So where have I been? It has definitely been a few days since I last updated so I’m sure there exists that small lingering thought of, “hmmm I wonder what she’s up to…” Well let’s get into it.
The last time we chatted, I left you with a vision of the bliss I was experiencing in Milan. That moment has lasted, essentially, all week long. I’ll recap…
Tuesday 02/23: The first half of the day was incredibly uneventful. I spent the mass majority of the morning on my computer, trying to get work done, upload pictures, download music, etc, etc, etc. By the time it was an actual necessity to get out of my pajamas into real people clothing, it was something like 3 pm. Good one Wile.
I got myself ready to go and headed to class. It was a rather uninteresting lecture and I was beyond bored. I couldn’t wait to get the heck out of there and roam around the city. And that’s exactly what I did. I walked in and around a bunch of new areas and made sure to connect the metro lines with where I had been for future reference. When I got home, I was pretty tired from all the walking so I napped a bit. I then went out to do a little more roaming around and spotted a number of models going to a casting. That’s Milan for you.
I came back to the apartment and just kicked it, doing stuff on the computer, and making dinner. The girls and I all showered andhopped into bed but then before I knew it, the two of them were up and ready to go out and out the door to a club with some friends. I had no plans and was sitting at home. I opted for a good night’s sleep.
Wednesday 02/24: I overslept and had to get ready way too quickly. The sun was shining, though, so I didn’t have too much to complain about. School was school again but I had a good time chatting with my friends and catching up with people I hadn’t seen for a few days.
My friend, Antonio, invited me to join him and his friends to celebrate his roommate’s birthday but I never ended up hearing from him that night. Max, however, had talked to me about watching the big soccer game at a bar with him. So around 10:15 pm, I headed out to Palo Alto.
While I don’t follow soccer all that well, the game was impressive and I ended up having the best time with the boys. Max was there with his buddies, David, Lukas, Philipp, and Andy. All four of them came from the business university in Vienna and live within Austria, with the exception of Max who is from Munich. I was so impressed by how gentlemanly and downright kind they were. Thus, as you can imagaine, it was definitely a fun night.
After the game was over, we met up with some people outside and headed to Lukas and Philipp’s apartment, which was just nearby. Their place was sick and well located…not as amazing as our location but definitely note worthy. I ended up meeting a number of really cool people, including two girls from Portugal and a guy from Brazil. Andres, the Brazilian, had just been studying at La Universitá de Catolica for the last semester and was leaving in 2 days. He traveled to 14 different countries while he was here and so I was picking his brain about where to go, where he got his tickets and all that fun stuff. Super cool guy. The Portuguese girls, Carolina and Mercedes, are so sweet and down to earth. I hit it off with them right away and we spent a long period of the night just talking. They were so excited to have made a close friend and wanted to plan a bunch of stuff for the three of us to do. Obviously, I was down. The two of them are beautiful, fun, and super friendly. Couldn’t ask for much more, right?
The rest of the night was spent listening to music, drinking (minus me), and making conversation with all of my new acquaintances. Once 1:45 am rolled around, however, I was kind of tired so Max offered to walk me to the metro. European guys are really so incredibly generous and such gentleman. When we found the metro to be closed, Max insisted on walking me the entire distance home, which was decently far and out of his way. Not only that but every time I walked into a street and a car was coming, he’d put his arm out to protect me. And can’t forget that he always made sure to open the door for me or wait to let me go first with whatever we were doing. I was loving the chivalry.
When we got back to my apartment, he thanked me for joining and I, of course, thanked him for the invite! It was one of the best nights in Milan thus far (but just you wait for the rest of the week…) and I was thrilled to have spent it with such amazing people.
I came back up to find the girls still awake and just hanging in bed. They had decided to spend the night together, just lounging. Sounds like something I’d usually be doing.
Anyway, I came home, had a little snack, showered, and crawled into bed.
Thursday 02/24: I had a double class of my Management of Fashion and Design course, which on Monday had been so interesting. Ugh not today! The class was way too long, the teacher kept going on and on and on, and then we had to learn all about this HUGE intensive field project due towards the end of the semester. I was semi-bored out of mind and counting down the minutes until class was over. I did, however, have good company. Max, Philipp, and David are all in my class. Brian and my friend Brittany are also in the class as well. Brittany is the girl I had met at Arco Boleno when I did my laundry that first round. She goes to UNC and is such a sweet, genuine girl. She has been dying to go to Venice and remembered that neither one of us were able to go for Carnivalé so she asked if I’d be interested in planning a trip together. We’re going to make a full weekend out of it and I can’t wait to go back to Venice…it’s been years and I remember how beautiful it was the first time I went, so I can only imagine how much more appreciative I will be of it now that I am older.
After class finished at a fun 6:00 pm, I walked over with Francesco to his apartment to pick up a suitcase that he was loaning me for my big trip next week. That’s right, I’m taking my first real travel experience since coming to Milan! My birthday is next Saturday (whoop, whoop!) and one of my oldest friends, Kirk, is going to be in Europe for his spring break. He arrives in Barcelona the 27th, then hops to London, and finishes in Amsterdam. The dates that overlapped with my birthday and my free time were the last few days of his vacation so we figured we’d meet up. I wanted someone who really knows and cares about me to share my birthday with so I figured what better way than to go meet Kirk in Amsterdam and spend my special day with a good friend and a bunch of new ones. It’s even better because Brian, Ryan and Eddie are all going to be there too. I honestly cannot wait! I’ve heard that Amsterdam is one of those cities you just have to visit and that it’s really very beautiful. I leave the evening of the 4th and come back the morning of the 7th. I’m ready for one heck of an adventure.
Back to the day…I was at Francesco’s for a bit and then took the tram home so I could get back to the apartment and make dinner…I was starving!!! My hours had been crazy from class so I hadn’t been able to eat much. I definitely made up for that when I had all the food I could want at my fingertips.
Later on that evening, I talked to my favorites, Chantal and Vincent. The two of them had one of their best friends, Alex, from USF coming to visit Milan for the weekend. Alex is studying abroad in Barcelona and had been with the two of them last weekend when they had flown out to celebrate her 21st birthday. Seeing that fashion week is this week, Alex decided it would be the perfect time to come visit Chantal and Vincent. I couldn’t have agreed more.
Anywho, they invited me to come out with them that night. I got ready and was so happy to find that it was raining. Fail Milan. I grabbed my umbrella and started to make my way through the streets at a fun 12:45 a.m. I had tried to get a ride with Gaetano, who was taking Ava out to the clubs, but he couldn’t seem to fit me in his car. Thus, I had to opt for walking. The metros and trams stop around 1 am and sometimes earlier. I didn’t see any coming soon so I just said, “screw it! I’m walking” Too bad it was a longer walk than I thought. That and it was cold and raining, and I kept ending up in creepy back alleys. Thank goodness I didn’t get raped and/or robbed. But hey, it was an adventure!
I finally found the bar I was meeting Vincent and the girls at and waited until the three of them got there. When they walked in, every head in the place turned. You have to understand that these three are all GORGEOUS. Chantal is so beautiful with long flowing locks and big lips. She’s just so full of life and truly an amazing girl. Vincent is always well dressed and looking fabulous. He never ceases to make me smile, either, so I kind of love him. And Alex, who I just had the pleasure of meeting, looks like a mix between Megan Fox and Angelina Jolie. As you can imagine, she is damn beautiful. The three of them together looked like they were walking out of a magazine. Perfectly dressed and shining faces. I was feeling a tad inadequate.
We sat around the table and they ordered drinks before we called a cab and made our way towards Hollywood, a club located near Corso Como. Well we arrive and because it’s fashion week, the doorkeeper tries to tell us that it’s going to cost us 25 Euro a person! WHAT THE HECK! Yeah, how about no. We turn around and walk away but one of the guys comes after us and asks if we want a table for the charge of 3 people. We said no and continued to walk away. A minute later he asks if we will pay for 2 and the other 2 can get in free. Still no. As we were finally about to catch a cab, he says. “Okay all free.” Thatta boy bud.
The club wasn’t too horrifically crowded so I was liking that. The group of people, however, was kind of random. We ended up finding a bartender or a bouncer who we made friends with and then asked us if we wanted a private table. Obviously we said yes. Best part about it was that we didn’t get charged. The four of us had a blast just dancing and being silly in our little private area. We didn’t stay too terribly long because everyone was a little tired plus…we had passes to fashion week the next day! That’s right get ready for the best story of your life coming up.
We all went back to Vincent and Chantal’s tiny little attic of an apartment to sleep. It was the 3 of them in a bed and me on a coach that was half the size of my body. I slept in the fetal position attempting to a) fit on the world’s smallest couch and b) stay warm. It was quite an image and an experience. Picture my 6 foot tall body curled up into a ball with one blanket over my head with just leggings and a that I bulled up around my waist.
Friday 02/25: I hardly slept, as you can imagine, and woke up “for real” around 7:20 am realizing that I needed to get the others up if we wanted to be ready to go to make the DSquared2 show by 09:00 am. It took some coaxing and back rubbing to get people up and moving, with the exception of Vincent who stayed in bed and slept, but we three girls pulled ourselves together and took off for the adventure of a lifetime. It was crazyness in the “attic” trying to get fashionable clothes and faces together in a matter of minutes, but hey we did it.
We walked out of the apartment into the cold and pretty much got glared at by every person on the street. I guess we deserved that when we’re in pretty hot outfits and colored lips, big glasses, and sexy hair in the early morning while everyone else is in puffy coats and hats. We obviously mixed in really well.
So before I get into the details of this wild day, here’s a little rundown on fashion week in Milan. The infamous Milan Women’s Fashion Week started Monday the 22nd and ends March the 2nd. The more exclusive shows are held in private warehouses around the city while some are hosted in the private fashion center. In order to get in, you have to be a) invited, b) be someone super special, c) be press, d) be a buyer, or e) have a pass. Chantal and Vincent are in a fashion class at Catolicá and managed to see a show with their class on Tuesday. Being the fashion-crazed amazing people they are, they found their way into a few more shows that day and made it a vow to see what they could during the week. Luckily, they managed to get passes to the RoccoBarocco show for Friday. Seeing that Alex and I were both in for the adventure, we figured out a way to make two more of those bad boys appear in our hands. That’s my little secret though. And this is where the adventure begins…
Alex, Chantal, and I are making our way through the streets of Milan to see if we can maneuver our way into the private DSquared2 showing. The girls were in heels, while I was in flats, and thus walking at my everyday speed of 60 mph. I knew exactly where we were going and had the girls follow me. Too bad we got turned around because some dingus on the street (NEVER ASK AN ITALIAN FOR DIRECTIONS EVER!!!) pointed us in the wrong way and I was totally twisted around. We are all freaking out because the tram is moving at a snail’s speed thanks to Milanese traffic, which rivals LA’s. The clock is ticking faster and faster and we think we aren’t going to make the show. Its 9:30 am and the show was supposed to start at 9. We get there and rush our way over to the doors. I speak to the bouncer in Italian who tells me that the show just started 5 minutes ago and that we cant go in anymore because we would disrupt the performance. Ugh! Are you kidding me?! We make it on time and are there to see the show but because we missed it by a few minutes we cant go in. So lame, so lame.
All things do happen for a reason though. As soon as we got into a cab, Chantal realized that she had forgotten her contacts at home and wouldn’t have been able to see anything. Guess it was a blessing in disguise we didn’t see DSquared2…that and it got crappy reviews the following day.
So we are in the cab, heading back to Chantal’s apartment to grab contacts and then head straight to the fashion center to make attempt #2 of sneaking into a show. We had passes to get into the center because RoccoBarocco was being held at 12 pm. Blumarine, however, started at 10 am and we were more than intrigued to get in to see the show.
Upon arrival to the fashion center, the three of us were getting snapped left and right, as if we were some famous group of fashionistas. Everywhere we went, someone would say, “Scusa, un foto! Un foto!” Once we got inside, we made our way to the room that the show was being held in. There was a mass mob of the attendees waiting behind the entrance to get in. Everyone had invitations to the show…except us. We acted like we were supposed to be there and ended up getting interviewed for Shanghai TV. The woman was asking us all questions about our style and who we were wearing and how we come up with our outfits. She was really great and ended up sticking around to talk with us for a bit. Mid conversation, Alex notices three girls make their way around a corner and then magically appear on the other side of the roped off area. Enter our route of sneaking in.
There was a bathroom that connected the waiting area to the show area and both ends of doors were open. Score. We walked into the bathroom as if we were touching up makeup and washing hands, only to then slyly slip our way into the showroom and up the stairs into the seats. We made our way up to the very front and had a pretty dang good view if you ask me.
Before we knew it the show was starting. We were all blown away when Anja Rubik opened the show then followed by models like Natasha Poly, Chanel Iman, Magdalena Frackowiak, and the list just keeps on coming. The show itself was beautifully done. The clothes were gorgeous and so wearable and the music amazing. We had the time of our lives. When the show finished, we walked onto the runway to take pictures of the backdrop sign. It was hilarious because all these random people kept asking to take pictures with us as if we were some special group of girls. Of course we said yes but it was hilarious! Amongst the chaos, I noticed that the backstage entrance wasn’t being guarded so I said something to Chantal who just waltzed back there. Alex and I followed. We find ourselves face to face with the designer and a huge blob of press interviewing her. We got to see the clothes on the racks, the Polaroid wall, the makeup room, and went into a little private champagne party. It was magical.
After our Blumarine extravaganza went down, we made our way upstairs to the convention area to see if we could scrounge some food. I had only snagged an apple earlier and the girls were dying of hunger due to no food. As we are walking around the floor, an adorable older gentleman (Enter Claudio) asks us if we’d like to have some food and drinks. Answer? Yes. I had a tummy ache so I just sipped on some water but the girls knew what was up and took advantage of the delicious goodies. As we sat and rested, Claudio came to make conversation. He used to be the owner of Blumarine but sold it to start working on new lines. He was currently featuring one line called Federico Sangalli and the show was to be on Monday, which he so kindly invited us to with private invites. I attempted to converse with him in Italian and practice what I know. He was rather impressed and I was quite proud. He then asked us what shows we were in and how long of a break we had before we were walking in the next. We all busted out laughing and explained we were not models but just students coming to see the shows. He was so sweet and chuckled to himself saying he didn’t believe us. This then sparked a conversation about the industry and how he wanted to introduce us to the “big” people. Chantal wants to do PR for fashion so he told her that he would help her find work in the Milan. Unfortunately Alex is studying in Barcelona but he insisted he help her out if she were to ever come back. When it came to me, I was so flattered when he told me that he planned to tell all the agencies about me because I am apparently “a star.” I’m not so sure about that one but I found it to be such a compliment. We chatted it up for a quite a while until we had to scoot and move onto the next show. He was so disappointed we were leaving and reminded us not to miss his show before taking my number and giving Chantal and myself his cards. What an amazing new friend!
We walked downstairs and outside to be bombarded by paparazzi again and to meet up with a guy named Yvan, who Chantal had met the first day she was at fashion week. Yvan is known as the FaceHunter and has a really famous blog. He attends all the fashion weeks, traveling the world, taking pictures of interesting faces and outfits and then blogging them for his fans and magazines, etc.. The gorgeous Chantal had been photographed upon meeting him and so deliciously made the cut for his blog. I wouldn’t expect anything less from that girl. So Yvan takes the three of us to shoot some pictures and document our outfits. He ended up taking some amazing shots of Alex up against this fence. I so hope she makes the blog as well.
When we finished shooting pictures, we rushed back into the center to make our way into RoccoBarocco. We sat right in the 2nd row up near the entrance of the runway. It was too cool. The show was good but I didn’t like it as much as Blumarine. Not to mention the models were soooo weird. One thing people need to understand is that the models look like death on a catwalk. They have the bodies of small children but are really tall with alien-like faces. Kind of creepy but I guess they wear the clothes well? No doubt that some are beautiful but the majority, not so much. I think the three of us were all in agreement.
After RoccoBarocco ended, the three of us could NOT believe the day we just had. We knew it wasn’t over there and planned on making it the best one possible. Alex, Chantal, and I headed back to the “attic” to meet up with Vincent, who had just woken up. Total sleepy head! The three girls and I decided that we needed some rest before heading out to do some shopping and serious gelato eating…obviously. At this point it was about 1:45 pm and I headed back to my place for a serious feast of food because I was famished and slowly dying from malnutrition. We agreed to all nap and eat and then meet up at the Duomo for shopping!
Around 04:30 pm or so, we met up for more bonding. The day was absolutely beautiful and God was working in our favor. We went into La Rinascente, the giant Zara, Sephora, and then walked down Via Montenapoleone to go into YSL and Giuseppe Zanotti. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. By the time we finished goggling over the beautiful but expensive goods, I was in need of gelato. We found our way to a little café to sit and just chill before having to meet up with Joe and some friends for aperitivo an hour and some time later. The girls, however, wanted Grom so they held out while Vincent and I shared in some deliciousness and tea. I had strawberry and the yogurt flavor. Mmm. The strawberry tastes like a strawberry!!!
Around 7:30, we started to make our way towards the meeting grounds for seeing Joe. Luckily there is a Grom right there and Alex still hadn’t experienced its pure magnificence yet. As expected, she died with ecstasy from its greatness. Once heaven consumption was over, we spotted Joe and we all made our way down the street to a place called Shiu. I had never been and the three of them had never heard of it. Francesco and a ton of his Italian friends were going and so Joe invited us along.
Shiu was really cool and had a very hip vibe. Some of the walls had bullet holes in them, the roof was decorated with the microchips that go in computers, and there were these two giant golden hands that held up the sealing. The food was really good too! At first it looked super barren and I was thinking, “Woah, this is not a real aperitivo.” But before I knew it, there was food flourishing left and right and they just kept bringing out more and more dishes, including some of the best pasta I have had here in Milano. The place was crammed with people our age and the food would be gone within minutes so I got to try quite a number of different dishes.
Come 10:45 pm or so, we all wanted to head out. My three favorites were going back to the apartment to shower and get ready to go out, while I was totally pooped and in need of sleeping. We were supposed to see shows the next day and I figured I’d be very down for some rest rather than another night of clubbing like the one before. We “ciao-ed” goodbye and I made my way back to the apartment, into the shower, and into bed.
Saturday 02/27: I look at my alarm and go UH OH!!! It’s definitely 2 pm in the afternoon and I am convinced that I missed all shows we had planned on seeing. Funniest thing is that I could have slept longer but got woken up by the ding on my Blackberry from an incoming email. Not sad at all.
I sat up in bad and quickly called Vincent, Chantal, and Alex’s phones. Nada. I assumed they were in shows and couldn’t answer. How could I sleep in so late and miss everything?!
But then I got to thinking…I had no missed calls or texts from any of them so perhaps they are sleeping as well. I was right. About 25 minutes later, they call to tell me that they just woke up too. Phew! We all agreed to get ourselves up, eat, and then meet up for some shopping at this sick silver store we had seen earlier. Too bad we were all pretty slow and the restaurant that the three of them went to took longer than they thought. By the time we met up, it was something like 5:45 pm and we didn’t really have time to go to any stores before they closed.
This was no problem because Yvan (remember the Facehunter guy) had a book signing for his newly released book that features a great collection of his favorite photos taken. The four of us acted as his personal helpers, taking pictures, and just hanging around. The turnout of his fans was funny, too. There were these two girls that got all dolled up and kept making random conversation with him. Gotta love the fans!
An hour and a half passed by and we finally got our books and made plans with Yvan to meet up later that evening. Then the four of us headed to Grom for more gelato consumption. Yes, more gelato. It’s the best thing ever and when in Italy, do as the Italians do. It was more or less the perfect addition to our day, but that more or less goes without saying when it comes to Grom.
By the time we looked at our clocks, we realized that we had a limited amount of time to get ready before meeting up with Yvan and a group of Turkish friends that Alex, Chantal, and Vincent had met in Barcelona the weekend before. We parted ways and headed to our apartments to get fancied up and ready for a serious night out on the town.
I was running a little behind because I had to take a shower and then make sure my hair wasn’t wet before entering into the rainy night. I also decided that tonight was a night for heels so I stuck a pair of studded boots on my feet and headed out the door around 11:00 pm. My choice of 4-inch heels certainly caused a scene. NOT ONE person didn’t stare at me while I walked down the street. The people on the metro were even worse. One guy tripped and another guy bumped into an old woman. Haha I guess they’ve never seen a 6-foot girl wear heels before! I wad dying inside because the scene was just too funny and I had no one to share in it with.
I finally made it to Corso Como 10 to meet up with the crew. Yvan was there and seemed to love my outfit so he just started snapping his camera away…maybe I will make the blog too! Haha Just playing. But yes, we were having a great time before realizing that we needed to make our way to Nobu, a very nice sushi restaurant in the city, in order to meet the group of Turks. It’s now raining and poor Chantal and Alex are certainly not dressed for the chilly weather. Luckily we found a cab pretty quick and hopped in. What was supposed to be a 10-minute ride, however, ended up being 30 because of the awful traffic. Ahhh Milan traffic!
We finally get to the restaurant and make our way inside to meet Mehmet and his friends. The restaurant was rather trendy and filled with socialites and important people. It was also the first restaurant I’ve been to in the city that permitted smoking inside. I will most certainly not be eating there anytime soon.
We mingled for a while until making our way around the corner to Armani Privé, Armani’s club. Mehmet had a private table and had invited us to join. The line to get in was absolutely absurd and people were pushing left and right. Italians really don’t understand the concept of forming a line and make giant mobs of bodies instead. Yeah, how about they don’t do that anymore. After enough pushing and shoving and trying to shoe people off of us, we made our way inside.
The club was amazing!!! The ambiance was great and I LOVED that you couldn’t smoke inside! The DJ was playing incredible music and our table was ideal because we had private bouncers surrounding the area and we could leave our bags and coats on the chairs without having to a) worry about them getting stolen or b) paying to check them at the door.
We danced and danced and mingled with new people including a little fireball named Carolina. I also had the pleasure of meeting a guy named Simone, who also goes to Bocconi. Mehmet brought him over and introduced us. Simone was incredibly kind and gentlemanly and was telling me all about the wonderful places to go, eat, and see in the city. I was excited to have met someone so cultural especially because he said he was taking me to the best sushi restaurant in all of Milan. We all know how much I love my sushi.
Come 02:15 am, Mehmet and the whole group start to pack up their things. Armani Privé closes at 02:30 am so we were heading over to The CLUB instead. I had never been before but they insisted it was really fun and that I should go. So Alex and I hopped into Simone’s car (which was gorgeous by the way) because Chantal went with Mehmet.
When we got there, they let us right in without a problem. The second we stepped inside, however, I knew I wasn’t going to like this place. There were people every which way you turned and EVERY single person in the club was smoking cigarettes. I was dying and my head was throbbing from the copious billows of smoke that were engulfing my body. I made my way to our VIP section and lasted about 35 minutes before peacing out and catching a cab home. I felt bad for ditching everyone but I wasn’t about to stand another minute in that pigpen of a club. No thank you.
I made my way home at about 3:50 am and was so excited to finally have my first Skype experience. Too bad my BRAND NEW Internet key wasn’t working. I was about ready to chuck my computer out the window. On top of being technologically debilitated, my clothes reeked of smoke and so did my skin. I immediately hopped in the shower before spraying the crap out of my outfit and then climbing into bed.
What oh what a crazy adventure and an amazing night!
Sunday 03/01: If you all thought I was done with amazing stories, you are so very wrong. I was just getting started.
I started my day off with a beautiful breakfast before getting ready to take care of some things (i.e. internet and cell phone). I decided that I was in the mood for feeling pretty so I did my hair and tried to make my makeup look really natural and glowing haha. As I walked up and down Via Torino, I had a huge smile on my face. I was just in the best mood and realized how lucky and blessed I am to be here and to be experiencing so many amazing things. The sun was shining, I felt good, and I couldn’t think of one bad thing.
I wandered in and out of stores and found my way into MAC, where I decided to buy myself a new lipstick to perk my face up a bit. Worthwhile purchase most definitely. I then made my way to Vodaphone to see if my Internet key could be taken care of. Too bad they were closed. Eff my life. I decided I would at least try to take care of one technology thing and go to WIND to see if they could take care of this issue with my phone.
Background about the phone situation…a couple days ago I woke up and was looking through my Italian cell phone to notice that my outbox had 21 blank messages sent to the same number within a 2 minute period of time. What the heck? I surely didn’t sent those, especially seeing that I only get 100 outgoing texts per month and I would NEVER waste a 5th of them on a random number sending blank messages. I wasn’t pleased.
So I went into Wind and did my best to explain the situation in Italian. I was doing alright but the language barrier when dealing with important issues is about the world’s biggest pain in the butt, let me tell you. The gentleman helping me was named Francesco and he made a call to customer service. Apparently they needed 24 hours to look through my account to see if they could reactivate the credit on my phone. He told me I had to come back the following day to find out what we could do. This was all fine and dandy until he deleted all my messages!!! Dude, that was my proof! I was so frustrated and kept trying to explain to him that he needed to value my word because I no longer had visual evidence that my phone had in fact sent the messages. He couldn’t understand a word of what I was trying to say and just kept telling me that I had to come back tomorrow. Thank goodness there were a really nice English speaking Filipino couple that helped to speak to him in Italian. We didn’t really get too far but I was over the situation and opted for coming back the next day.
I decided that I deserved to do a little shopping because I hadn’t been out lately and wanted to see what I could find. My birthday is coming up in a few days and I didn’t see any shame in treating myself to something! Lol. I’m not going to be with family for the usual homemade dinner and presents so I’ll make my own party! I wandered into La Rinascente and found some amazing perfumes that I really wanted to get. The only icky part is that they cost so much more here than in the states due to the exchange rate. I’m debating what to do.
I spent the majority of the morning just roaming in and out of stores to see what I could find. When I looked at the clock, I realized that I needed to bust home in order to grab a bite to eat before heading to the Missoni show to meet my beloved Chantal, Alex, and Vincent.
Missoni decided to open their show to the public. Correction. They were pretty much letting people see the models walk from the real show outside through a long corridor. The show was being held in this beautiful old building with a giant courtyard in the center. The models would walk from the true fashion show through a tiny door into one of the corridors that surrounded the courtyard. While fun to see, I was determined to get inside to see the real show. I wasn’t about to sit outside in the cold, when it was raining (granted we were protected) when I could potentially see the show up live and personal inside with the rest of the infamous fashion world.
I showed up to the Missoni House around 03:40 pm because the show started at 04 pm, which in the fashion world means 04:30 pm. I stood in line waiting for the others only to realize that I had forgotten my phone at home. Good one Katie. Thank goodness they showed up soon and I managed to grab their attention and pull them in line with us. Alex, and Chantal, however, were dressed in gorgeous but freezing outfits. Poor Alex was so frigid she was almost about to give up on the show. Vincent and I said that we would stand in line while the two of them went into a coffee shop to thaw. Five minutes after they left, however, the line starts moving and Vincent and I were in. We called but no answer.
Vincent and I were waiting in the area designated for the public, trying to get a hold of the two girls. He and I were over this outside viewing especially because we had friends with tickets that would let us in. In other words, I was going to figure things out and make sure we saw the show. Then Vincent spotted his two friends, Serenay and Ekin, whom he met with the girls when he was in Barcelona the other weekend. The two of them are both Turkish and know Mehmet. They were with their friend, Yigit, who was this incredibly cool stylist and Fashionista. We were all talking and agreed that we needed to get in…none of this public crap. Finally we got a hold of Chantal to find out that she and Alex are with Mehmet inside. Okay that was it; I was making things come to fruition!
Without a second though, I walked up to the bouncer and explained that my friend was inside with my ticket but that seeing the show was about to start in 5 minutes (and it was) that they were not answering their phone. I may or may not have stretched the truth a little. I explained that I wasn’t about to miss a show that I had a private invite to. (Didn’t exactly have a private invite…those are for the “big” people. Oops!) The gentleman was very nice and told me to wait one moment. He then brought me around the ropes and had me speak to a number of different people about the situation. Finally, I kindly said, “We’ve come from California and Turkey and we are here to see Missoni. If we need to stand and lose our seats, so be it, but the show will begin momentarily and we do not intend on missing it. Please let us in.” With that, we were in. They escorted us into the show and 2 minutes later the lights were down and the music started.
I was standing head to head with ALL the paparazzi and cameramen at the end of the runway. I was so close to them that one guy accidentally hit me with his super long lense camera. Regardless, I had the dopest view I could have ever asked for. Being as tall as I am, I had an advantage and could see everything. Lets just say I managed to capture some incredible photos.
When the show was over, I felt like I was in dreamland. Had I really just talked my way into Missoni?! The likes of Anna dello Russo, Margherita Missoni, Anna Wintour, and Rachel Zoe were all there. It was insane. I felt like a million dollars. The feeling was only to be topped off when I was asked to have pictures taken for an article in Grazia Magazine, which equates to America’s US Weekly more or less. The woman kept snapping pictures and then asked me about each piece I was wearing and what I thought of the show. So exciting! That little photo moment sparked a number of others and before I knew it, I was turning left and right to be photographed by 8 different photographers including a newspaper. It was so crazy and I couldn’t believe it! Who did these people think I was?! Haha This one guy kept following me around the entire building just taking pictures left and right. He even proceeded to follow me to a coffee shop, taking pictures of me from outside the window. It was serious paparazzi status!
I couldn’t believe the day and we were all living in a dream. Chantal, Alex, Vincent, and I all decided to take a little detour to the Duomo for some food. I was along for the company but no dining because I was about to have an aperitivo for Usman’s birthday. I most certainly didn’t want to spoil my appetite! The four of us made our way to La Rinascente for early dinner at the very tip top of the building, which overlooks the Duomo. It’s amazing. I had to run a quick errand to H&M to see if I could find this amazing jacket I had spotted in another store earlier but that lacked my size. Luckily I found it!
By the time I got back to the restaurant, my three amazing friends were sitting there waiting for food. Five minutes passed and deliciousness was served. The dishes were beautifully prepared and mmm did they taste good. I especially liked that Vincent ordered a Salmon Club Sandwich, something I had never seen before. It was delish!
We walked around the store a bit, admiring what an incredible department store it really is. I then had to depart and head back to my apartment to meet the roommates. We “ciao-ed” goodbye and I made my way back home. I was in the apartment for 10 minutes before I stepped right back outside and off to the next fun thing.
Usman’s birthday is on the 29th of February so he’s a leap year baby! He has only celebrated 5 real birthdays and even though it wasn’t a leap year, we were going to make this birthday an amazing one. We met him and a huge gang of friends at 20, my favorite aperitivo place. Everyone came to celebrate: Anna, Stefano, Renato, Francesco, Ada, other Francesco, Daniele, Matteo, Brian, and the list just keeps on going. It was such a fun night filled with great company, an amazing birthday boy, and some delicious food! I had 4 plates!!! No shame here.
I opted to leave a little early because I was exhausted and in need of sleep. I headed home for a shower and some yogurt (yes I ate again when I got home) and a little reading before climbing in bed to prepare for a wake up at a bright and early 7:00 am. Mondays are my early mornings so I needed my sleep.
Well I will leave you with this. I have another incredible story all about Monday but I will keep you waiting in anticipation for the pure amazingness that I’m about to share. If you thought that my weekend was great, the news I got on Monday topped it! I was pretty much stunned.
I miss you and love you all!
Ciao!
Me
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Oh Hey, It's Love
If you hadn't been able to tell by the title of this post, I'm sort of in one of those absolutely amazing moods right now. I woke up this morning, while earlier than I had liked (what up 8:45 am class), on the right side of the couch. I was optimistic that it was bound to be a good day. The girls were sleeping and decided to skip out on class but I was up, ready to go, and out the door.
Class was interesting and I contributed quite a bit so that was good. I also finalized the group I will be in for my big group project. Once I had taken care of the necessary, I decided to enjoy the brisk air and walk home rather than take the tram. I made it home quickly but came to find that our elevator was broken yet again. Oh well! Nothing was going to phase me.
I hopped into the apartment and made myself some lunch before getting on my computer to see if I could get some trips organized. I'm thinking about going somewhere in Lombardia this weekend. I wanted to check out the weather forecast and check the train rates to see what might offer the most worthwhile trip. I didn't have too much time, however, because I had class again at 1 pm and needed to jet back to Bocconi. The girls left behind me but we all know I'm a rather speedy walker so I got there before they did by tram. haha Go figure!
I had Management of Fashion and Design, which had been canceled the first week of courses. Therefore it was my first lecture. Let's just say the class was worth the wait. I loved the aspect of combining fashion with business and taking a more strategic stance on the topic. I have a feeling that my love for the fashion industry and my business experience could leave me with a direction in terms of career. Look out Milan, I just might be back to take you by storm!
Unfortunately, the class was double the usual time so I had to sit in lecture for 3 hours. Long, yes, but I was gaining copious amounts of information and that's sort of what class is all about so I didn't complain. After class ended, I bumped into Max and chit chatted with him for a bit before heading back to the apartment. I opted for walking again because I was simply in the mood to be outside enjoying this city and the people around me. Unfortunately it had been raining all day and the sprinkles were still coming down.
By the time I got home, I was a little hungry so I grabbed a quick snack before taking off for some exploring. If there is one thing I plan on doing here in Milan, it is getting to know this city backward and forward. While there are numerous areas not worth seeing, there are plenty that I want to discover, even if it simply means just walking down a street once. I love to venture. I usually go by myself because the girls tend to be doing something together on their own but I don't mind the wandering in and out of little alleys all on my own. It's fascinating to see how you might think you're going in one direction but before you know it, you recognize exactly where you are yet you're in a place you never thought you'd be heading. The streets twist and turn, bend and bow all directions and its not unusual to find yourself right back where you started or close to it. Although it was cold and still sprinkling outside, I was more than happy to be on my own, finding hidden restaurants, and admiring the old buildings and barren trees scattered in between.
I arrived back to the apartment a bit tired and ready to plop down to go to sleep. My girl Mandy P, however, had sent me a service from the Rock that she wanted me to watch so I figured what better time than the present?! The service was incredible. The focus was on pain and its reality in our lives. Having gone through the tumultuous year that I did last year, it was a topic that rang quite true and rather loudly for me. I listened intently. Pain is the inevitable. There isn't a single individual that lives a life without pain. Pain, however, is a message to learn about our present and arrive to conclusions. We go through those painful times to arrive with the answers of what to avoid in life. We're meant to figure out what types of people, things, events, etc. will be better left behind. And rather than dwelling in our times of pain, we have to look towards the future. When we don't, we end up hiding behind fear. That's not what life is about. Life is about living and its about making the best of every minute. If there is one thing I know to be true, it's that happiness is the key to life. When the light goes out inside and happiness has left you, life loses all value.
Enough of my rambling, back to the day. After I rested it was time to hop to and get ready for aperitivo. My beloved Francesco, who studied at USC last semester, had invited me to join for aperitivo with him and some friends. He, of course, invited the girls to come along too. So around 7:15 pm we got on the tram and found our way to Porta Romana. I was more than pleasantly surprised to see a group of my favorite people! Joe, Brian, Anna, Ada, Francesco and Stefano (4 Italians who studied at USC last semester) along with some of their friend. I was beyond ecstatic!
We took off towards Palo Alto for drinks and aperitivo. The food was delicious but the company was even yummier. For those that know me well (which is pretty much any person who cares enough to read this), you know that I am quite the conversationalist. I could easily choose a night over dinner than going out clubbing. That's just me. So as you can imagine, sitting around a big table making conversation with people you adore was pure bliss. The only negative was that this bar had a ton of people smoking in the "outside" area. By outside, I mean attached to the inside that really didn't have much distinction from the "outside." In other words it was a cig box and I was dying. I ignored it though because a) no need to make a scene and b) I was happy to have my friends with me.
After we finished eating, chatting and all that good stuff, Ada decided that we MUST get gelato. Obviously I wasn't going to turn that one down. It was raining harder now so some people went in Anna's car while myself and some of the others walked to the tram. The tram we took was soooo crazy. That driver must have been to his own aperitivo beforehand because we were flying all over the place. I definitely almost ate it a good 2-3 times. Seriously akwardness on my behalf.
The gelateria Ada took us to is her favorite in Milan. They are known for having special flavors unique to their gelateria. I have to admit that the gelato was delicious and definitely rivals GROM and we all know GROM sort of has a special place in my heart. The girls decided to head home earlier than I did because Anna was willing to drive them. I, on the other hand, wanted to stick around and continue to enjoy the amazing company. I was especially glad I did because I got a ton of great tips on where to visit in Italy and how to combine all the places I wanted to go into weekend trips. Exciting.
It started getting a little late and people were dispersing. I was the only one going in my direction so I said I'd head home on my own. Every boy said "oh no, you can't! Someone must accompany you" I laughed and told them they were being silly and that I'd be fine. Joe took his tram one stop to where I would get off to walk home and then it was me, myself, and I.
At this point the rain had started to fall harder and puddles were forming left and right. I started to walk and with each stride, I realized an additional ounce of happiness. I'm here in Milan. I'm 20 years old. I'm ready for the experience of a lifetime. I'm free and hell, I'm going to take advantage of every opportunity lingering in front of me.
As the rain poured down on me, I ignored my sopping feet, frosted hands, and glistening face to simply fall in love with the moment. I'm excited for what's ahead. Foot against pavement, I felt like I could walk forever. A smile creeped up on me and I couldn't help but basque in the simplicity of happiness.
I came home drenched but content on every level. I was just excited to be here in Europe, making memories, gaining culture, and growing as an individual. I'm in love with where I am and what I'm about to do. But even with all that, I couldn't help but think with excitement for what I'll come home to. I look ahead and imagine landing in Cali, knowing what absolutely amazing things await.
With that, I'm out.
xoxo
Me
Class was interesting and I contributed quite a bit so that was good. I also finalized the group I will be in for my big group project. Once I had taken care of the necessary, I decided to enjoy the brisk air and walk home rather than take the tram. I made it home quickly but came to find that our elevator was broken yet again. Oh well! Nothing was going to phase me.
I hopped into the apartment and made myself some lunch before getting on my computer to see if I could get some trips organized. I'm thinking about going somewhere in Lombardia this weekend. I wanted to check out the weather forecast and check the train rates to see what might offer the most worthwhile trip. I didn't have too much time, however, because I had class again at 1 pm and needed to jet back to Bocconi. The girls left behind me but we all know I'm a rather speedy walker so I got there before they did by tram. haha Go figure!
I had Management of Fashion and Design, which had been canceled the first week of courses. Therefore it was my first lecture. Let's just say the class was worth the wait. I loved the aspect of combining fashion with business and taking a more strategic stance on the topic. I have a feeling that my love for the fashion industry and my business experience could leave me with a direction in terms of career. Look out Milan, I just might be back to take you by storm!
Unfortunately, the class was double the usual time so I had to sit in lecture for 3 hours. Long, yes, but I was gaining copious amounts of information and that's sort of what class is all about so I didn't complain. After class ended, I bumped into Max and chit chatted with him for a bit before heading back to the apartment. I opted for walking again because I was simply in the mood to be outside enjoying this city and the people around me. Unfortunately it had been raining all day and the sprinkles were still coming down.
By the time I got home, I was a little hungry so I grabbed a quick snack before taking off for some exploring. If there is one thing I plan on doing here in Milan, it is getting to know this city backward and forward. While there are numerous areas not worth seeing, there are plenty that I want to discover, even if it simply means just walking down a street once. I love to venture. I usually go by myself because the girls tend to be doing something together on their own but I don't mind the wandering in and out of little alleys all on my own. It's fascinating to see how you might think you're going in one direction but before you know it, you recognize exactly where you are yet you're in a place you never thought you'd be heading. The streets twist and turn, bend and bow all directions and its not unusual to find yourself right back where you started or close to it. Although it was cold and still sprinkling outside, I was more than happy to be on my own, finding hidden restaurants, and admiring the old buildings and barren trees scattered in between.
I arrived back to the apartment a bit tired and ready to plop down to go to sleep. My girl Mandy P, however, had sent me a service from the Rock that she wanted me to watch so I figured what better time than the present?! The service was incredible. The focus was on pain and its reality in our lives. Having gone through the tumultuous year that I did last year, it was a topic that rang quite true and rather loudly for me. I listened intently. Pain is the inevitable. There isn't a single individual that lives a life without pain. Pain, however, is a message to learn about our present and arrive to conclusions. We go through those painful times to arrive with the answers of what to avoid in life. We're meant to figure out what types of people, things, events, etc. will be better left behind. And rather than dwelling in our times of pain, we have to look towards the future. When we don't, we end up hiding behind fear. That's not what life is about. Life is about living and its about making the best of every minute. If there is one thing I know to be true, it's that happiness is the key to life. When the light goes out inside and happiness has left you, life loses all value.
Enough of my rambling, back to the day. After I rested it was time to hop to and get ready for aperitivo. My beloved Francesco, who studied at USC last semester, had invited me to join for aperitivo with him and some friends. He, of course, invited the girls to come along too. So around 7:15 pm we got on the tram and found our way to Porta Romana. I was more than pleasantly surprised to see a group of my favorite people! Joe, Brian, Anna, Ada, Francesco and Stefano (4 Italians who studied at USC last semester) along with some of their friend. I was beyond ecstatic!
We took off towards Palo Alto for drinks and aperitivo. The food was delicious but the company was even yummier. For those that know me well (which is pretty much any person who cares enough to read this), you know that I am quite the conversationalist. I could easily choose a night over dinner than going out clubbing. That's just me. So as you can imagine, sitting around a big table making conversation with people you adore was pure bliss. The only negative was that this bar had a ton of people smoking in the "outside" area. By outside, I mean attached to the inside that really didn't have much distinction from the "outside." In other words it was a cig box and I was dying. I ignored it though because a) no need to make a scene and b) I was happy to have my friends with me.
After we finished eating, chatting and all that good stuff, Ada decided that we MUST get gelato. Obviously I wasn't going to turn that one down. It was raining harder now so some people went in Anna's car while myself and some of the others walked to the tram. The tram we took was soooo crazy. That driver must have been to his own aperitivo beforehand because we were flying all over the place. I definitely almost ate it a good 2-3 times. Seriously akwardness on my behalf.
The gelateria Ada took us to is her favorite in Milan. They are known for having special flavors unique to their gelateria. I have to admit that the gelato was delicious and definitely rivals GROM and we all know GROM sort of has a special place in my heart. The girls decided to head home earlier than I did because Anna was willing to drive them. I, on the other hand, wanted to stick around and continue to enjoy the amazing company. I was especially glad I did because I got a ton of great tips on where to visit in Italy and how to combine all the places I wanted to go into weekend trips. Exciting.
It started getting a little late and people were dispersing. I was the only one going in my direction so I said I'd head home on my own. Every boy said "oh no, you can't! Someone must accompany you" I laughed and told them they were being silly and that I'd be fine. Joe took his tram one stop to where I would get off to walk home and then it was me, myself, and I.
At this point the rain had started to fall harder and puddles were forming left and right. I started to walk and with each stride, I realized an additional ounce of happiness. I'm here in Milan. I'm 20 years old. I'm ready for the experience of a lifetime. I'm free and hell, I'm going to take advantage of every opportunity lingering in front of me.
As the rain poured down on me, I ignored my sopping feet, frosted hands, and glistening face to simply fall in love with the moment. I'm excited for what's ahead. Foot against pavement, I felt like I could walk forever. A smile creeped up on me and I couldn't help but basque in the simplicity of happiness.
I came home drenched but content on every level. I was just excited to be here in Europe, making memories, gaining culture, and growing as an individual. I'm in love with where I am and what I'm about to do. But even with all that, I couldn't help but think with excitement for what I'll come home to. I look ahead and imagine landing in Cali, knowing what absolutely amazing things await.
With that, I'm out.
xoxo
Me
Sunday, February 21, 2010
The Rest of My Week (02/17-02/21)
First off, thank you thank you thank you to those who have been reading my Blog. I cannot even tell you how much that means to me! I know that I’m a bit of a detailed writer (which if you know me in person I am when it comes to stories as well…just ask my family) so reading this does take some time but I just want to share every last minute with all the people I care about and love so much. If I had it my way, you’d all be here with me! But really, I am SO blessed to have all of you wonderful people in my life, thinking about me while I’m miles away. I’m here missing you crazy amounts!
I also want to thank those special people who made the effort to check up with me given that my last post was a bit more somber than usual. Thank you for making sure I was okay…you know who you are and I love ya!
Wednesday 02/17: Okay soooo onto my life in Milan. After Tuesday’s serious dose of the blues, I was excited for a new day. I slept in and then headed off to school on my own for my first class. I hadn’t yet been to Comparative Business Law but was pleasantly surprised by how interesting and engaging the course was. While the terminology is difficult and complex, the importance of the subject matter will serve me wonders as I embark into the business world. The general focus of the course is to look at laws between two different nations, jurisdictions, systems, etc. The point is to see where the differences lie and why. As our teacher has made VERY clear, “comparing brings us to knowledge, which in turn delivers us to our aim.” As I’m sure you are all thinking, yes this course will be difficult but then again beneficial to my future so I’m looking forward to what I can take away from it.
Once class ended, I made my way to another building for my second class of the day: Organizational Networks and Entrepreneurship. For those of you who read along earlier this week, you will recall that this is my most BORING class. The teacher is incredibly lame and she teaches the material horrifically. Straight up, I could do better than this lady. Luckily my friends, Antonio and Max, are both in it so I have distraction. I’m pretty sure I am going to switch out though, despite the fact that I have the two of them to keep company. I have heard rave reviews about another course from my friend Rachel…apparently that other professor is phenomenal and the topics brought up in class are really interesting.
After class, Max and I talked about getting together for aperitivo that night but seeing that he is still apartment hunting, we didn’t finalize anything. Antonio and I took off in hopes of trying to get internet keys for our computers. Yes, I am FINALLY about to get internet. I’ve given all hope up for my landlord and am taking things into my hands, even if that means spending more than I’d hoped. I’ve waiting long enough people. Long enough. Unfortunately, Antonio had plans with a friend so I walked home and made lunch before beginning my Internet adventure solo-status.
There are 3 major cellular providers in Milan: Wind, Vodaphone, and TIM. They all offer Internet services as well. You purchase what is known as a “chiavette”, which looks like a USB stick. You insert that little guy into your USB port and bingo, you have connection. Sounds easy, right? Not exactly. I decided to explore all three because I figured it would be best to have options. My friends had told me about their experience with TIM so I ventured there first.
TIM: I walked into the store and spoke to the man in Italian until I got to a point where I wasn’t sure how to explain myself anymore. Luckily he spoke a small amount of English and could understand some of the things I needed. I told him that I was looking for a key with as much service as possible. He told me that they had a key for 79 Euro and I would get 100 hours a month for 10 Euro or 30 hours for 8 Euro. But with 100 hours, I could only use the computer for 3 hours a day. Information Round 1: helpful. I left and headed to Vodaphone.
Vodaphone: I walked in and tried to explain what I was looking for. Seeing that I look nothing like an Italian, the woman asked me if I spoke English. While I hate when people spring that question on me (I would rather attempt to practice my Italian), I figured that talking about Internet issues would best be handled in my native tongue. I explained to her what I needed and she showed me the options. Generally, people take on contracts for a year or longer. That wouldn’t work for me so I would need a pay on a pay-as-you-go policy. The key I would need was apparently 49 Euro and I could either get 150 hours a month for 25 Euro or 30 hours a month for 10 Euro. Major gap between the hours they provide but I guess Italians do things weirdly.
Wind: The woman at Wind didn’t speak the best of English but she made a valid attempt to explain. Unfortunately, she didn’t really help much except for telling me that I could get 50 hours for 9 Euro or 100 hours for 15 Euro.
While I may have gotten a few good tidbits of information here and there, I most definitely didn’t have all the pieces to my puzzle. So what was I to do? Round 2.
TIM Round 2: There was another store close to the Wind I had just visited so I headed in. It was much bigger than TIM #1 and I had to take a number from a little machine that would then call me for my appointment. Too bad that didn’t happen. After 15 minutes of waiting, I finally went up to the counter to ask why I hadn’t been helped yet. The people spoke rapid fire back and forth to one another in Italian and finally said they would take me. I asked questions and tried to get as much out of this guy as possible so that I would be a little more up to date on what I needed to do. Here is what he tells me: The key costs 59 Euro (funny because guy #1 said 79) and I can get 30 hours a month or 100 hours a month. Obviously 30 hours is way too little so I asked how much 100 hours was. Answer: 10 Euro a month. Okay so not bad at all. But wait, isn’t there always a catch with good deals? Yup. Any hour over 100 a month is 4 Euro per hour. Insanity. What’s even worse is that your log-on is counted quarterly. So, if you go on for 5 minutes, it charges you 15 minutes. Apparently this is true of all mobile providers in Italy. Oh and the stick only costs 59 Euro if you sign up for a plan. Ahh.
Wind Round 2: I went back to the same Wind I had gone to before and met with a guy rather than girl #1. While this guy was really nice and more helpful, he hardly spoke any English. He gave me the same rates as the woman had given me and explained that the key was 59 Euro. The 15-minute thing was true as well. Then he said something about a plan and signing up and blah blah blah, so I peaced.
Vodaphone Round 2: I met with the same woman who I had met with before. We covered all the bases. I asked for hourly options: 30 or 150 hours. I asked about price: 10 Euro per month versus 25 Euro per month. I asked about hours over (not as if you would ever go over 150 hours but still): 2 Euro per hour. I asked about the megabytes per second: 3.6 or 7.2? She ASSURES me that the 49 Euro key is 7.2 See the issue with having a 7.2 mbps versus a 3.6 mbps is that you can’t Skype. A faster Internet connection provides you with the tools to make video chatting possible. Obviously that was the only option I was even considering.
I ended up leaving without making any decisions because I wanted to think on it. I headed home and thoughts things out. I explained what I had discovered to B and she said that she wanted to go take care of it right now. So much for resting. I got right back up and we rushed out, into the rain, to make it to Vodaphone before they closed in 15 minutes.
Disaster strikes. A flood of new information leaves me drowned and frustrated. The dude tells me that the woman, Giulia, who had helped me before had told me that the 49 Euro card was 7.2 mbps. Wrongo. It was 3.6 and the 7.2 costs 79 Euro. Are you serious?! I spent 30 fricken minutes in your store and you give me the wrong information? He felt badly so he tried to give us a deal by allowing us to buy the card for 49 Euro but with some plan. I was over him and the Internet and the rain and it all. We left.
Luckily I had plans with my friend Aanchal to grab aperitivo. We met up at a little place called Portnoy right near my apartment. I love this place because the aperitivo is great and only 6 Euro. We shared amazing conversation and I learned all about her boyfriend and her experience in Lyon last semester. Aanchal is form Delhi but is doing a back-to-back study abroad. She spent last semester in Lyon and this semester in Milan. So cool.
After we ate, we headed to Grom for some of their delicious gelato. When we finished, I took her back to the apartment to show her my place and to grab some things before heading back home with her. Why spend the night:? Oh that’s right, I haven’t told you about the hell that has been Via Santa Maria Valle 7. Here it goes…
Our landlord/neighbor decided to go out of town and didn’t bother to tell us. Come day 2 of her being mia, I notice that all the heaters aren’t working. Apparently, because the heater system works throughout the entire apartment, including her ¾, when she leaves, it gets turned off. End result: freezing K. Wile. Oh but just you wait…it gets better. Later on during that same day, I notice that none of the hot water is working. That’s right; freezing-ass-cold water was my only means of sanitation. That day my hair had been dirty and had to be washed so I decided to wash it in the sink with the cold water. Horrible idea. The water was so cold that my head ached for a solid hour afterward. Kill me.
So yes, no hot water, no heat, and I was officially hating life. It was just a bad week…one thing after the next. Thank goodness Aanchal wanted me to come stay the night with her so that we could hang out and so that she could provide me with warmth and a hot shower. That girl is an angel.
We packed up our stuff and headed back to her place. Holy crap! Her apartment was amazing. I am talking such a sick, eclectic, totally amazing set up. The owner had really cool taste. There was this antique dentist’s chest and a safe from a ship. Not to mention that the main sleeping area was set up high in a loft and you had to walk up a staired bookcase to get to it. I was oohing and aahing the entire time I was there. That was until I passed out and left the poor thing awake to do who knows what.
Thursday 02/18: I had to wake up bright and early because I had to finish that whole permit of stay process. I left Aanchal’s around 08 am in order to make it to the police station by 08:30. My appointment was scheduled for 08:50 but I wanted to be early and meet up with Ava and B since they had their appointments as well.
All I have to say is that I HATE the Italian police. My appointment was for 08:50 am and those people didn’t take me until 11:25 a.m. and that was only after I complained about needing to get to school. The process was ridiculous, the guy who took my fingerprints was crazy, and I have to go back again in March. Fortunately I made friends with two really awesome guys from Mexico who were also waiting to take care of their permits of stay. Thank goodness for the sliver lining that exists in all icky situations.
By the time I got home (the girls left way before me), I made myself some breakfast since I hadn’t eaten and was dying of hunger, got ready to go, and left for Bocconi in order to hop on my computer and prepare for class. I had Comparative Business Law again and needed to do the reading assignment and class exercises. They were pretty interesting but fully loaded with information. I have a feeling that the reading is going to be excessive at Bocconi.
After class, I had planned on stopping by some of the mobile stores again to finalize the Internet decision. I told the girls and they decided that based on everything I had told them, they just wanted to go to Vodaphone and do it now. I decided to come with. The girls both purchased their sticks and I thought it through and realized that this was the best offer. This was especially true because for the first 3 months we get 24 hours of Internet a day for only 1 Euro per day. This is epic because usually you have a limit on the amount of web usage you have per day. Italy is seriously so whack when it comes to technological rules.
We were all so ready to go home to get on our computers until the guy at Vodaphone tells us that we wont have access until we get a text on our phones within the next 48 hours giving approval. WTF?! These rules are sooooo lame. And the guy was lame too, thinking of it. He closed the store because we were the last customers and then started uploading the program onto my computer during which he lit up a cig. For those who know me, this was NOT OKAY. I shot him one hell of a dirty look and he went to the back room to put his cig down until we left. No one better be touching my computer with cig hands, thank you.
So we head home and we’re all ready to just chill. The girls took a nap but I was in need of food so I headed to the grocery store to pick up what I needed for the week. By the time I was home, I was more than ready for dinner and relaxation.
An hour or so later, my friend Joe hit me up. Joe and I know each other from San Diego and we both go to USC. He’s absolutely amazing and I was beyond thrilled to hear from him. He invited me out to go bar hopping with him and his roommate, Cesare. While I was still down from the shear crapyness of the week, I picked myself up and went out. I ended up having the best time and it felt so good to be with people that you know love being around you. It was a perfect night.
Friday 02/19: No class so I slept in pretty late (1 pm) and just sort of vegged, watching Entourage. It was a super grey and ugly day and it felt nice to do nothing in bed. I also received my text about the Internet so I was finally up and running. Pure bliss.
I finally got myself up to do something and walked around a little. I found a PAM, which is a big grocery store like Vons or Ralphs, and found a few things that I was both looking for and in need of. When I got home, I changed quickly because Joe had invited me to aperitivo with Cesare and his Italian friend, Federica. The place we went to wasn’t your typical aperitivo but was a Japanese restaurant so all of the aperitivo was Japanese food. Amazingggggg. Sushi, tons and tons of Edamame, a chicken and veggie dish, some chow mien, and something else were all consumed by yours truly. That, and some green tea, of course.
Friday had been one heck of a rough day so having those boys around was exactly what I needed. Sometimes just a hug and some laughs is all you need. It was also great to meet Federica because she doesn’t speak much English and was able to help me with my Italian.
After dinner at Kawa, I joined the crew for bar hopping. First we went to Hora Feliz, where Cesare ordered some crazy blue drink and we all danced to the YMCA. Then we jumped on over to Cuore, where we had been the night before, only to be placed at the world’s smallest table. My legs were entangled all up in Cesare and Joe’s personal space. Sorry boys! It ended up being really fun, though.
I got home around 1 am and met the girls who were getting ready to go out. I was in need of washing my hair again but had a different plan of attack this time. I put some water on the stove in a giant pot and pulled up a chair to the kitchen sink. I then put B to work by having her help pour the warmed water onto my head. It went a little something like this: rinse, shampoo and wash, rinse, rinse again, heat more water, condition, rinse, one last time, and done. My neck killed from trying to keep it up but uuuu did it feel good to have clean hair. After the girls left, I decided to get really creative and make the heated water thing work for a shower. That’s right. I heated a huge pot of water and took it into the shower to then use a pitcher to dump water all over me. Interesting process but it worked. I was clean and ready for bed. The boys and I were headed to Bergamo for a day trip in the morning so I needed to look presentable and smell nice, right?
Saturday 02/20: I woke up early, got ready to go, ate breakfast, and took off to find Joe’s apartment. When I got off the right Metro stop, I tried to call to double check which direction I was supposed to go. FAIL!!! My phone was out of credit so no texts and no calls could be made at all. I had 10 minutes to meet them before we needed to leave for the train station and I was tripping out. I scurried to ask random people on the street how to get to their Via and finally someone pointed me in the right direction. The walk alone took 10 minutes and I was frantic that I might miss them. Thank goodness I found the place after asking 8000 million people. Of course, they weren’t ready to go so I was all-good.
Cesare and Joe decided that instead of Bergamo, we would go visit a little town called Monza. It was only 25 minutes away and the train ticket cost 1.65 Euro. I was in. One of the boys’ other roommates, Greg, tagged along. We made it to the train station just in time and even got lucky because it was 5 minutes late to arrive.
The day was absolutely perfect for an excursion. The sky was blue and the sun was shining. I cant even being to explain how good it felt to just basque in the sun, soaking up every tiny ray that delivered an ounce of warmth.
When we arrived in Monza, we just waked around, exploring different little areas of the city. The boys were pretty hungry, though, so it wasn’t long before we sat down for lunch. After we finished, we wandered over towards a park and the old royal villa. While it wasn’t what we had expected to come to see, it was absolutely beautiful. Vast fields of green grass, magnificent old buildings, and a beautiful lagoon with crazy rock features all around it. We walked for hours but it was worth every minute.
Once we got tired of the park area, we headed towards to the Manza Duomo, which houses a rather famous royal crown. The Iron Crown of Lombardy marks both serious religious and royal importance in Europe. Charlemagne, along with a vast list of other emperors, was crowned with it. The crown is specifically known for being rimmed with one of the nails used at Jesus’ crucifixion. We paid 3 Euro each to see it up close and personal. While I didn’t understand much of what the docent was saying, the crown was incredibly well preserved and pretty cool to see. I found it especially interesting to see the beaten nail, creating the ring of which maintains the crown’s shape.
It had hit afternoon and we were all ready to head back to Milan. I picked up some gelato on my way out and we made the train just in time. I said goodbye to the boys when we got back to Milan and decided to tour around on my own. I love finding new areas of the city to explore.
When I got home, I was totally beat. I had been walking around for hours and I was exhausted. I climbed into bed and napped for a good while before watching a little TV on my computer. The girls had been out the past couple of nights and went shopping during the day so I didn’t see them until they got home later. Ava was going to dinner with a friend of ours so B and I just kicked it in our sweats and made dinner.
When Ava got home, B got ready to go out. The two of them had planned to meet up with Ava’s friend, Oren, and go to Le Banque for drinks and clubbing. They took off together around 1 am and I was left at home with no plans. Oh well. Max ended up contacting me but at this point I was about to pass out. And that’s exactly what I did.
Sunday 02/21: Today is Sunday and while most people just rest and relax, I had other plans. I woke up around 11 am but realized that I had fallen asleep last night in my clothes and without having washed my face or brushing my teeth. Oops! So I decided to hop in the shower and start my day off fresh…literally. Hot water was back and oh did it feel SO good. Once clean and rejuvenated, it was breakfast time.
After I had my little R&R dose, it was work time. For those who know me, clean and organized are kind of my forte. As you can imagine, I like my apartment put together, especially since the girls don’t exactly constitute the definition of organized. I started with the bathroom and swept, beat out the mats, rearranged my things, and cleaned up the sink area. I then got down and dirty by cleaning out the shower drain. Shedding is a major pet peeve of mine but its one of those things some people cant help. I happen to be lucky and have blonde hair that doesn’t shed all over the place. The girls, however, not so much. The shower drain had been clogging so I volunteered myself to fix it. Lets just say gross.
After I finished with the bathroom, I did some hand washing of socks, underwear, tights, and all that fun stuff. I figure laundry will be way easier to do if I don’t have lots of it. Thus, I have resorted to hand washing a few things every week or so. It’s a good system.
Once the few items I had were washed, I moved onto the kitchen. I washed all the dishes, swept the floors, cleaned the rugs, made my bed, took out the trash, put new trash bags in, and dusted some of the common area. Serious Cinderella action over here.
I then got myself ready to go out, had a bite to eat, and set off for exploring. It was a beautiful day again and I wanted to take advantage of it. While I feel like I have seen the majority of the really great parts of Milan, I still want to get to know the nooks and crannies, scrapes and scars of this city. I set off in a random direction and walked for hours. I found some really interesting places and noted a number of different restaurants and cafes I’d be interested in re-visiting.
The day was pretty entertaining I have to admit. I was getting “elevatored” left and right. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, that’s when someone does the up and down stare from head to toe, toe to head. I forgot that when I wear leggings and no boots, just my vans, that my legs appear extra long. Since I was wearing a coat, hoodie and scarf but just leggings and black vans down below, I must have looked lanky by all means. The looks being shot my way were seriously funny. One guy almost stumbled over something in front of him because he was staring so awkwardly. People!
Best part of the day, however, was the guy I spotted begging for money. Most of the beggars have dogs with them to get people to feel badly for them. This guy was a total g and had a bunny!!! Yes a furry little bunny in a bag. This bunny was sitting in a bag filled with weeds and shrubbery, eating a carrot. I took a picture, of course, and the guy was making conversation with me. Too good to be true.
I’m home now and have been for a while. Just been hanging out, catching up with my Blog and remembering the past few days. I’m going to meet up with my friend, Nicolas, in a while so it should be a fun night.
Love and miss you all!
Xoxo
Me
I also want to thank those special people who made the effort to check up with me given that my last post was a bit more somber than usual. Thank you for making sure I was okay…you know who you are and I love ya!
Wednesday 02/17: Okay soooo onto my life in Milan. After Tuesday’s serious dose of the blues, I was excited for a new day. I slept in and then headed off to school on my own for my first class. I hadn’t yet been to Comparative Business Law but was pleasantly surprised by how interesting and engaging the course was. While the terminology is difficult and complex, the importance of the subject matter will serve me wonders as I embark into the business world. The general focus of the course is to look at laws between two different nations, jurisdictions, systems, etc. The point is to see where the differences lie and why. As our teacher has made VERY clear, “comparing brings us to knowledge, which in turn delivers us to our aim.” As I’m sure you are all thinking, yes this course will be difficult but then again beneficial to my future so I’m looking forward to what I can take away from it.
Once class ended, I made my way to another building for my second class of the day: Organizational Networks and Entrepreneurship. For those of you who read along earlier this week, you will recall that this is my most BORING class. The teacher is incredibly lame and she teaches the material horrifically. Straight up, I could do better than this lady. Luckily my friends, Antonio and Max, are both in it so I have distraction. I’m pretty sure I am going to switch out though, despite the fact that I have the two of them to keep company. I have heard rave reviews about another course from my friend Rachel…apparently that other professor is phenomenal and the topics brought up in class are really interesting.
After class, Max and I talked about getting together for aperitivo that night but seeing that he is still apartment hunting, we didn’t finalize anything. Antonio and I took off in hopes of trying to get internet keys for our computers. Yes, I am FINALLY about to get internet. I’ve given all hope up for my landlord and am taking things into my hands, even if that means spending more than I’d hoped. I’ve waiting long enough people. Long enough. Unfortunately, Antonio had plans with a friend so I walked home and made lunch before beginning my Internet adventure solo-status.
There are 3 major cellular providers in Milan: Wind, Vodaphone, and TIM. They all offer Internet services as well. You purchase what is known as a “chiavette”, which looks like a USB stick. You insert that little guy into your USB port and bingo, you have connection. Sounds easy, right? Not exactly. I decided to explore all three because I figured it would be best to have options. My friends had told me about their experience with TIM so I ventured there first.
TIM: I walked into the store and spoke to the man in Italian until I got to a point where I wasn’t sure how to explain myself anymore. Luckily he spoke a small amount of English and could understand some of the things I needed. I told him that I was looking for a key with as much service as possible. He told me that they had a key for 79 Euro and I would get 100 hours a month for 10 Euro or 30 hours for 8 Euro. But with 100 hours, I could only use the computer for 3 hours a day. Information Round 1: helpful. I left and headed to Vodaphone.
Vodaphone: I walked in and tried to explain what I was looking for. Seeing that I look nothing like an Italian, the woman asked me if I spoke English. While I hate when people spring that question on me (I would rather attempt to practice my Italian), I figured that talking about Internet issues would best be handled in my native tongue. I explained to her what I needed and she showed me the options. Generally, people take on contracts for a year or longer. That wouldn’t work for me so I would need a pay on a pay-as-you-go policy. The key I would need was apparently 49 Euro and I could either get 150 hours a month for 25 Euro or 30 hours a month for 10 Euro. Major gap between the hours they provide but I guess Italians do things weirdly.
Wind: The woman at Wind didn’t speak the best of English but she made a valid attempt to explain. Unfortunately, she didn’t really help much except for telling me that I could get 50 hours for 9 Euro or 100 hours for 15 Euro.
While I may have gotten a few good tidbits of information here and there, I most definitely didn’t have all the pieces to my puzzle. So what was I to do? Round 2.
TIM Round 2: There was another store close to the Wind I had just visited so I headed in. It was much bigger than TIM #1 and I had to take a number from a little machine that would then call me for my appointment. Too bad that didn’t happen. After 15 minutes of waiting, I finally went up to the counter to ask why I hadn’t been helped yet. The people spoke rapid fire back and forth to one another in Italian and finally said they would take me. I asked questions and tried to get as much out of this guy as possible so that I would be a little more up to date on what I needed to do. Here is what he tells me: The key costs 59 Euro (funny because guy #1 said 79) and I can get 30 hours a month or 100 hours a month. Obviously 30 hours is way too little so I asked how much 100 hours was. Answer: 10 Euro a month. Okay so not bad at all. But wait, isn’t there always a catch with good deals? Yup. Any hour over 100 a month is 4 Euro per hour. Insanity. What’s even worse is that your log-on is counted quarterly. So, if you go on for 5 minutes, it charges you 15 minutes. Apparently this is true of all mobile providers in Italy. Oh and the stick only costs 59 Euro if you sign up for a plan. Ahh.
Wind Round 2: I went back to the same Wind I had gone to before and met with a guy rather than girl #1. While this guy was really nice and more helpful, he hardly spoke any English. He gave me the same rates as the woman had given me and explained that the key was 59 Euro. The 15-minute thing was true as well. Then he said something about a plan and signing up and blah blah blah, so I peaced.
Vodaphone Round 2: I met with the same woman who I had met with before. We covered all the bases. I asked for hourly options: 30 or 150 hours. I asked about price: 10 Euro per month versus 25 Euro per month. I asked about hours over (not as if you would ever go over 150 hours but still): 2 Euro per hour. I asked about the megabytes per second: 3.6 or 7.2? She ASSURES me that the 49 Euro key is 7.2 See the issue with having a 7.2 mbps versus a 3.6 mbps is that you can’t Skype. A faster Internet connection provides you with the tools to make video chatting possible. Obviously that was the only option I was even considering.
I ended up leaving without making any decisions because I wanted to think on it. I headed home and thoughts things out. I explained what I had discovered to B and she said that she wanted to go take care of it right now. So much for resting. I got right back up and we rushed out, into the rain, to make it to Vodaphone before they closed in 15 minutes.
Disaster strikes. A flood of new information leaves me drowned and frustrated. The dude tells me that the woman, Giulia, who had helped me before had told me that the 49 Euro card was 7.2 mbps. Wrongo. It was 3.6 and the 7.2 costs 79 Euro. Are you serious?! I spent 30 fricken minutes in your store and you give me the wrong information? He felt badly so he tried to give us a deal by allowing us to buy the card for 49 Euro but with some plan. I was over him and the Internet and the rain and it all. We left.
Luckily I had plans with my friend Aanchal to grab aperitivo. We met up at a little place called Portnoy right near my apartment. I love this place because the aperitivo is great and only 6 Euro. We shared amazing conversation and I learned all about her boyfriend and her experience in Lyon last semester. Aanchal is form Delhi but is doing a back-to-back study abroad. She spent last semester in Lyon and this semester in Milan. So cool.
After we ate, we headed to Grom for some of their delicious gelato. When we finished, I took her back to the apartment to show her my place and to grab some things before heading back home with her. Why spend the night:? Oh that’s right, I haven’t told you about the hell that has been Via Santa Maria Valle 7. Here it goes…
Our landlord/neighbor decided to go out of town and didn’t bother to tell us. Come day 2 of her being mia, I notice that all the heaters aren’t working. Apparently, because the heater system works throughout the entire apartment, including her ¾, when she leaves, it gets turned off. End result: freezing K. Wile. Oh but just you wait…it gets better. Later on during that same day, I notice that none of the hot water is working. That’s right; freezing-ass-cold water was my only means of sanitation. That day my hair had been dirty and had to be washed so I decided to wash it in the sink with the cold water. Horrible idea. The water was so cold that my head ached for a solid hour afterward. Kill me.
So yes, no hot water, no heat, and I was officially hating life. It was just a bad week…one thing after the next. Thank goodness Aanchal wanted me to come stay the night with her so that we could hang out and so that she could provide me with warmth and a hot shower. That girl is an angel.
We packed up our stuff and headed back to her place. Holy crap! Her apartment was amazing. I am talking such a sick, eclectic, totally amazing set up. The owner had really cool taste. There was this antique dentist’s chest and a safe from a ship. Not to mention that the main sleeping area was set up high in a loft and you had to walk up a staired bookcase to get to it. I was oohing and aahing the entire time I was there. That was until I passed out and left the poor thing awake to do who knows what.
Thursday 02/18: I had to wake up bright and early because I had to finish that whole permit of stay process. I left Aanchal’s around 08 am in order to make it to the police station by 08:30. My appointment was scheduled for 08:50 but I wanted to be early and meet up with Ava and B since they had their appointments as well.
All I have to say is that I HATE the Italian police. My appointment was for 08:50 am and those people didn’t take me until 11:25 a.m. and that was only after I complained about needing to get to school. The process was ridiculous, the guy who took my fingerprints was crazy, and I have to go back again in March. Fortunately I made friends with two really awesome guys from Mexico who were also waiting to take care of their permits of stay. Thank goodness for the sliver lining that exists in all icky situations.
By the time I got home (the girls left way before me), I made myself some breakfast since I hadn’t eaten and was dying of hunger, got ready to go, and left for Bocconi in order to hop on my computer and prepare for class. I had Comparative Business Law again and needed to do the reading assignment and class exercises. They were pretty interesting but fully loaded with information. I have a feeling that the reading is going to be excessive at Bocconi.
After class, I had planned on stopping by some of the mobile stores again to finalize the Internet decision. I told the girls and they decided that based on everything I had told them, they just wanted to go to Vodaphone and do it now. I decided to come with. The girls both purchased their sticks and I thought it through and realized that this was the best offer. This was especially true because for the first 3 months we get 24 hours of Internet a day for only 1 Euro per day. This is epic because usually you have a limit on the amount of web usage you have per day. Italy is seriously so whack when it comes to technological rules.
We were all so ready to go home to get on our computers until the guy at Vodaphone tells us that we wont have access until we get a text on our phones within the next 48 hours giving approval. WTF?! These rules are sooooo lame. And the guy was lame too, thinking of it. He closed the store because we were the last customers and then started uploading the program onto my computer during which he lit up a cig. For those who know me, this was NOT OKAY. I shot him one hell of a dirty look and he went to the back room to put his cig down until we left. No one better be touching my computer with cig hands, thank you.
So we head home and we’re all ready to just chill. The girls took a nap but I was in need of food so I headed to the grocery store to pick up what I needed for the week. By the time I was home, I was more than ready for dinner and relaxation.
An hour or so later, my friend Joe hit me up. Joe and I know each other from San Diego and we both go to USC. He’s absolutely amazing and I was beyond thrilled to hear from him. He invited me out to go bar hopping with him and his roommate, Cesare. While I was still down from the shear crapyness of the week, I picked myself up and went out. I ended up having the best time and it felt so good to be with people that you know love being around you. It was a perfect night.
Friday 02/19: No class so I slept in pretty late (1 pm) and just sort of vegged, watching Entourage. It was a super grey and ugly day and it felt nice to do nothing in bed. I also received my text about the Internet so I was finally up and running. Pure bliss.
I finally got myself up to do something and walked around a little. I found a PAM, which is a big grocery store like Vons or Ralphs, and found a few things that I was both looking for and in need of. When I got home, I changed quickly because Joe had invited me to aperitivo with Cesare and his Italian friend, Federica. The place we went to wasn’t your typical aperitivo but was a Japanese restaurant so all of the aperitivo was Japanese food. Amazingggggg. Sushi, tons and tons of Edamame, a chicken and veggie dish, some chow mien, and something else were all consumed by yours truly. That, and some green tea, of course.
Friday had been one heck of a rough day so having those boys around was exactly what I needed. Sometimes just a hug and some laughs is all you need. It was also great to meet Federica because she doesn’t speak much English and was able to help me with my Italian.
After dinner at Kawa, I joined the crew for bar hopping. First we went to Hora Feliz, where Cesare ordered some crazy blue drink and we all danced to the YMCA. Then we jumped on over to Cuore, where we had been the night before, only to be placed at the world’s smallest table. My legs were entangled all up in Cesare and Joe’s personal space. Sorry boys! It ended up being really fun, though.
I got home around 1 am and met the girls who were getting ready to go out. I was in need of washing my hair again but had a different plan of attack this time. I put some water on the stove in a giant pot and pulled up a chair to the kitchen sink. I then put B to work by having her help pour the warmed water onto my head. It went a little something like this: rinse, shampoo and wash, rinse, rinse again, heat more water, condition, rinse, one last time, and done. My neck killed from trying to keep it up but uuuu did it feel good to have clean hair. After the girls left, I decided to get really creative and make the heated water thing work for a shower. That’s right. I heated a huge pot of water and took it into the shower to then use a pitcher to dump water all over me. Interesting process but it worked. I was clean and ready for bed. The boys and I were headed to Bergamo for a day trip in the morning so I needed to look presentable and smell nice, right?
Saturday 02/20: I woke up early, got ready to go, ate breakfast, and took off to find Joe’s apartment. When I got off the right Metro stop, I tried to call to double check which direction I was supposed to go. FAIL!!! My phone was out of credit so no texts and no calls could be made at all. I had 10 minutes to meet them before we needed to leave for the train station and I was tripping out. I scurried to ask random people on the street how to get to their Via and finally someone pointed me in the right direction. The walk alone took 10 minutes and I was frantic that I might miss them. Thank goodness I found the place after asking 8000 million people. Of course, they weren’t ready to go so I was all-good.
Cesare and Joe decided that instead of Bergamo, we would go visit a little town called Monza. It was only 25 minutes away and the train ticket cost 1.65 Euro. I was in. One of the boys’ other roommates, Greg, tagged along. We made it to the train station just in time and even got lucky because it was 5 minutes late to arrive.
The day was absolutely perfect for an excursion. The sky was blue and the sun was shining. I cant even being to explain how good it felt to just basque in the sun, soaking up every tiny ray that delivered an ounce of warmth.
When we arrived in Monza, we just waked around, exploring different little areas of the city. The boys were pretty hungry, though, so it wasn’t long before we sat down for lunch. After we finished, we wandered over towards a park and the old royal villa. While it wasn’t what we had expected to come to see, it was absolutely beautiful. Vast fields of green grass, magnificent old buildings, and a beautiful lagoon with crazy rock features all around it. We walked for hours but it was worth every minute.
Once we got tired of the park area, we headed towards to the Manza Duomo, which houses a rather famous royal crown. The Iron Crown of Lombardy marks both serious religious and royal importance in Europe. Charlemagne, along with a vast list of other emperors, was crowned with it. The crown is specifically known for being rimmed with one of the nails used at Jesus’ crucifixion. We paid 3 Euro each to see it up close and personal. While I didn’t understand much of what the docent was saying, the crown was incredibly well preserved and pretty cool to see. I found it especially interesting to see the beaten nail, creating the ring of which maintains the crown’s shape.
It had hit afternoon and we were all ready to head back to Milan. I picked up some gelato on my way out and we made the train just in time. I said goodbye to the boys when we got back to Milan and decided to tour around on my own. I love finding new areas of the city to explore.
When I got home, I was totally beat. I had been walking around for hours and I was exhausted. I climbed into bed and napped for a good while before watching a little TV on my computer. The girls had been out the past couple of nights and went shopping during the day so I didn’t see them until they got home later. Ava was going to dinner with a friend of ours so B and I just kicked it in our sweats and made dinner.
When Ava got home, B got ready to go out. The two of them had planned to meet up with Ava’s friend, Oren, and go to Le Banque for drinks and clubbing. They took off together around 1 am and I was left at home with no plans. Oh well. Max ended up contacting me but at this point I was about to pass out. And that’s exactly what I did.
Sunday 02/21: Today is Sunday and while most people just rest and relax, I had other plans. I woke up around 11 am but realized that I had fallen asleep last night in my clothes and without having washed my face or brushing my teeth. Oops! So I decided to hop in the shower and start my day off fresh…literally. Hot water was back and oh did it feel SO good. Once clean and rejuvenated, it was breakfast time.
After I had my little R&R dose, it was work time. For those who know me, clean and organized are kind of my forte. As you can imagine, I like my apartment put together, especially since the girls don’t exactly constitute the definition of organized. I started with the bathroom and swept, beat out the mats, rearranged my things, and cleaned up the sink area. I then got down and dirty by cleaning out the shower drain. Shedding is a major pet peeve of mine but its one of those things some people cant help. I happen to be lucky and have blonde hair that doesn’t shed all over the place. The girls, however, not so much. The shower drain had been clogging so I volunteered myself to fix it. Lets just say gross.
After I finished with the bathroom, I did some hand washing of socks, underwear, tights, and all that fun stuff. I figure laundry will be way easier to do if I don’t have lots of it. Thus, I have resorted to hand washing a few things every week or so. It’s a good system.
Once the few items I had were washed, I moved onto the kitchen. I washed all the dishes, swept the floors, cleaned the rugs, made my bed, took out the trash, put new trash bags in, and dusted some of the common area. Serious Cinderella action over here.
I then got myself ready to go out, had a bite to eat, and set off for exploring. It was a beautiful day again and I wanted to take advantage of it. While I feel like I have seen the majority of the really great parts of Milan, I still want to get to know the nooks and crannies, scrapes and scars of this city. I set off in a random direction and walked for hours. I found some really interesting places and noted a number of different restaurants and cafes I’d be interested in re-visiting.
The day was pretty entertaining I have to admit. I was getting “elevatored” left and right. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, that’s when someone does the up and down stare from head to toe, toe to head. I forgot that when I wear leggings and no boots, just my vans, that my legs appear extra long. Since I was wearing a coat, hoodie and scarf but just leggings and black vans down below, I must have looked lanky by all means. The looks being shot my way were seriously funny. One guy almost stumbled over something in front of him because he was staring so awkwardly. People!
Best part of the day, however, was the guy I spotted begging for money. Most of the beggars have dogs with them to get people to feel badly for them. This guy was a total g and had a bunny!!! Yes a furry little bunny in a bag. This bunny was sitting in a bag filled with weeds and shrubbery, eating a carrot. I took a picture, of course, and the guy was making conversation with me. Too good to be true.
I’m home now and have been for a while. Just been hanging out, catching up with my Blog and remembering the past few days. I’m going to meet up with my friend, Nicolas, in a while so it should be a fun night.
Love and miss you all!
Xoxo
Me
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Weekend With The Family
Friday 02/12: Today my sister is coming!!! Ava and B were going to Venice for Carnivale, which I so sadly couldn’t make because of my family arrival to Milano. As disappointed as I was to be missing out on the infamous Carnivale, my family means the world to me so I had something special coming my way.
The girls left early and I woke up later knowing I wouldn’t be hearing from my sister until about 11 or so. When she called me, I had just finished getting ready and we both decided it would be better for her to come to me than vice versa. She’s city savvy having lived in NYC for the last 5 years so I wasn’t worried about her getting lost.
I hadn’t seen my sister since Christmas so I was beyond excited to see her gorgeous face! She had a little trouble getting into my apartment, though, because remember that whole thing about the 7th floor and the private elevator? Yeah that sort of deterred her ability to get up. Eventually the doorman brought her to me and we were finally reunited.
Alli was hungry from the hours of travel so we headed to a little café nearby in order to get a little bite to tie her over. After we finished chatting and munching, we headed off to shop in and out of the millions of stores that line Via Torino, which we concluded with a viewing of the one and only Duomo. We then walked northward to the castle and sat in a park taking silly pictures and enjoying the sun that I was SO happy had come out for her. We walked into Brera and I showed her around until we realized that hunger had hit and we needed lunch. We stumbled across a really cute little pizzeria and shared delicious food and excellent conversation. Sister bonding is the best.
After lunch we headed outside and I spotted this beautiful girl with an exceptionally well-dressed guy by her side. Recognizing whom it was, I yelled, “Chantal!!!” It was she indeed and I was beyond stoked to see her. Chantal is a girl from San Diego who I knew through mutual friends. We had met a bunch of times here and there throughout the years and I had always thought she was amazing. Fashionable, outgoing, and incredibly fun. We had discovered that we were both headed to Milan when I bumped into her at Nordstrom one day. It was kind of exciting news. So anyway, this was the first time we had seen each other in the city and it was rather ironic given that she had contacted me for the first time since being here, the night before. I couldn’t go out with her only because I was dead from the laundry experience (remember that fun?) but I had told her that we needed to meet up ASAP. I guess ASAP was an understatement. She was with her roommate and friend Vincent. The two of them both go to USF and decided to live together since they were friends from home and were going to the same school here in Milan. My sister and I talked with the two of them for a while and I was beyond excited to have seen them. Feeling a little lonely and what not, it felt so amazing to instantly connect and feel so welcomed by them. I had no reservations about whether or not we’d become best friends. Definitely happening.
Alli and I said goodbye since they were trying to get to lunch and the two of us wanted to continue our city exploring. I couldn’t get over the coincidence of the meet up because my sister and I had just been at lunch talking about making friends here and finding those people that really make you feel included and happy to be with you. Thus I found it to be a little Godsend that I had stumbled across them.
So we set off and headed towards the best shopping and, of course, the insanely large Zara. Zara ended up being a major success because I found 2 pairs of boots that were originally 140 Euro for only 29 Euro. Score. Best part is that one pair is a heeled pair of black studded boots. Badass to say the least. While I may be exceptionally tall in them, I have no shame. Gotta embrace what God gave me, right?
After shopping ended, I needed to stop by the post office to send off a few things and a special little something I had put together. America better be getting my witty package pronto otherwise I’ll be an unhappy girl in Milan. That will be especially true seeing that I had been searching the entire day to find this one thing to finalize the package but hadn’t found it anywhere. I’m talking searching in some 15 different places trying to find the damn thing I was looking for. Thank goodness I found one 10 minutes before I had to send the stuff out.
By the time errands and shopping had been accomplished, Alli and I were ready for showers, rest, and just general downtime. I headed back to the hotel with her so she could unpack and get situated before my parents flew in the next day. She showered and I just kicked it until the two of us headed back to my place so I could get ready. When I had bumped into Chantal and Vincent, I had invited them to aperitivo. Apparently they had NEVER been and I wasn’t about to let them go another day without it, not to mention I wanted their company. My sister had been dying for aperitivo too so it was a perfect plan. My friend Chris had called me to see if I wanted to go with him to aperitivo so I asked him if he’d like to join us instead and he did. So around 7:45 pm my sister and I headed back to my place so I could change and then we walked the couple of blocks to a bar called Cheese, in order to meet the group.
We all had a great time and the aperitivo was incredible. The company, however, took the cake in terms of the highlight of the night. Chantal and Vincent couldn’t believe they had been missing out on something so amazing! I told them not to worry because we’d be making it a regular weekly occurrence. After we ate, I told them about Grom. Grom is known as the best gelateria in the city. We are talking some seriously life changing gelato. Grom is really well known for its signature flavor, Crema di Grom…a creamy vanilla with graham crackers and chocolate chip shavings. The second I mentioned it, every single person at the table was begging to go. Luckily there is one of the two Groms in the city right near my apartment. We headed over and I was so excited because I got to use my Italian to order for each person. Jaws dropped and there was silence. No one could believe how incredible the gelato was. I warned them!
Once it got a little later, we all said goodbyes and headed in different directions. My sister and I were pretty tired so we went to the hotel for sleep. I was still so happy from the day and genuinely so excited to have found Chantal and Vincent and to finally have my sister with me. It was an amazing start to my weekend.
Saturday 02/13: I woke up with a splitting headache and hope that tea and breakfast would help make me feel a little better. My family was staying at the same hotel I had stayed in when I arrived in the city so I was more than ready to be reunited with my beloved breakfast room and that yummy yogurt. And it was just as I remembered. My sister and I sat and talked until we both agreed bed sounded really good again. She slept for a few more hours having needed it from the travel and I managed to get a pretty decent amount of stuff done on my computer. Yes the hotel had internet. Felt like I was in heaven. By the time Alli woke up, it was 12 pm and she was freaked out that we had missed so much of the day. We hopped to and headed out to explore. We walked up and around some new areas of the city and found ourselves in Navigli.
The weather was impeccable. I am talking absolutely stunning blue skies and sun. As we walked up and down the canal, I was so excited to see outside seating. That was a first thus far. We tried to find a place that could accommodate us outside but everyone was thinking on our same level. Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of this ideal weather when its still super nipply outside? We finally found a cute little restaurant and sat in the window with the sun shining in. Perfection.
After we finished, we explored some more until my mom called to say that she and Faj (nickname for my dad) had finally landed and were at the hotel waiting eagerly! Alli and I busted our butts back to my apartment so I could change for dinner and then we decided to stop by the grocery store to pick up some snacks to surprise the parentals…bread, cheese, fresh meats, apples and pears, and some good Italian wine.
When we showed up, it was lots of loves and hugs and kisses. My parents hadn’t seen me since I left and hadn’t seen my sissy since she had gone back to NYC for work after Christmas. We all snuggled on the bed just talking and catching up. I honestly have the most incredible family in the world. Poor mommacita was pretty sick, though. She had just been in Mexico with her girlfriends and had picked up a really nasty cough and cold. My mom is an all-star and DOES NOT get sick so to see her hacking up a lung made me so sad. Thank goodness she had some serious cough medicine to suppress the bark.
When it got time to get ready for dinner, we all put ourselves together and headed off. My friend Danielle had studied in Milan during the summer and told me about a restaurant called Oficina 12. Based on her recommendation, I had made reservations and that’s exactly where we were headed. The restaurant had great ambience and had a beautiful dining room. It wasn’t your typical little Italian restaurant but was a bit more upscale. We had a nice dinner and opted for a walk up to the Duomo. Funny story, though. My sister was wearing a brand new pair of gorgeous Prada boots she had treated herself to…my sister is a badass who works for Merrill Lynch Bank of America. Talk about setting the bar high...I have some serious big shoes to fill. So yeah, the poor thing hadn’t worn them yet so her feet were killing her. Too bad all the trams had something like 15-minute waits, which meant we needed to keep walking. I was impressed with her pain endurance because she made it all the way up to the Duomo, which is a decent walk from Navigli. As a family, we decided that gelato was the perfect remedy to cure the situation. Unfortunately, Grom was closed so we found some other random place close to the Metro so they mom, dad, and Alli could just hop right on. We sat and enjoyed each other’s company until it got late and everyone needed to head home. I decided to just come back with them and sleep at the hotel. It would be a tight squeeze but hey, we’re family, we can make it work.
Sunday 02/14: Happy Valentine’s Day!!! We all woke up, had a loving valentines breakfast and then got a move on to the train station. I thought that Lake Como would be such a perfect place for us to celebrate the day together. Lake Como is kind of like the Hamptons for the Milanese. Because Milan epitomizes your typical urban metropolitan city, a very large percentage of its residents have apartments or houses outside the city in the lake regions in order to get away for weekends or during the summer time. Lake Como happens to be a particularly beautiful lake with gorgeous houses and residential areas lining the water’s edge. George Clooney has a huge mansion that sits right on the water. If he thinks Lake Como is legit, I figured we would.
We ended up missing the first train that left at 10:40 am but selected a train that was leaving at 11:10 instead. This is where our adventure begins. We bought the tickets and I found it strange that they were as expensive as they were. From what I had been told by locals, the trip to Como was about 6 Euro or less by train. The tickets we had just bought were double that. My dad was confident that we had picked a good train because it was “Eurocity” and that meant a faster travel because it didn’t make tons of urban stops. I was still a little confused because our tickets also said Como San Giovanni and we wanted Como Nord, which takes you directly to the center of the town. My parents thought it would be a good job for me to figure out the issue. I wandered around until I found what looked like an information desk. There were these glass doors, however, that wouldn’t open. I started knocking on them and a woman comes to yell at me to take my hands off the “Club” doors. Oops! I deserted that area and finally found an actual information desk. Apparently we were headed in the right direction but would have to get to Nord from San Giovanni. I figured no big deal.
We hopped on the train to find ourselves in reserved seating. It was both cozy and comfortable. We enjoyed the scenery before coming to our first stop: Como San Giovanni. I thought, “Hmm we should probably get off here or at least ask someone if this is the right place to connect.” My dad, however, was adamant that if we stayed on for one more stop that we would get to Como Nord. Wrong. Come the next stop, we get off to ask someone and guess where we are? Switzerland! Haha Yup, we most definitely missed our stop. Best part was that we now had to buy 4 more tickets to go the one stop back. The tickets were really cheap but that’s because the train was a POS (piece of shit). I’m talking seriously dirty, stained, danky seats.
When we finally got to San Giovanni, I made sure we all got off. I practiced my Italian and talked to a magazine vendor about the lake and the best way to get into the center. He gave me directions and we were off. Como is stunning and tons of houses sit on the hills surrounding the lake. Colors of burnt orange, Tuscan yellows, and faded red splashed the water’s borders. It’s pretty spectacular. We just walked around and admired the architecture and quaint buildings. We decided that we would take a little boat tour around the lake but because of the timing schedule, would grab lunch first. We walked around the lake until we found a really cute restaurant with an impressive menu. The food was delicious and it was filled with tons of fun Italians. I think it may be impossible to have a bad meal in this country.
When lunch finished, we made our way back to the ferry. During the boat ride, we decided as a family to pick out the houses that we’re eventually going to move into. To be honest, we’re actually thinking about renting a lake house one summer. Can you imagine how ridiculously amazing that would be?
After our quick tour of the lake, we came ashore to find a big Carnivale concert going on in the center square. Tons of little kids were dressed in costumes, dancing, and throwing confetti into the air. Carnivale, while a festival that’s characterized by mask wearing, is kind of like Halloween for children. I saw little Winnie the Poohs, a turtle, a princess, a spider man, and a bunch of other characters running around.
While the Carnivale chaos continued, we all went to check out the main church. Simply stunning. It’s honestly so fascinating what people used to be able to do with their hands. The detail on the ceiling alone was mind baffling. It just amazes me that people were so crafty and gave such time and dedication to the construction of these buildings. Looking at the stone carvings, you notice such precise detail and talent. I can only imagine the copious amounts of time that went into creating such masterpieces.
After the church admiring, we realized we had missed the train we wanted to take back so we headed to a café for tea and coffee. Before we made it to the café, however, some guy decided to deck me with silly string. Major fail by the man. His bottle was almost empty so it was down to that liquid, nasty smelling stuff. Yeah well it got all up in my hair and all down my jacket and stained the sleeves. Coat is off to the dry cleaners in hopes of fixing this minor booboo. Come 5:00 pm, we made our way towards the proper train station and waited until we could finally get on. The train ride was long…much longer than the one it had taken to get there. Thus, it was very clear as to why our tickets had been 2x the price. You either spend less money and spend more time or spend more money and less time.
By the time we finally got back, everyone was in need of rest. I headed to my apartment for a shower and some napping and my sister and parents did the same back at the hotel. We planned on meeting at restaurant #2 about 10 minutes before I had set the reservation. I was taking my parents to Trattoria Toscana, the restaurant I had been with Koltin twice before and the restaurant I officially called my favorite in the city. I was really excited for them to share in what I had been so crazy about since my arrival.
I showed up at the restaurant around 8:50 pm seeing our reservation was for 9:00. I waited. And waited. And waited. Come on Wiles, I know you tend to be late but 25 minutes late?! I excused it as a lack of understanding the city.
My parents LOVED the restaurant as I had expected. The food there is so well done and the waitress we had was beyond helpful and sweet. What’s best about this restaurant is how hidden it is. I love that you don’t really know it’s there until you discover it. Not to mention the vibe is comfortable and fun, yet romantic. Anyone who comes to visit me, we’re going!!!
After dinner, my sister was going to meet up with a friend who was studying for his masters at Bocconi. Goran and Alli had met when he took a semester at NYU a few years back. While we waited, mom and dad were in need of some gelato so I took them to another A-grade spot near my apartment. Once Goran showed up, my parents and I made our way back to my apartment and I then sent them in the direction of their hotel. I was starting my first day of true Bocconi classes so I needed to get in bed earlier rather than later. 8:45 am class and the 15-20 minutes it took to get there meant for an early wake up call.
Monday 02/15: Last day with my family and my first day of class…not the best combination. As I headed off to school I got to make a pretty awesome call home. The crowded ride to school, the wandering around campus attempting to find my classes and the frigid cold were all completely ignored due to my undivided attention to my A++ conversation. Start to day 1 of Bocconi: pretty dang good.
I finally found myself in the right class and made my way into one of the benches. Unlike USC lecture halls where you sit in individual seats, the Bocconi lecture halls are set up so that the students sit in bench arrangements with long desks that match the length of the benches. Interesting yet effective. My first class was Intro to Management Consulting. The teacher spoke good English and was enthusiastic about the topic matter. From what he spoke on, seems like the class is going to be a really engaging one. Granted we do have a really huge project in front of the class but business entails a lot of that, so I might as well get more comfortable with presentations.
After my 8:45 am class finished, I jetted back to my parents hotel to meet up with them. I was hoping that we might be able to do something together before my next class at 1 pm. I figured I’d call before I got there so that everyone would be up and ready to go…or so I thought. I call and my sister is in bed half asleep while my parents are in the breakfast room. I figured that by the time I stopped to surprise my sister with a chocolate croissant and I got there that all would be good. Wrong again. I show up and my sister is still in bed, sheets over her head, my parents are watching the Olympics and I’m laughing to myself because go figure they wouldn’t be ready. Oh family! I joined on the bed but hopped on my computer instead since having internet is just so enticing these days. Yup, still NOOOOOO internet in our apartment.
No one managed to get up to go or do anything until I finally said, “Come on people, let’s get a move on!” Finally the crew was ready and we headed off towards Bocconi. My parents wanted to see the “campus,” which I warned them wasn’t really a campus. See Bocconi is more like a few buildings where kids go to school. Nothing, and I mean nothing, like USC. Well apparently that didn’t matter to my parents and they still wanted to see it. The tour literally lasted 5 maybe 10 minutes. As I warned them, it was just a few buildings and that’s it.
I was hungry so we stopped for lunch at Taxi Blues and I bumped into the waitress from the first time I had gone. She invited me to some international happy hour on Thursday. My parents and sister weren’t hungry so they just kept me company. When the time came for me to head back to class, I sent them off to do touristy stuff and to go shopping near the Duomo. I was totally jealous but it was what it was. Plus I just wanted them to have a great time so as long as all was good with them, all was good with me.
So I said goodbye and made my way towards class. Too bad my class was canceled for the first week. Seriously Bocconi? I was so irritated because I hadn’t received an email and I could’ve spent more time with my parents. I just utilized the time by getting on the computer and uploading pictures!!! That’s right, pictures are up. I’m not going to be posting them on my blog because there are too many so check my Facebook.
Despite having my 1 pm class canceled, my 02:30 pm class was still on. Too bad it was the world’s most boring class. The course is called Organizational Networks and Entrepreneurships; a topic I thought might be interesting. Well my professor takes that potential away. She is sooooooooooooooo dang boring. I’m talking monotone voice, poor English, and she reads directly from the slides. Sucks. And on top of it, she kept pronouncing entrepreneur as interpreter. Haha My friends, Eddie, Ryan, and I were dying. Max is in my class, too, so afterward the four of us kicked it for a while before leaving campus. I ended up walking with Ryan and Eddie to the tram and after telling them about my weekend adventures with the family, managed to convince them to try Grom. Based on my description they wanted it right then and there so I lead the way. They absolutely loved it. It’s pretty much a given that as soon as you try it, you fall in love.
Anyway, I chilled with them and we talked about plans for the week. Pretty sure we’re going to get together and grab dinner and go out to a club or something. These boys are the best. They want me to come to Amsterdam with them the weekend of my 21st birthday (they’ve had plans to go for a few weeks). I’m thinking I’m going to go. Me and 8 boys sounds like way too much fun. Granted they think they are going to get me hammered (wrong) but I’ll probably do them the satisfaction of a drink at my birthday dinner. For tradition’s sake of course!
The boys took off for the tram to get home and I was supposed to be meeting my family in front of the Duomo. My sister, being amazing, was waiting for me. My parents, on the other hand, decided that I wouldn’t be there on time and chose to walk around. My sister and I sat huddled and freezing until 15 minutes had passed and they showed up. We were all supposed to climb to the top of the Duomo to see the view together. I had waited when the roommates went up because I wanted to save it for my family. Looks like I’ll be waiting for someone else. We walked over to the stairs to buy our tickets and they had just closed. It was 5:03 pm and they closed at 5 pm! I begged in Italian to have the man let us come up but he wouldn’t budge. Major bummer. My parents decided to head back to the apartment so they could get ready for dinner thus I was going back to my apartment.
After a hot shower, I got all dolled up and headed down to the restaurant I had chosen for our last dinner. There is this little neighborhood restaurant right on the corner of a little street right near my apartment. Every time I pass by, the place is packed. It’s impeccably set up and all the windows are adorned with giant wine bottles. My dad, being a wine connoisseur, was bound to like the place.
I showed up right on time but had to wait for the late ones. While I waited, however, I made friends with our waitress, Sofia. She has to be, without a doubt, one of the sweetest women I have ever met. She had a warm face and an even warmer heart. She kept laughing at our difference because she was quite tiny and well, we all know I’m not. She realized that I was working on my Italian because I kept asking for certain explanations about the menu. She, too, was working on language but in her case, English. It was a match made in heaven between the two of us! I would talk to her in Italian and she would try to respond in English. When my parents arrived, she spoke all of the Italian to me so that I could then explain in English. My dad, who speaks some Italian, was butting in, of course, but I know he just loves to practice his languages. Anyway, Sofia was amazing and helped add to what an incredible night it was. The menu was rather small and hard to understand because it was all in pure old Italian. This usually means that the food is going to be that much better. And it was. Everything from the bread on the table to the appetizers and salads to the main dishes were extraordinary. It was without question that this restaurant ranked super high in my book.
In addition to good food, the company couldn’t have been any better…well it would have been nice to have my brother there (love you Machu Pichu). We took pictures, cracking up one after the other because either my mom had crazy eyes, dad was laughing, Alli looked Asian or I was just heinous. I’m sure everyone around us wanted to take my camera away but we didn’t care because we were having too much fun. We sat around reminiscing on old vacations and funny memories, poking fun at our goofy times. I think we all went around the table sharing some story or another and ended up laughing hysterically story after story. Looking back at our past and all of the fun, amazing, and silly things that have gone down makes me truly count my blessings. I forget how incredibly lucky I am to share such a beautiful relationship with some of the world’s greatest people (at least I think so). We just know how to have a good time together. Nothing has to be too serious because life is too short to take it so seriously.
After dinner, I really wanted to make sure that my parents met the roommates. We hadn’t been able to do dinner together because the girls originally had plans to be gone all weekend so I made reservations early with that in mind. I decided that Grom, which my parents hadn’t tasted yet, would be the perfect answer! We all met at 10 pm and enjoyed the bliss that is Grom. My family and the girls and I talked for a while inside until we decided to head back to the apartment so that my parents could see my set up and then say our goodbyes.
As expected, my parents loved the apartment! Although the living situation is an interesting one, the apartment truly is a gem and the location is so flawless that every minor “uh oh” about the place is eradicated. My mom, who defines the word creative, kept thinking up all these cool things to do. Had the place been mine, I would have hired her to do the job. After they got to see the apartment and feel comfortable with my living arrangements for the next few months, it was time to say goodbye. I was sad to give hugs and kisses but I remembered that it’s all part of the adventure I signed up for. I know what its like to be on my own for long periods of time so its nothing new. But then again, I just love having my family around so its never fun to say “see you later.”
Tuesday 02/16: Round 2 of classes. Thank goodness they didn’t start until 04:15 pm. That meant for some serious sleeping in. I didn’t wake up until about 12 pm but I needed the sleep. Something was rubbing me the wrong way and rest is always the best remedy. I got up and had breakfast but hopped right back in bed because I really wasn’t feeling too great. I did lots of stuff on my computer writing wise and did a little reading. By the time I actually got up and ready it was getting close to the time I needed to leave. I got out the door just in time to make the tram and get to school before class started. To my surprise and contentment, I found out my friend Rachel was in the class and was sitting with an empty seat next to her. Yay! On top of that, two minutes later, our mutual friend, Cherie, came in and sat right with us. Lecture was interesting and at the end we had to figure out our teams for the big class project. The three of us plus Cherie’s friend, Luke, from Australia agreed to make a team. We still needed 2 people and while we asked Gaetano and Renato, they had two other guys they wanted to be with so it was a no go. We are currently in the search for our last two team members.
After class, I wanted to get on the internet because I knew I wouldn’t be able to when I got home. I took care of the necessary but while doing so stumbled across the good, the bad, and the ugly. It took my day from a no good one to an “I just got the wind knocked out of me” kind of day. All I wanted was to head home for music and sleep.
I was supposed to go out with the girls but I was beyond over it plus there was an issue with space in the car so I took it as a sign not to go. I’m currently sitting in bed, BBMing with some of the world’s most wonderful people, listening to music, and watching Entourage. Tomorrow is a new day and time to start things fresh.
The girls left early and I woke up later knowing I wouldn’t be hearing from my sister until about 11 or so. When she called me, I had just finished getting ready and we both decided it would be better for her to come to me than vice versa. She’s city savvy having lived in NYC for the last 5 years so I wasn’t worried about her getting lost.
I hadn’t seen my sister since Christmas so I was beyond excited to see her gorgeous face! She had a little trouble getting into my apartment, though, because remember that whole thing about the 7th floor and the private elevator? Yeah that sort of deterred her ability to get up. Eventually the doorman brought her to me and we were finally reunited.
Alli was hungry from the hours of travel so we headed to a little café nearby in order to get a little bite to tie her over. After we finished chatting and munching, we headed off to shop in and out of the millions of stores that line Via Torino, which we concluded with a viewing of the one and only Duomo. We then walked northward to the castle and sat in a park taking silly pictures and enjoying the sun that I was SO happy had come out for her. We walked into Brera and I showed her around until we realized that hunger had hit and we needed lunch. We stumbled across a really cute little pizzeria and shared delicious food and excellent conversation. Sister bonding is the best.
After lunch we headed outside and I spotted this beautiful girl with an exceptionally well-dressed guy by her side. Recognizing whom it was, I yelled, “Chantal!!!” It was she indeed and I was beyond stoked to see her. Chantal is a girl from San Diego who I knew through mutual friends. We had met a bunch of times here and there throughout the years and I had always thought she was amazing. Fashionable, outgoing, and incredibly fun. We had discovered that we were both headed to Milan when I bumped into her at Nordstrom one day. It was kind of exciting news. So anyway, this was the first time we had seen each other in the city and it was rather ironic given that she had contacted me for the first time since being here, the night before. I couldn’t go out with her only because I was dead from the laundry experience (remember that fun?) but I had told her that we needed to meet up ASAP. I guess ASAP was an understatement. She was with her roommate and friend Vincent. The two of them both go to USF and decided to live together since they were friends from home and were going to the same school here in Milan. My sister and I talked with the two of them for a while and I was beyond excited to have seen them. Feeling a little lonely and what not, it felt so amazing to instantly connect and feel so welcomed by them. I had no reservations about whether or not we’d become best friends. Definitely happening.
Alli and I said goodbye since they were trying to get to lunch and the two of us wanted to continue our city exploring. I couldn’t get over the coincidence of the meet up because my sister and I had just been at lunch talking about making friends here and finding those people that really make you feel included and happy to be with you. Thus I found it to be a little Godsend that I had stumbled across them.
So we set off and headed towards the best shopping and, of course, the insanely large Zara. Zara ended up being a major success because I found 2 pairs of boots that were originally 140 Euro for only 29 Euro. Score. Best part is that one pair is a heeled pair of black studded boots. Badass to say the least. While I may be exceptionally tall in them, I have no shame. Gotta embrace what God gave me, right?
After shopping ended, I needed to stop by the post office to send off a few things and a special little something I had put together. America better be getting my witty package pronto otherwise I’ll be an unhappy girl in Milan. That will be especially true seeing that I had been searching the entire day to find this one thing to finalize the package but hadn’t found it anywhere. I’m talking searching in some 15 different places trying to find the damn thing I was looking for. Thank goodness I found one 10 minutes before I had to send the stuff out.
By the time errands and shopping had been accomplished, Alli and I were ready for showers, rest, and just general downtime. I headed back to the hotel with her so she could unpack and get situated before my parents flew in the next day. She showered and I just kicked it until the two of us headed back to my place so I could get ready. When I had bumped into Chantal and Vincent, I had invited them to aperitivo. Apparently they had NEVER been and I wasn’t about to let them go another day without it, not to mention I wanted their company. My sister had been dying for aperitivo too so it was a perfect plan. My friend Chris had called me to see if I wanted to go with him to aperitivo so I asked him if he’d like to join us instead and he did. So around 7:45 pm my sister and I headed back to my place so I could change and then we walked the couple of blocks to a bar called Cheese, in order to meet the group.
We all had a great time and the aperitivo was incredible. The company, however, took the cake in terms of the highlight of the night. Chantal and Vincent couldn’t believe they had been missing out on something so amazing! I told them not to worry because we’d be making it a regular weekly occurrence. After we ate, I told them about Grom. Grom is known as the best gelateria in the city. We are talking some seriously life changing gelato. Grom is really well known for its signature flavor, Crema di Grom…a creamy vanilla with graham crackers and chocolate chip shavings. The second I mentioned it, every single person at the table was begging to go. Luckily there is one of the two Groms in the city right near my apartment. We headed over and I was so excited because I got to use my Italian to order for each person. Jaws dropped and there was silence. No one could believe how incredible the gelato was. I warned them!
Once it got a little later, we all said goodbyes and headed in different directions. My sister and I were pretty tired so we went to the hotel for sleep. I was still so happy from the day and genuinely so excited to have found Chantal and Vincent and to finally have my sister with me. It was an amazing start to my weekend.
Saturday 02/13: I woke up with a splitting headache and hope that tea and breakfast would help make me feel a little better. My family was staying at the same hotel I had stayed in when I arrived in the city so I was more than ready to be reunited with my beloved breakfast room and that yummy yogurt. And it was just as I remembered. My sister and I sat and talked until we both agreed bed sounded really good again. She slept for a few more hours having needed it from the travel and I managed to get a pretty decent amount of stuff done on my computer. Yes the hotel had internet. Felt like I was in heaven. By the time Alli woke up, it was 12 pm and she was freaked out that we had missed so much of the day. We hopped to and headed out to explore. We walked up and around some new areas of the city and found ourselves in Navigli.
The weather was impeccable. I am talking absolutely stunning blue skies and sun. As we walked up and down the canal, I was so excited to see outside seating. That was a first thus far. We tried to find a place that could accommodate us outside but everyone was thinking on our same level. Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of this ideal weather when its still super nipply outside? We finally found a cute little restaurant and sat in the window with the sun shining in. Perfection.
After we finished, we explored some more until my mom called to say that she and Faj (nickname for my dad) had finally landed and were at the hotel waiting eagerly! Alli and I busted our butts back to my apartment so I could change for dinner and then we decided to stop by the grocery store to pick up some snacks to surprise the parentals…bread, cheese, fresh meats, apples and pears, and some good Italian wine.
When we showed up, it was lots of loves and hugs and kisses. My parents hadn’t seen me since I left and hadn’t seen my sissy since she had gone back to NYC for work after Christmas. We all snuggled on the bed just talking and catching up. I honestly have the most incredible family in the world. Poor mommacita was pretty sick, though. She had just been in Mexico with her girlfriends and had picked up a really nasty cough and cold. My mom is an all-star and DOES NOT get sick so to see her hacking up a lung made me so sad. Thank goodness she had some serious cough medicine to suppress the bark.
When it got time to get ready for dinner, we all put ourselves together and headed off. My friend Danielle had studied in Milan during the summer and told me about a restaurant called Oficina 12. Based on her recommendation, I had made reservations and that’s exactly where we were headed. The restaurant had great ambience and had a beautiful dining room. It wasn’t your typical little Italian restaurant but was a bit more upscale. We had a nice dinner and opted for a walk up to the Duomo. Funny story, though. My sister was wearing a brand new pair of gorgeous Prada boots she had treated herself to…my sister is a badass who works for Merrill Lynch Bank of America. Talk about setting the bar high...I have some serious big shoes to fill. So yeah, the poor thing hadn’t worn them yet so her feet were killing her. Too bad all the trams had something like 15-minute waits, which meant we needed to keep walking. I was impressed with her pain endurance because she made it all the way up to the Duomo, which is a decent walk from Navigli. As a family, we decided that gelato was the perfect remedy to cure the situation. Unfortunately, Grom was closed so we found some other random place close to the Metro so they mom, dad, and Alli could just hop right on. We sat and enjoyed each other’s company until it got late and everyone needed to head home. I decided to just come back with them and sleep at the hotel. It would be a tight squeeze but hey, we’re family, we can make it work.
Sunday 02/14: Happy Valentine’s Day!!! We all woke up, had a loving valentines breakfast and then got a move on to the train station. I thought that Lake Como would be such a perfect place for us to celebrate the day together. Lake Como is kind of like the Hamptons for the Milanese. Because Milan epitomizes your typical urban metropolitan city, a very large percentage of its residents have apartments or houses outside the city in the lake regions in order to get away for weekends or during the summer time. Lake Como happens to be a particularly beautiful lake with gorgeous houses and residential areas lining the water’s edge. George Clooney has a huge mansion that sits right on the water. If he thinks Lake Como is legit, I figured we would.
We ended up missing the first train that left at 10:40 am but selected a train that was leaving at 11:10 instead. This is where our adventure begins. We bought the tickets and I found it strange that they were as expensive as they were. From what I had been told by locals, the trip to Como was about 6 Euro or less by train. The tickets we had just bought were double that. My dad was confident that we had picked a good train because it was “Eurocity” and that meant a faster travel because it didn’t make tons of urban stops. I was still a little confused because our tickets also said Como San Giovanni and we wanted Como Nord, which takes you directly to the center of the town. My parents thought it would be a good job for me to figure out the issue. I wandered around until I found what looked like an information desk. There were these glass doors, however, that wouldn’t open. I started knocking on them and a woman comes to yell at me to take my hands off the “Club” doors. Oops! I deserted that area and finally found an actual information desk. Apparently we were headed in the right direction but would have to get to Nord from San Giovanni. I figured no big deal.
We hopped on the train to find ourselves in reserved seating. It was both cozy and comfortable. We enjoyed the scenery before coming to our first stop: Como San Giovanni. I thought, “Hmm we should probably get off here or at least ask someone if this is the right place to connect.” My dad, however, was adamant that if we stayed on for one more stop that we would get to Como Nord. Wrong. Come the next stop, we get off to ask someone and guess where we are? Switzerland! Haha Yup, we most definitely missed our stop. Best part was that we now had to buy 4 more tickets to go the one stop back. The tickets were really cheap but that’s because the train was a POS (piece of shit). I’m talking seriously dirty, stained, danky seats.
When we finally got to San Giovanni, I made sure we all got off. I practiced my Italian and talked to a magazine vendor about the lake and the best way to get into the center. He gave me directions and we were off. Como is stunning and tons of houses sit on the hills surrounding the lake. Colors of burnt orange, Tuscan yellows, and faded red splashed the water’s borders. It’s pretty spectacular. We just walked around and admired the architecture and quaint buildings. We decided that we would take a little boat tour around the lake but because of the timing schedule, would grab lunch first. We walked around the lake until we found a really cute restaurant with an impressive menu. The food was delicious and it was filled with tons of fun Italians. I think it may be impossible to have a bad meal in this country.
When lunch finished, we made our way back to the ferry. During the boat ride, we decided as a family to pick out the houses that we’re eventually going to move into. To be honest, we’re actually thinking about renting a lake house one summer. Can you imagine how ridiculously amazing that would be?
After our quick tour of the lake, we came ashore to find a big Carnivale concert going on in the center square. Tons of little kids were dressed in costumes, dancing, and throwing confetti into the air. Carnivale, while a festival that’s characterized by mask wearing, is kind of like Halloween for children. I saw little Winnie the Poohs, a turtle, a princess, a spider man, and a bunch of other characters running around.
While the Carnivale chaos continued, we all went to check out the main church. Simply stunning. It’s honestly so fascinating what people used to be able to do with their hands. The detail on the ceiling alone was mind baffling. It just amazes me that people were so crafty and gave such time and dedication to the construction of these buildings. Looking at the stone carvings, you notice such precise detail and talent. I can only imagine the copious amounts of time that went into creating such masterpieces.
After the church admiring, we realized we had missed the train we wanted to take back so we headed to a café for tea and coffee. Before we made it to the café, however, some guy decided to deck me with silly string. Major fail by the man. His bottle was almost empty so it was down to that liquid, nasty smelling stuff. Yeah well it got all up in my hair and all down my jacket and stained the sleeves. Coat is off to the dry cleaners in hopes of fixing this minor booboo. Come 5:00 pm, we made our way towards the proper train station and waited until we could finally get on. The train ride was long…much longer than the one it had taken to get there. Thus, it was very clear as to why our tickets had been 2x the price. You either spend less money and spend more time or spend more money and less time.
By the time we finally got back, everyone was in need of rest. I headed to my apartment for a shower and some napping and my sister and parents did the same back at the hotel. We planned on meeting at restaurant #2 about 10 minutes before I had set the reservation. I was taking my parents to Trattoria Toscana, the restaurant I had been with Koltin twice before and the restaurant I officially called my favorite in the city. I was really excited for them to share in what I had been so crazy about since my arrival.
I showed up at the restaurant around 8:50 pm seeing our reservation was for 9:00. I waited. And waited. And waited. Come on Wiles, I know you tend to be late but 25 minutes late?! I excused it as a lack of understanding the city.
My parents LOVED the restaurant as I had expected. The food there is so well done and the waitress we had was beyond helpful and sweet. What’s best about this restaurant is how hidden it is. I love that you don’t really know it’s there until you discover it. Not to mention the vibe is comfortable and fun, yet romantic. Anyone who comes to visit me, we’re going!!!
After dinner, my sister was going to meet up with a friend who was studying for his masters at Bocconi. Goran and Alli had met when he took a semester at NYU a few years back. While we waited, mom and dad were in need of some gelato so I took them to another A-grade spot near my apartment. Once Goran showed up, my parents and I made our way back to my apartment and I then sent them in the direction of their hotel. I was starting my first day of true Bocconi classes so I needed to get in bed earlier rather than later. 8:45 am class and the 15-20 minutes it took to get there meant for an early wake up call.
Monday 02/15: Last day with my family and my first day of class…not the best combination. As I headed off to school I got to make a pretty awesome call home. The crowded ride to school, the wandering around campus attempting to find my classes and the frigid cold were all completely ignored due to my undivided attention to my A++ conversation. Start to day 1 of Bocconi: pretty dang good.
I finally found myself in the right class and made my way into one of the benches. Unlike USC lecture halls where you sit in individual seats, the Bocconi lecture halls are set up so that the students sit in bench arrangements with long desks that match the length of the benches. Interesting yet effective. My first class was Intro to Management Consulting. The teacher spoke good English and was enthusiastic about the topic matter. From what he spoke on, seems like the class is going to be a really engaging one. Granted we do have a really huge project in front of the class but business entails a lot of that, so I might as well get more comfortable with presentations.
After my 8:45 am class finished, I jetted back to my parents hotel to meet up with them. I was hoping that we might be able to do something together before my next class at 1 pm. I figured I’d call before I got there so that everyone would be up and ready to go…or so I thought. I call and my sister is in bed half asleep while my parents are in the breakfast room. I figured that by the time I stopped to surprise my sister with a chocolate croissant and I got there that all would be good. Wrong again. I show up and my sister is still in bed, sheets over her head, my parents are watching the Olympics and I’m laughing to myself because go figure they wouldn’t be ready. Oh family! I joined on the bed but hopped on my computer instead since having internet is just so enticing these days. Yup, still NOOOOOO internet in our apartment.
No one managed to get up to go or do anything until I finally said, “Come on people, let’s get a move on!” Finally the crew was ready and we headed off towards Bocconi. My parents wanted to see the “campus,” which I warned them wasn’t really a campus. See Bocconi is more like a few buildings where kids go to school. Nothing, and I mean nothing, like USC. Well apparently that didn’t matter to my parents and they still wanted to see it. The tour literally lasted 5 maybe 10 minutes. As I warned them, it was just a few buildings and that’s it.
I was hungry so we stopped for lunch at Taxi Blues and I bumped into the waitress from the first time I had gone. She invited me to some international happy hour on Thursday. My parents and sister weren’t hungry so they just kept me company. When the time came for me to head back to class, I sent them off to do touristy stuff and to go shopping near the Duomo. I was totally jealous but it was what it was. Plus I just wanted them to have a great time so as long as all was good with them, all was good with me.
So I said goodbye and made my way towards class. Too bad my class was canceled for the first week. Seriously Bocconi? I was so irritated because I hadn’t received an email and I could’ve spent more time with my parents. I just utilized the time by getting on the computer and uploading pictures!!! That’s right, pictures are up. I’m not going to be posting them on my blog because there are too many so check my Facebook.
Despite having my 1 pm class canceled, my 02:30 pm class was still on. Too bad it was the world’s most boring class. The course is called Organizational Networks and Entrepreneurships; a topic I thought might be interesting. Well my professor takes that potential away. She is sooooooooooooooo dang boring. I’m talking monotone voice, poor English, and she reads directly from the slides. Sucks. And on top of it, she kept pronouncing entrepreneur as interpreter. Haha My friends, Eddie, Ryan, and I were dying. Max is in my class, too, so afterward the four of us kicked it for a while before leaving campus. I ended up walking with Ryan and Eddie to the tram and after telling them about my weekend adventures with the family, managed to convince them to try Grom. Based on my description they wanted it right then and there so I lead the way. They absolutely loved it. It’s pretty much a given that as soon as you try it, you fall in love.
Anyway, I chilled with them and we talked about plans for the week. Pretty sure we’re going to get together and grab dinner and go out to a club or something. These boys are the best. They want me to come to Amsterdam with them the weekend of my 21st birthday (they’ve had plans to go for a few weeks). I’m thinking I’m going to go. Me and 8 boys sounds like way too much fun. Granted they think they are going to get me hammered (wrong) but I’ll probably do them the satisfaction of a drink at my birthday dinner. For tradition’s sake of course!
The boys took off for the tram to get home and I was supposed to be meeting my family in front of the Duomo. My sister, being amazing, was waiting for me. My parents, on the other hand, decided that I wouldn’t be there on time and chose to walk around. My sister and I sat huddled and freezing until 15 minutes had passed and they showed up. We were all supposed to climb to the top of the Duomo to see the view together. I had waited when the roommates went up because I wanted to save it for my family. Looks like I’ll be waiting for someone else. We walked over to the stairs to buy our tickets and they had just closed. It was 5:03 pm and they closed at 5 pm! I begged in Italian to have the man let us come up but he wouldn’t budge. Major bummer. My parents decided to head back to the apartment so they could get ready for dinner thus I was going back to my apartment.
After a hot shower, I got all dolled up and headed down to the restaurant I had chosen for our last dinner. There is this little neighborhood restaurant right on the corner of a little street right near my apartment. Every time I pass by, the place is packed. It’s impeccably set up and all the windows are adorned with giant wine bottles. My dad, being a wine connoisseur, was bound to like the place.
I showed up right on time but had to wait for the late ones. While I waited, however, I made friends with our waitress, Sofia. She has to be, without a doubt, one of the sweetest women I have ever met. She had a warm face and an even warmer heart. She kept laughing at our difference because she was quite tiny and well, we all know I’m not. She realized that I was working on my Italian because I kept asking for certain explanations about the menu. She, too, was working on language but in her case, English. It was a match made in heaven between the two of us! I would talk to her in Italian and she would try to respond in English. When my parents arrived, she spoke all of the Italian to me so that I could then explain in English. My dad, who speaks some Italian, was butting in, of course, but I know he just loves to practice his languages. Anyway, Sofia was amazing and helped add to what an incredible night it was. The menu was rather small and hard to understand because it was all in pure old Italian. This usually means that the food is going to be that much better. And it was. Everything from the bread on the table to the appetizers and salads to the main dishes were extraordinary. It was without question that this restaurant ranked super high in my book.
In addition to good food, the company couldn’t have been any better…well it would have been nice to have my brother there (love you Machu Pichu). We took pictures, cracking up one after the other because either my mom had crazy eyes, dad was laughing, Alli looked Asian or I was just heinous. I’m sure everyone around us wanted to take my camera away but we didn’t care because we were having too much fun. We sat around reminiscing on old vacations and funny memories, poking fun at our goofy times. I think we all went around the table sharing some story or another and ended up laughing hysterically story after story. Looking back at our past and all of the fun, amazing, and silly things that have gone down makes me truly count my blessings. I forget how incredibly lucky I am to share such a beautiful relationship with some of the world’s greatest people (at least I think so). We just know how to have a good time together. Nothing has to be too serious because life is too short to take it so seriously.
After dinner, I really wanted to make sure that my parents met the roommates. We hadn’t been able to do dinner together because the girls originally had plans to be gone all weekend so I made reservations early with that in mind. I decided that Grom, which my parents hadn’t tasted yet, would be the perfect answer! We all met at 10 pm and enjoyed the bliss that is Grom. My family and the girls and I talked for a while inside until we decided to head back to the apartment so that my parents could see my set up and then say our goodbyes.
As expected, my parents loved the apartment! Although the living situation is an interesting one, the apartment truly is a gem and the location is so flawless that every minor “uh oh” about the place is eradicated. My mom, who defines the word creative, kept thinking up all these cool things to do. Had the place been mine, I would have hired her to do the job. After they got to see the apartment and feel comfortable with my living arrangements for the next few months, it was time to say goodbye. I was sad to give hugs and kisses but I remembered that it’s all part of the adventure I signed up for. I know what its like to be on my own for long periods of time so its nothing new. But then again, I just love having my family around so its never fun to say “see you later.”
Tuesday 02/16: Round 2 of classes. Thank goodness they didn’t start until 04:15 pm. That meant for some serious sleeping in. I didn’t wake up until about 12 pm but I needed the sleep. Something was rubbing me the wrong way and rest is always the best remedy. I got up and had breakfast but hopped right back in bed because I really wasn’t feeling too great. I did lots of stuff on my computer writing wise and did a little reading. By the time I actually got up and ready it was getting close to the time I needed to leave. I got out the door just in time to make the tram and get to school before class started. To my surprise and contentment, I found out my friend Rachel was in the class and was sitting with an empty seat next to her. Yay! On top of that, two minutes later, our mutual friend, Cherie, came in and sat right with us. Lecture was interesting and at the end we had to figure out our teams for the big class project. The three of us plus Cherie’s friend, Luke, from Australia agreed to make a team. We still needed 2 people and while we asked Gaetano and Renato, they had two other guys they wanted to be with so it was a no go. We are currently in the search for our last two team members.
After class, I wanted to get on the internet because I knew I wouldn’t be able to when I got home. I took care of the necessary but while doing so stumbled across the good, the bad, and the ugly. It took my day from a no good one to an “I just got the wind knocked out of me” kind of day. All I wanted was to head home for music and sleep.
I was supposed to go out with the girls but I was beyond over it plus there was an issue with space in the car so I took it as a sign not to go. I’m currently sitting in bed, BBMing with some of the world’s most wonderful people, listening to music, and watching Entourage. Tomorrow is a new day and time to start things fresh.
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