Well, this is it, my final Kameenian Khronicles! I wasn’t sure what to write for my final reflection on studying abroad, but I took a little inspiration from my good friend, Fatimah, who had written a couple of articles about her favorite songs that got her through some tough times.
I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, in Spring ‘24 for two weeks and Spring ‘25 for an entire semester, so some of these songs are actually Italian, while others are just ones that I listened to on repeat while overseas.
To start, “Love My Way” by The Psychedelic Furs is one of my favorite songs of all time, and I have to say that I was introduced to it by my friend, Levi, whom I met while in Florence. Some of my favorite memories were playing that song while dancing in the streets, or watching “Call Me By Your Name,” in which the song is featured.
It has an upbeat back track, with some haunting lyrics, like “They’d put us on a railroad / They’d dearly make us pay … Love my way / it’s a new road.” The lyrics describe a gay romance, in which the couple experiences prejudice and homophobia, but the chorus iterates that they will continue their love and ignore the “conventional” path.
Sufjan Stevens’ album, “Visions of Gideon,” carried me through countless flights, bus rides, train rides and just about every single time I slept. I would listen to that album every single time I traveled on public transportation, and at a certain point, I became conditioned to fall asleep within one song.
“Mystery of Love” is especially haunting, and Stevens’ voice is so beautifully calming while still making me cry. Falling in love? Listen to “The Mystery of Love.” Just got broken up with? “The Mystery of Love” will make you sob while still offering a comforting hug of shared misery.
On a happier note, Ricchi and Roveri’s “Sarà perché ti amo” is an Italian karaoke bar classic, and it brings the entire crowd together at the end of the night, whether it plays indoors or just a singular busker outside. The song is popular, but justifiably so.
I’m not sure how Kim Carnes enters the picture, but “Bette Davis Eyes” was one of my favorite songs to listen to while walking the streets of Florence – it’s very 80’s, and perfectly fits the vibe of a solo-traveler.
“What Was That” by Lorde on her album “Virgin” was released as a single while I was abroad, and the song perfectly encapsulates anger at those in your past, wishing you had acted differently, while still addressing trauma and longing. The song has a fun, club-classic backtrack, which juxtaposes Lorde’s lyrical grief.
Whenever I missed home, I would listen to America’s “Ventura Highway,” “Sister Golden Hair” and “A Horse with No Name,” to remind me of some of those classics I hold near and dear to my heart back home.
While walking home from dinner by myself on one of my first weeks in Florence, I stumbled upon a busker singing “Balia (Sexy Thing)” while playing the piano. He was so talented, and after minutes of searching, I finally found the song and immediately added it to my playlist; my favorite version of the song is the one by Zucchero.
“Big Jet Plane” by Angus and Julia Stone constantly plays in Florence stores and restaurants, which was very interesting to me, but I grew to love it and even miss hearing it when I came back home.
Led Zeppelin’s “Going to California” is a beautiful and soft song, with Robert Plant’s voice beautifully describing the desperation and yearning for love.
“This World’s A Giant” by Zach Bryan (although I don’t like him as a person) was one of my favorite songs to listen to while sitting on the Ponte Vecchio Bridge. It’s somber, but the lyrics, “Be still, be quiet, the world’s a giant / And I never had myself a David’s heart,” hit harder knowing that I was in the city of Michelangelo’s “David.”
Finally, I have to mention that I grew up on Dean Martin and The Rat Pack, so I, of course, listened to them on repeat. My friends joked that I always had a Dean Martin song to reference whenever we traveled – even if it was mostly “We Open in Venice,” which mentions a ton of Italian cities.
“Arrivederci Roma” holds such a special place in my heart, and Dean Martin’s voice is so smooth. This song always makes me cry, reminding me of the weeks’ worth of tears I cried when I first came back home from Florence to America.
Also, my mom used to pay me $5 to sing “On an Evening in Roma” in Italian restaurants when I was a kid, so I, of course, had to add that to the rotation.
As much as I miss Italy, I’ve learned that there’s a lot I’ll miss about America when I head back abroad for even longer this time – so I’ll have to start adding a lot more to this playlist. Let me know if you know any good Slovakian songs!
To all the readers, thanks for reading The Comenian and keeping up with this column. It’s been a privilege to write about my amazing experiences abroad, and hopefully, I’ll be making some more soon.
