I’ve been in Milan for about 2 weeks now and wow, it is so different from the United States! I should also mention that I’m a marketing major looking to break into the fashion industry (one of the main reasons I came to Milan ~ for the fashion). Bocconi offers a fashion management course that is very popular and almost everyone I’ve met is taking it, so I’m very excited to learn more about the industry in one of the main fashion capitals in the world! But back to the cultural differences, my first couple days here were rough. Firstly, it is VERY HOT in Milan. Not quite Texas temperatures but it is humid and has gotten up to 85-90, which doesn’t sound horrible, but when buildings don’t have A.C. then things get rough. Thankfully at night it cools off and people have told me that the overall temperature should cool down late September so I’m excited for that. Secondly, there is no iced coffee here. If you ask for iced coffee it is frowned upon and some baristas will straight up refuse to make it! Some other American exchange students have told me that the barista will just give them the coffee (hot) and a cup of ice separately so they can mix it on their own. Lastly, having to pay for water at restaurants has to be the biggest culture shock of them all! In the US, water is usually free and you get unlimited refills. In Italy, you will pay around 1-3 euros for a small bottle of water and if you want another bottle, you will have to pay for it. Thankfully there are water fountains in parks around the city with free water, so as long as you have a reusable water bottle on you, everything should be okay! I also will say, I’m super impressed with how walkable Milan is and the public transport system! For example, if I wanted to walk to the Duomo (one of the main attractions in Milan and I also have a picture for reference) is about a 30 minute walk from my apartment! Which isn’t bad at all! I also got a student metro card which allows you to use public transport unlimited times throughout the month (I believe it’s 22 euros each month + 10 euros for the physical card). Would 100% recommend to anyone coming to Milan since you will most likely be traveling throughout the city quite often! Also touching base on Italian culture, I’ve learned that Italians like to participate in something called an “aperitivo” which is like a pre dinner meal with appetizers and drinks. A really famous drink that Italians like is called “Aperol Spritz” which I tried with some of my friends during our “aperitivo”! But anyways, that’s all I have to say for now! I’m officially starting classes tomorrow so hopefully everything goes well! My next update will be towards the end of the semester so, until then! 🙂
