An American Girl in Milan

I love living abroad and immersing myself in different cultures. It’s when you travel that you’re more open to trying new foods, new ideas and new ways of life – because you have to, I guess - but if you stick around for long enough, these new oddities slowly creep their way into your daily routine. Naturally, at first, everything about Milan was completely  unfamiliar - the language, the fashion, the landscape and the food. Fresh pastas and pizzas, fantastic coffees and gelatos overwhelmed my senses; but now I am accustomed and consider myself to be an enthusiastic gelato connoisseur.

Aside from the obvious positive points Italy has to offer, I’ve also grown to know and love the little things about this country. While I ride the metro every morning, I’m pleased to listen to people playing accordions and violins and singing opera for a bit of spare change, unlike their counterparts in my home town (Charleston SC, USA) whose tradition is to belt out jazz and blues numbers on their rusty old saxophones. Some nights we go to the Colonne di San Lorenzo on the funky side of town; a piazza surrounded by Roman ruins and fantastic old structures. Constantine’s palace was once located there, in front of the Basilica di San Lorenzo (which is also believed to have been part of the palace), and rows of Roman columns taken from a second century Roman temple (or bathhouse) line each side. At night, it turns into a kind of an urban-grunge social scene where people mingle and enjoy the steady sounds of drums and guitars that fill the square. It’s a cool little spot, right in the middle of an awe-inspiring historical site, which only adds to my fantasy-life here in Italy.

And have I mentioned Italian coffee?  I’ve gotten rather accustomed (maybe even addicted) to my daily macchiato breaks, instead my usual iced coffees, which, come to think of it, resembled milkshakes more than anything. Now I am not sure how I will go back to drinking watery American coffee. I also love to spend an afternoon drinking cups of espresso with friends before a long evening “passeggiata” (the Italian equivalent of a stroll), gazing into shop windows and perhaps stopping somewhere for an apéritif.

All of these things that I once romanticized became my daily life, and I’m sure that once I am home, nostalgia will set in and I will just have to buy myself that espresso machine and Italian coffee. But for now it’s time to say goodbye to Italy, as I’m venturing off to the coast of  France for a summer surfing trip (and hopefully to pick up a bit of French culture too). 

Jade Sullivan