Scuola e Esplorazione!

Wow! It has been another full week of events and activities making it officially 2 weeks of living abroad. I am so madly in love with this city I get to call home and I am so excited to wake up everyday here. I miss everyone back home (hugs and kisses to you reading this right now!) and wishing you were all here with me to experience it. However, I love getting to write my weekly blog to keep you in the loop and sharing my favourite moments.

We have a full house! Jackie, Amanda and Simone, who moved in this week, are all unpacked and set up in the apartment so we are all ready for a great semester. It is a lot of fun living with 3 other girls where we have been cooking, laughing and chatting together.

We took a little day adventure to Lake Como in hopes of finding George Clooney. Just kidding! We took a 10 euro train to Como and explored the beautiful little town. The town of Como sits at the very bottom of the lake and is the main attraction in the area. It speaks for itself surrounded in amazing mountains and sparkling waters. We decided to take a ferry to Varenna, a teeny tiny town that Pinterest told me was one of Italy’s prettiest small towns. The ferry ride cruised us by some of the most beautiful seaside communities and we could see the tip of the Alps from our seats!

Varenna blew Pinterest out of the water. It was an absolutely charming little paradise! We arrived around siesta time so the town was even quieter and made it felt like we were the only people there. We hiked all around the little steps and walkways taking in one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. All of us were almost teary it was so pretty!

In a town with a population of 770 people, you would think you would not run into anyone you’d know right? WRONG! I ran into a girl I went to high school with, Briana, and her mom who were doing a day trip to Varenna that same very day at that same very time. She is also studying at Bocconi with me but I thought I would run into her in Milan – what are the chances! We hopped on their bus on the way back driving through the mountains to take us back to the Duomo.

In addition to this fun day trip, I also began my Italian Crash Course! It’s a daily class where we are learning the basics of l’italiano. I have the leg up however knowing so much already from Nonna and Dad who could teach this course. I have met a bunch of exchange students from the US, Australia, Germany, Singapore and even a girl from Miramichi, NB! On top of the crash course, the Erasmus Student Network (the student council of Bocconi) has organized a bunch of events from the San Siro stadium tour to aperitivo nights for all the exchange students. Gearing up for un semestre fantastico!

With this action-packed week, there was so much to be grateful for and excited about. However, my favourite part would have to be meeting some Italian family! Zio Luigi connected me with one of his lifelong friends named Antonina who lives with her family in Milan. We got to meet up this weekend as her and her family – the cutest little boys who know more about baseball and Star Wars than I do – took me on a little day excursion through the northern part of Milan called Brera. I had so much fun and really felt so special to be taken under their wing for a day! Although we had never met before, they took me in as own of their own and were beyond kind for spending time with me.

Yet again I am so happy with what I have got to experience thus far. And classes have yet to begin! Ci vediamo e ti amo tanto!