Landing in Milan, the first thing I felt was an overwhelming sense of excitement. Studying abroad had been my dream since eighth grade, and I remember being so determined to make the most of my experience. I also felt very cold. When I left from Houston, it was about 50 to 60 degrees, and when I landed, Milan was freezing. I never got the hang of degrees Celcius, but it was low. It was the type of sharp, biting cold that my bones could feel, and for the first time, I was thankful for that bulky jacket I didn’t pack away. Nevertheless, I promised myself to not waste a single second of a single day, and with that, I hopped into a taxi with two suitcases, a backpack, and a tote and prayed I had enough euros to pay the fare.
My apartment was the student housing facility for exchange students, and it was filled with people from every corner of the world. My flatmates were from Europe, the United Kingdom, Korea, and Singapore, and they were adamant about trying restaurants from each of our home countries. Luckily, there was even a taco restaurant five minutes from our apartment. The first few days were like being a freshman at college all over again. However, this time instead of asking someone their name and hometown, you would ask their name and home country.
Where I lived was walking distance from all the historical sites. On Day 2, I saw the Duomo and tried my first slice of Italian pizza. I also experienced my first aperitivo. It was then I knew I made the right choice picking Milan, and I wondered why the US had not picked up on that amazing tradition. The first few days were amazing, and while I remember feeling a little lonely at times, I was starting to meet some great people who would have such a positive impact on my study abroad experience.
