Ciao Milano!

Whoa, hold the phone, it's been a crazy long time since I've updated the ol' blog. My sincere apologies, it's just been so so crazy lately! So since I last posted I have done the following in a nutshell: been to Rome (saw the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, etc), been to Naples (sick nasty) in order to get to Pompei and the beautiful island of Capri (saw the blue grotto, the bluest water in the world), and moved in to my appartment in Milano. The past weeks have been filled with excitment, apprehension, frustration, homesickness, lonliness, fun, learning, growing, discovering....a whole mixture of emotions.

A few highlights:

On the train to Rome, my mom's camera with 600 photos was stolen which sucked a lot. Pickpocketing is a favorite pastime here in italy.

I moved into my appartment in Milan which is decent enough--kind of in a sketch area and I have a half hour bus ride commute to get to campus. I live with three other American girls and so far we're having a good time trying to figure out life here together.

I had orientation at school. In the States, orientation for school is an organized ordeal that involves paperwork, instructions, that kind of stuff. Here in Italy, orientation involves chaos and chaos management. Point A sends you to point B who sends you to point C who sends you back to point A who then gets angry and yells at you in Italian. People do not wait in lines. Pedestrians do not have any sort of right-of-way. You fill out lots and lots of paperwork in Italian that is confusing and excessive. You apply for bus/metro passes that you pick up in 10 days....or 2 weeks....or...who knows. People take long lunch breaks and longer siestas. Everything closes down on Sundays. Politics are extremely corrupt and nobody likes the president. Taxis drivers may charge you 25 euro for a one minute taxi ride. People love soccer. And fancy things Italians love bad American music--they blast it at the nightclubs. They are obsessed with designers to the point that it's sickening. Some are very warm and friendly, some stuck up and rude. A lot of them tell me it's there dream to come to America. Italy is a lot of things, but if you try to make any sense of it when you're here, you will utterly fail.

After traveling throughout the various cities and towns of Italy, I have come to the conclusion that all its places are distinctly Italian, yet distinctly something in of themselves. For example, a man in Capri told me "Why are you studying in Milano!?! That is not the real Italy!" A Sicilian here in the north told me the south and the north are different worlds, but he prefers it up here....there is more economic opportunity. Milan is industrious, modern, cold and cloudy most of the time. Rome is ancient, hot and humid, slower paced. Capri feels like a tropical paradise where as Naples on a nearby shore is a hell hole--the crime and chaos is so overwhelming, the scene from the hectic streets is both appalling and mesmerizing. Florence is smaller, cultured, and contains fabulous art. Venice has a style that is distinctly its own, but it feels like a cultural disneyland when rundown with tourists. Tuscany and Cinque Terre are blissful, quaint, relaxing, more like the Italy I have always imagined. Overall, Italy is not as glamorous as I think most Americans perceive it to be--it's just like any other place really in some ways. But then sometimes I change my mind and think this place is on another planet. I came to Europe thinking I would hate America and be more critical of it than I already am, but I don't think I will be. I am learning to appreciate how America is orderly. Yes, it's ridgid at times and beaurocracy sucks but at least there's order, things somewhat make sense (maybe only because that is the culture I know best). But still, as controling as America can be, there are a lot of advantages.

I've had some great conversations with international students here. I've met people from France, Germany, Belgum, Sweden, Austrailia, Chile, Argentina, Korea, Japan, Portugal, and a whole lot more that I can't think of right now. I've enjoyed discussing cultures and politics, differences and similarities. Being a foreigner is humbling and talking with students my age from other countries is enlightening, broadening my worldview. I know my experience here is going to be one of the most challenging, eye-opening, and maturing of my life. I feel ten times more independent of a human being than I was when I got on the plane in San Francisco. Figuring out how to navigate the city of Milan has proved very challenging and everything here is expensive. Someone told me Milan is ranked as the fifth most expensive city in the world. Yikes.

As for travel plans....I am going to Octoberfest in Munich, Germany the last weekend in September! Yes! My birthday is October 2nd....I turn 21 here in Europe. I am going to Paris to meet a friend the first weekend of december, and I also want to visit the same friend in Budapest, Hungary as well as meeting up in Prague, Czech Republic. On my list of travels is also Monaco and Cannes, France, Amsterdam, Netherlands.....I wish I could go back to London but I may have to save that for another trip.

I'm still waiting on pictures. While traveling around Italy, my mom and brother took all the pictures so they need to send them too me. Until then, you just have to trust that I'm telling the truth!

Ciao Ciao my friends! Love from Milano!