So, how was it?
Every day is pretty much the same (other than learning new stuff in class and sometimes going to new places). I absolutely loved it in Milan the first week and after that it was still nice, but not very exciting. I had time for reflection and plenty of opportunities to enjoy the simple things in life. I woke up in the morning around 8, 8:45 at the latest. I brush my teeth, wash my face, get dressed and then sit around for a few minutes. I either check my phone or write in my travel journal. I was grateful for this time in the morning because I could respond to messages from friends and family and document things that I will want to remember in the future. Around 9:20 I go across the street to Mama Cakes for breakfast. They have the best croissants I have ever tasted! The flavor reminds me of Guyanese tennis rolls. I usually get a croissant or toast with a mystery juice. It was been the same juice every day the first week and a half and it tastes amazing, I’m just not sure exactly what it was. It’s just succo di frutto! It makes me super happy that so many people have dogs and that they get to go almost everywhere. I almost always see at least two pups hanging out in the bakery when I am enjoying breakfast. About five of us students almost always eat breakfast and then walk to school together. Class typically started at 10, so when it did we usually left around 9:40. We started off all waiting for each other, but some people tend to run late and some people leave early. IULM is less than a fifteen-minute walk from the residence. I mostly enjoyed the classes and I wish the Italian language course was more than just one week. I started studying the language a couple of months ago and being in Italy and taking the class got me even more pumped to become fluent in Italian. I want to dive in, but I feel like I’m only getting my toes wet with this course. I am not sure how yet, but I am going to come back to Italy sometime soon. I want to stay for at least 6 months, but possibly even a year. I am serious about becoming multilingual.
We typically have a morning class, a lunch break and then class again in the afternoon. Most of the teachers were awesome, some were not so captivating. Us students usually ate together in the cafeteria, but not always. Our “tutor” usually stops by to check on us before and after classes. After class, we usually go back to the residence for a bit and then either all go someplace together, split up into groups, or sometimes I explore alone. I enjoy being with the others, but wandering around by myself is my favorite. I like just walking without worrying about where other people want to go or see. It gives me a sense of freedom and independence, versus me just following people around and being annoyed every few minutes. Sometimes it is nice to be with a group. The other students seem nice, and coming into the trip I was excited about the potential of making new friends, but after a few days I accepted the fact that I might not become friends with them, for a variety of reasons, and that is okay! I’m not very good at making friends, because I am an introvert and socially awkward, even around my own family. I decided that I have not made many friends because the other people that need to be my friends and I just have not met yet. (Hopefully I’m not lying to myself). I have learned to be extremely picky about who call my friend because ignoring my better judgment in the past was a bad idea. Everyone I’ve met in Milan so far has been very friendly and I think that if I was here longer I could probably find some friends.
We pretty much just went shopping, sightseeing and sometimes out to eat. I really like going to the Duomo because I love looking at the cathedral. There’s a magnificent view of it as you come out of the subway station and every single time it amazed me. I don’t think I could ever get tired of it. I have a special appreciation for ancient architecture. Everyone walks a lot and the walks are enjoyable for me because I get to see more and its exercise. The quality of the food is better than in Nebraska. Milan has almost only healthy options and everything that I had tastes great! There are stores with awesome stuff at low prices within walking distance of home. I think that is what I love and will miss the most. The residence has a kitchen, so sometimes we cook. Almost everyone in the group likes to watch modern family on Netflix. I usually watch Lily Singh’s new YouTube videos or stand and look out the window. By the way, did you guys know that there is no Pandora nor Hulu in Italy and they’ve only had Netflix for two years?! That is probably a good thing. I personally watch too much Hulu when I have spare time at home, so the lack of it here forces me to do something healthier, like take another walk. The only difference I noticed between bedtimes in Italy versus at home is that here, it takes me an oddly long time to fall asleep no matter how tired I felt before I showered and laid down. For anyone who knows me knows that is surprising because I typically fall asleep as soon as I close my eyes. I just thought that was interesting. . . Anyway, I am enjoyed daily life in Milan! My only complaint is that it seems that a lot of people smoke here, especially on campus. I hate cigarette smoke. Other than that, my only wishes are that my stay in Italy could have lasted longer and that I could have traveled around the country more! The field trips and adventures were my favorite.
We typically have a morning class, a lunch break and then class again in the afternoon. Most of the teachers were awesome, some were not so captivating. Us students usually ate together in the cafeteria, but not always. Our “tutor” usually stops by to check on us before and after classes. After class, we usually go back to the residence for a bit and then either all go someplace together, split up into groups, or sometimes I explore alone. I enjoy being with the others, but wandering around by myself is my favorite. I like just walking without worrying about where other people want to go or see. It gives me a sense of freedom and independence, versus me just following people around and being annoyed every few minutes. Sometimes it is nice to be with a group. The other students seem nice, and coming into the trip I was excited about the potential of making new friends, but after a few days I accepted the fact that I might not become friends with them, for a variety of reasons, and that is okay! I’m not very good at making friends, because I am an introvert and socially awkward, even around my own family. I decided that I have not made many friends because the other people that need to be my friends and I just have not met yet. (Hopefully I’m not lying to myself). I have learned to be extremely picky about who call my friend because ignoring my better judgment in the past was a bad idea. Everyone I’ve met in Milan so far has been very friendly and I think that if I was here longer I could probably find some friends.
We pretty much just went shopping, sightseeing and sometimes out to eat. I really like going to the Duomo because I love looking at the cathedral. There’s a magnificent view of it as you come out of the subway station and every single time it amazed me. I don’t think I could ever get tired of it. I have a special appreciation for ancient architecture. Everyone walks a lot and the walks are enjoyable for me because I get to see more and its exercise. The quality of the food is better than in Nebraska. Milan has almost only healthy options and everything that I had tastes great! There are stores with awesome stuff at low prices within walking distance of home. I think that is what I love and will miss the most. The residence has a kitchen, so sometimes we cook. Almost everyone in the group likes to watch modern family on Netflix. I usually watch Lily Singh’s new YouTube videos or stand and look out the window. By the way, did you guys know that there is no Pandora nor Hulu in Italy and they’ve only had Netflix for two years?! That is probably a good thing. I personally watch too much Hulu when I have spare time at home, so the lack of it here forces me to do something healthier, like take another walk. The only difference I noticed between bedtimes in Italy versus at home is that here, it takes me an oddly long time to fall asleep no matter how tired I felt before I showered and laid down. For anyone who knows me knows that is surprising because I typically fall asleep as soon as I close my eyes. I just thought that was interesting. . . Anyway, I am enjoyed daily life in Milan! My only complaint is that it seems that a lot of people smoke here, especially on campus. I hate cigarette smoke. Other than that, my only wishes are that my stay in Italy could have lasted longer and that I could have traveled around the country more! The field trips and adventures were my favorite.