Lost in Translation

Today proved that culture shock is definitely an unavoidable aspect of any experience while traveling or staying abroad. Firstly, the time change (8 hours ahead of Denver) caused me to sleep through my first corso di italiano, in other words, my first Italian language course. Whoops! Not only did I find myself running to get to my Scoula, but I also discovered that I have absolutely no idea how to navigate the absurd layout of Milan; and, shortly thereafter, I made another breakthrough about the Italian culture in Milan--no one speaks English! Talk about culture shock! Here I am, a dumb, American girl who not only speaks maybe five words in the entire Italian language, but who is also completely lost and wandering alone in a city... Let's just say that my day improved upon my executive decision to take advantage of the regional cuisine and indulge in some carb loading. Thank god for bread and Nutella-filled pastries... I will make any excuse to indulge in some chocolate and hazelnut spread, even if it means waking around a mysterious city among those who speak a language that becomes obscure to my ears...

An American Girl in Milano

Today marks the official beginning of my extended stay in a foreign place, which is definitely becoming quite the adventure already. Believe me when I say, embarking on such a journey, free and independent from anyone or anything akin to my life in Colorado, is not only empowering but also incredibly intimidating. Alas, my liberating moment of independence soon became a short-lived dose of hell. Picture this: a very blonde-consider all aspects of the word-- American girl,who does not speak more than five words of Italian, walking around lost in Milan for hours with a bulky, heavy backpack and two ridiculously sized pieces of luggage... Not an ideal way to kick off the first day.

After a few hours of that little joyride by way of shank's mare, my non-English speaking landlord decided to get with the program and come by to let me into my new digs. After taking a shower in something the size of a shoe box, I went down to the street, threw my hat Mary Tyler Moore-style up in the air and began an exploration of my new hood sans cumbersome baggage. Let's just say that things were off to a rocky start, but now I am settled and enjoying some Nutella and apples... 

Ciao