Hey there... I need help/advice/comments...
I will be moving to Firenze in August 14th 2008, for a whole year. I will be studying Fashion Design at Polimoda with a study abroad program from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
I'm traveling alone and am quite unsure about how to do this so I was wondering if you- the locals or usual travelers- had any comments on the following...
*Any suggestions or advice you might have will be SUPER helpful!
grazie mile!!
I will be arriving in Florence on August 14th and don't have anywhere to stay yet. You see, our ORIENTATION WEEK begins on August 23rd and ends on September 1st -when our classes begin-. We are supposed to look for housing during that week, but I am a bit worried about finding an apartment in less than a week at the same time as everyone else, so I decided to to travel early to see if I could go "apartment hunting" before everyone else gets there.
However, I am planning on living with 2 or 3 more girls so that our monthly rent is is lower. Our school arranges meetings with agencies every year to help us find apartments but I want to avoid broker fees because as students we don't have a lot of money and I was hoping we could rent an apartment directly from the owner. Do you think this will be a tough task?-Considering I don't know how the italian "apartment renting process" is. One of my friends was there last semester and she said it was really stressful because the real estate agents with whom they met, were short of apartments.
My other issue is the following:
I will arrive almost two weeks before the orientation period... And although I am a member of Couch Surfing, I have never experienced it.I was hoping to stay at a Hostel for the first 2 nights just to "get a feel for the area" and then with one of the people that responded to my Couch Surfing request. but -- this is my first time traveling to Europe and although I am completely fluent in English and Spanish and know a little of Italian, I am not sure if the Hostel or the Couch Surfing idea is a good one as will be traveling alone.
I am usually not scared but since this is such a new experience I just want to make the best choices.
Would I be better off trying to rent an apartment for a week or 10 days? just while I find my own-instead of staying at someone's couch or at a hostel?
Its not that I don't trust couch surfing.. I think it is a genuine program and i believe in it, but my stay will not just be for one night or 2.. but almost a week... I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable...
Do you have any comments or ideas on this? DO you think I am totally out of my mind?
ancora, grazie per il vostro tempo!'
http://www.couchsurfing.com/profile.html
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