Finally in Milano!

Ciao friends and family!

I am in Milan, Italy! Can you believe it? I can hardly believe it. I have been waiting to study abroad since middle school. Traveling is one of my favorite things to do and I have been so fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel to many places in the world. I have travelled and explored London, Australia, Israel, Tunisia, Italy, and Spain for example. I love learning about new cultures and exploring new cities and learning new languages (although I am certainly not good at speaking them). Studying abroad was high on my to-do list in college and I am so excited to finally get to this stage in my college career.

If you told me a few years ago that I would be studying abroad in Italy, I wouldn't believe it. It never crossed my mind that Italy would be where I would study abroad. Many of you know that I spent a summer in Barcelona studying there and it was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. You probably know how much I struggled in making my decision on where to study abroad. At some point over the past year I considered Israel, London, Paris, Prague, and Cape Town. For a variety of different reasons, I chose to study through IES Abroad in Milan, Italy. I am sure that whatever city I chose, it would have been an enriching experience, but nonetheless I am so happy with my choice. Just look at some of the photos I posted- how can this city be any more beautiful!?!

Well, to begin... I am in the world of the most amazing food, culture, architecture, language, and fashion. On the streets, everyone is so beautiful, and they are all so well dressed. (It's hard to not feel a little bad about yourself when you have 6 feet beautiful models in gorgeous clothing at the same bar as you... but its exciting to just be in their presence I guess). The food is so delicious; the mozzarella is amazing. But to be honest, I am already sick of eating pasta for every meal- I have yet to have a meal that wasn't pasta. The buildings around me are just so exquisite. It is important to note that Milan is much less touristy than other major cities in Italy. Rome is filled with tourists for all its famous sites, while Milan only has a few famous landmarks to visit (like the Duomo and the Scala... photos coming soon!!). But Milan has so much activity- in business, in fashion, etc.- so there is still a lot going on.

I've just finished my orientation week. It was long and exhausting, but I learned a lot and I now feel very comfortable getting around Milan. My apartment is in an amazing location, fairly close to the center of the city, and where my classes take place. The people on my program are from all over America; everyone seems really nice and I am looking forward to getting to know everyone. I live with 5 other girls- one is a local italian girl who is absolutely adorable. She speaks a good amount of English and has been so helpful in helping us Americans get acquainted with the city and the language barrier.

I want to post a few photos from the past few days. I will certain upload much better photos over time- but it is just to give you a taste of what I am experiencing.

Getting internet has been challenging so I will post as soon as possible. If you have recommendations on where to travel in Europe or Italy, please let me know. EEK how exciting is the next couple of months going to be!?!

Ciao!! E.

My first view of the duomo! So beautiful... there will be many more photos of the duomo I promise!

Singing opera outside of the famous opera house, the Scala!

View of my Universita Cattolica, the partner university for IES ABROAD. 

Apparently it is good luck to put your heel on the Torino bull's balls and spin around on it.... theres actually a hole in the mosaic there where people have dug their heels in.