They say when you change your life, the universe conspires. But does it also conspire to throw you into a heatwave so intense, it makes even a California summer feel like a gentle breeze? Apparently, yes. Because today, my first official day at the Polimoda Fashion Institute in Florence, was a masterclass in contrasts – both elegant and resoundingly human.

My life, on paper, is the kind of stuff most people plot on vision boards. I’m a Canadian living in California and I’m a UX Designer working at Google. I’ve worked hard for my career. A fun title, working for several big tech companies and yes a nice paycheck too. By all accounts I’ve made it and I’m very grateful for my life. But lately, there has been a whiplash of changes in my industry and I’m not sure what the future looks like for UX design.