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!

It’s already been a full week here in Milan and I can’t believe it! I can confidently say I call this place a home now as I now have my bearings straight and compass sorted out. I’m familiar with the neighbourhood but still seem to discover new things everyday. The weather has been spectacular and almost 10 degrees everyday – sorry about the snow over there! Here’s a recap of the past few days here in Milano!

Once settling in, I knew I need an Italian SIM card to access my phone while on exchange. All of my friends that already went on exchange recommended getting one here rather than using a data plan from home. Let’s just say four or five trips to the store, seven or eight phone calls and chat bots later and one conversation between Dad and a store manager later, we got the thing to work. Shoutout to Dad who had to call the local manager from him office and sorted everything out!

My new roommate arrived this week and she’s super sweet! She’s a student from Western and surprisingly very excited to live with 3 Queen’s girls. Our 4th roommate arrives on Wednesday so soon we will have a full house. It is a great group of girls who are all eager and excited to start the semester.

I also went to visit Bocconi – my beautiful host school for the semester! The campus is about a 7 minute walk from our apartment which is absolutely great. The whole campus ranges from ancient castle-like buildings to modern mansions. They have tons of amenities and a ton of friendly students! I start my Italian crash course on Friday so I am very excited to start meeting new people.

This past weekend, two of our Queen’s friends on exchange in Germany (Caitlin and Carlin), came to visit and spend some time with us. They also fell in love with Milan as we toured them around the local spots and the major attractions. They were quite sad to leave but super excited that they got to taste some Italy for a bit.

We got to experience apperitivo with them which is 5 euros for a drink and endless food! We tried a campari and soda which was quite delicious. Speaking about food, we also went to this amazing restaurant called Un Posto A Milano (a 2-time Michelin Star winner !) and had a delicious meal.

We also got to do a little shopping here and there because the stores are too cute to ignore! My friends got some nice leather shoes, clothes and other little things. I got myself a nice dress I will definitely wear to fit in with the gorgeous Milano Fashion. You might even see me as a model on Fashion Week!

On Sunday, it was my roommate Amanda’s birthday so we got a bunch of groceries and made her a nice birthday dinner before the girls left for Germany again. It’s amazing that our apartment’s kitchen is up to par with Nonna’s kitchen which has everything you would need and more. We made some roasted veggies, antipasto, caprese salad and some chicken. It might have been the best meal yet!

Overall, a great few days we got to experience in Milan! I am nothing but more excited for the rest to come. Arrividerci e a dopo amore!

Ciao tutti! A big hug and hello from the other side of the world! It’s Day 3 of settling into exchange and it’s been a whirlwind. Milan is so beautiful to say the least; I’m so excited to call it my home for the next few months. I’m sure everyone has been up to date with what has been going on so far but I wanted to give some updates (and pictures!) so you are able to love it as much as I do.

We arrived in Milano’s Malpensa Airport on Monday afternoon eager to get our trip started. Unfortunately, I was only able to bring one of my two bags back to the apartment with me. This kickstarted a wild goose chase to track down my missing bag. I finally had my bag delivered to the apartment today with the rest (aka ALL) of my clothes. I couldn’t have done it without Dad and Mom viciously tracking the bags every move and calling or emailing the top people. STOOPID AIR CANADA!

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Our apartment is absolutely lovely! Located 15 minutes from Bocconi and 15 minutes from the Duomo, we truly scored. Amanda and I are the only Bocconi girls staying there now but my friends Sally (going to Tilburg, Netherlands) and Mel (going to Maastricht, Netherlands) also are staying with us for a pre-exchange trip. Needless to say, we have already made it our little home.

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The city itself is awesome. Full of true fashionistas and the real “foodies”, Milano’s citizens are hardworking and kind people. As a business centre, we see many people dressed to the 10s whether they’re heading to a corporate job or the grocery store. There’s also so much that the city offers. From the Navigli river to the unreal DUOMO, there is never a dull site to see. The detailed architecture is breathtaking and cannot compare to much else. Everything in the city is within walking distance so we have covered a lot of ground.

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Today we had a little adventure and took the train to Verona. The city was a beautiful gem and home the the famous Romeo and Juliet. Mr. Cherny would have been proud when I got to see the Casa di Giuletta and the balcony where Juliet met Romeo in the famous play. The whole city was out of a painting with an ancient arena that looked much like a miniature colosseum and colourful buildings and cafes. Since it is not a massively popular tourist spot, it was peacefully filled with people all soaking in the city’s beauty.

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It’s crazy to think that I get the opportunity to live in Italy for 5 months but I am nothing but excited and eager to get school started and feel like a true Milanese! I’m looking forwards to taking some interesting courses and learn more about my lovely culture.

Lastly, the FOOD. Maybe the best part! Every window you walk by has 7 feet pizzas or mountains of fresh meats and cheeses. The cafes are all amazing and run by Nonna’s and Nonno’s who each know how to make the best coffee or espresso. I expected nothing less than the freshest of fruits and vegetables and was not disappointed. The abundance of fresh foods is amazing! As they say, Italian culture is the best as the rich and poor eat the same food. And food brings people together!

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All in all, the first three days have been amazing. No matter what minor road bump pops up along the way, it will always work out in Italy! Arrividerci e bacci a tutti ❤️ ti amo tanto