Travel Diary: Kaplan Empire State

One of the best ways to enjoy your study abroad experience is to record all the things you see and do in a travel diary. From exciting activities and thoughts on your classes, to your the amazing moments you share with your friends, you’ll be left with a book full of memories that will last forever.

Meet Antonio Barcolini, an Italian student studying at Kaplan International Empire State. Take a look at some of Antonio's experiences in the big apple, and see what his favorite things were about learning English in the exciting city of New York. 

Day 1:

I started my Kaplan Experience with a 10-hour flight from Italy to New York. By the time I arrived in Manhattan after midnight, I was so tired, but I didn’t care. New York is everything, it’s worth the tiredness.

When we arrived at the hotel, we went directly to sleep! But I was ready and excited to see the city the next day….

Day 2:

Today was my first full day in New York, and what a better way to start a day if not with Starbucks? Caramel Frappuccino? I think I just found my soul mate.

Today my sister and I walked from 34th street to Central Park, where we rested at the lake. What a great feeling, and what a great place!! It’s so peaceful, it’s the perfect place to relax and take a break from the city and its noises. I could stay here forever. I wish I could.

Day 9: 

Today I visited the 9/11 memorial, which was pretty intense. The memorial is unbelievable and is the perfect way to remember what happened and the people who died. We also went up to the One World Trade Center observatory, where you can enjoy views of the whole city. God it felt like I was watching the entire world from above – I don’t think I'll ever forget that view.

Day 11: 

Today my friends from school and I went to Staten Island! We found out that the ferry boat takes you there for free – so of course we took it. C'mon it was for free! We couldn’t have made a better choice. From the island we could see the whole city, and it was wonderful! The weather, the views, the sunset, the colors – we took amazing pictures and it was a perfect day.

Day 22:

It was a hot day today, so me and some of my friends from the residence went to Coney Island! After an hour on the subway we arrived directly on the beach. It was so hot we had to take a dip in the ocean. I’m used to the sea, but I didn't expect such cold water! In the afternoon we played beach volley ball and went on the roller coster "cyclone." It was old and scary, but still cool. What a fun day!

Day 26:

Today was a shopping day! Yay! I went to a lot of shops with some classmates and bought some gifts for my family! I bought some big ones for my parents because they gave me this experience – it's the least I can do. In the afternoon we passed over the Manhattan Bridge and admired the sun setting over the skyline of New York. I filled the memory of my phone with pictures of it, I simple couldn't stop taking photos. I was shocked at how beautiful it was.

Day 28:

Today was the last day of school, and I already feel nostalgic and miss my class! I’ve gotten so used to them, to everything. I was only here for a month, but it felt like FOREVER. The lessons were so fun, I found myself constantly waiting for school to start because I liked them so much! Usually I don’t like school, but our teacher Alice was amazing. She is one of the reason I really enjoyed the lessons, and why I could never get bored of this school.

Day 29:

This whole trip has been so beautiful! It has become the most wonderful experience of my life, something I cannot even put into words – it's indescribable. Thank you to everybody, thank you to all the people I met, to the teachers, classmates, friends, and to the city!

I'll be forever grateful for this.

Want to learn more about how you can study English in the USA? Ask us any questions in the comment section below or contact one of our advisors for more information.