My name is Elijah Esteves and I am studying abroad for a semester in Milan, Italy. When I got here about 2 weeks ago, I was afraid that I was going to get pickpocketed, get lost, and miss a train. Luckily, none of those things have happened so far. I have learned that the people here will help you out if you ask them for it. The helpfulness of people has eased my fears about living abroad because I know I can always ask for help and they will do their best to point me in the right direction.
I went to an orientation meeting at my school and all of the other international students I met were very friendly and helpful so it got me more excited for school to start. The school itself is very nice with a lot of new buildings and it?s easy to get to by bus for me. It?s about a 10 minute walk to the bus stop and then a 10 minute bus ride to get to school.
So far in Milan, I have been to the Duomo, saw the Last Supper painting by Leonardo da Vinci, went to an Inter Milan soccer game, and saw Sforza?s Castle. I have also traveled to Lake Como where I got on a boat and visited some small towns on the lake. In addition, I have been to Venice where I went to St. Mark?s Basilica, Rialto Bridge, and the Doge?s Palace.
Some big differences I?ve noticed between Italian and American culture:
- It?s easy to get around the city by foot and with public transportation
- The post offices in Italy do a lot more than just deliver mail
- Not a lot of people speak English
- There?s not a lot of options for fast food besides McDonalds and KFC
- Grocery stores in Italy are a lot smaller and have very limited options for cereal
