Moore heard about is the way Italians eat dinner.  When going out for dinner, Italians may have multiple courses and dinner can last hours.  She anticipates this difference will be quite an adjustment from America’s fast paced culture.

Instead, in Italy, “it’s about enjoying life,” Moore said.

Colby Elliott, a sophomore fashion communication major, is nervous about the possibility of traveling far away from her family in St. Louis for the first time.  Elliott is in the application process at University of the Arts: London College of Fashion for their eight-week summer fashion design and merchandising program.

Elliott looks forward to experiencing a whole new place, trying new foods and shopping in London’s many shopping districts.

“I want to be able to communicate better using fashion terms,” Elliott said.

She looks forward to “learning things I can’t learn here in Missouri,” such as trend forecasting and fashion styling with a professional photographer, Elliott said. She’s excited about being immersed in a new culture and learning from a fresh, unique perspective.

Logan Blagg, a sophomore fashion design major from Arkansas, also plans to attend Florence University of the Arts for six weeks beginning in May.

Lynda Baumgartner helped these students gain the opportunity to study abroad.  If you’re interested in studying abroad, contact Baumgartner at [email protected].