Milano in retrospect

I want to go back to Italy. That's all there really is to it. I want to wake up in the morning to the church bells outside my window, almost light my hand on fire trying to light the stove to make eggs, watch weird Italian soap operas, watch shady characters go into the apartment two doors down, sit around the dining room table talking to my girls and deciding what to do that day. I miss the annoying shutters on the windows and the fact that almost all the furniture in our apartment was broken. I miss the lack of lighting and complaining about how our eyesight was getting progressively worse. I miss the people yelling at me in rapid Italian in the grocery store about my credit card not working. I miss the creepers on the bus and how inconvenient the train system was.

But most of all I miss the people. I miss being able to see those girls every day and go out on the weekends and create great (albeit sometimes dramatic) memories. Angela, I really do miss you standing in our doorway with a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other saying, "I'M SO FUCKING PISSED OFF RIGHT NOW. I WANT TO KILL *insert name here*" I miss Leah playing Ke$ha on repeat and hearing Steph sigh in the other room saying, "Leah, seriously? Do we have to listen to this again?" I miss our drinking rosé wine out of nutella jars. CLASSY! I miss belting out Journey and awkward times at the pizza place.

I miss you girls <3

If I could live it all again with the crappy train system, the creepers, Micky, our drug-selling neighbors, drama, Stefano, no lighting, living in the Bronx of Milan, broken pans and one sharp knife that I "always hoarded" I would. If I could, I'd rewind time to that weekend in Venice when we were still getting to know each other and smile, knowing I was about to create 4 incredible months of memories and make amazing friends...both of which will last a lifetime.

Spring break 2010

So, as some of you may know, Spring break 2009 consisted of what I call a "whirwind eurotrip". 1 backpack, 7 countries, 10 days, countless memories. I had a "Global" Eurail pass which allowed me access to 21 European countries. Because that trip was so successful, I planned on doing something along those lines for Spring Break 2010 as well. I purchased a 4-country railpass, planning on seeing Switzerland, Austria, and Italy with a side trip to France. I ordered it through Eurail.com (a different company from the one I used last time) and two days before I was supposed to leave, I received an email that my order never went through. So... I had two days to figure out plan B.

Thanks, Eurail.

Not all was lost, however, because my roommate's brother is currently living and teaching in Cyprus so we figured hey, why not go see what Cyprus is like. Free place to stay! My airfare actually ended up being $100 less than my railpass, so I decided to use that money for a little excursion to Athens! I had a 6-hour layover in the ancient city, enough time to wander up to the Acropolis and have lunch on a mountain overlooking the city. I knew that 6 hours wasn't going to be nearly enough time to do the city justice, but I know that I will definitely be back at some point in the future.


So I boarded my next flight to Larnaca, Cyprus, having no idea what to really expect. The flight went smoothly. Leah's flight landed about an hour and half after mine, so I found a coffee shop and a comfy chair and read. The time passed quickly. After I found Leah, we went to get a taxi to the her brother's house which we came to find was no small feat. About 20 minutes, 3 cabbies, and a few haphazard maps later, we agreed on a price and set off for the capital of Nicosia.

The country of Cyprus is split into the Northern Turkish Republic and the Southern half which is mainly Greek. In 1974, the Turks decided they wanted Cyprus, so they invaded but only succeeded in securing the northern half. From Leah's brother's apartment, you could see a giant lit Turkish flag which was crafted into the side of a mountain for all Greek Cypriates to see. Talk about a smack in the face.


The next day we headed out for the Turkish half of the capital, which is the only divided capital left in the world. There is a UN buffer zone and a passport check point as well. The Turkish side is considerably poorer and less friendly than the Greek side, but I did see my first mosque, which was cool. And it had great, cheap shopping!


The next day, we headed out for our hotel on the southern coast of Cyprus called Limasol (or Limassol. I've seen it spelled both ways). Cyprus is strange in the fact that is has really beautiful parts...and really ugly parts. Most of the country was random industrial factories, and then there were beautiful beaches and landscapes. Our hotel was gorgeous though!


So for four days, I just basically laid out in the sun in perfect weather. Not too shabby, huh?

And then I came back to Milan and it was raining. Lovely.


The second phase of spring break started the day after Easter. Destination: Monaco.

People often ask me what my favorites cities are in Europe. I never really know how to answer that because I love so many cities for different reasons, but Monte Carlo is definitely in my top five. I absolutely loved Monaco. Small, safe, you could eat off the sidewalks, gardens everywhere, beautiful architectue, sun, sand, gambling, Maseratis... what more could you ask for?




I spent the entire day just absorbing the scenery around me and I ended up falling asleep at the beach. I wandered on over back to the train station and took the next train to Nice, France, where I would spend the night for 50 euro cheaper. I took a long walk along the boardwalk, planning to find some dinner but it got a bit shady so I got some subway and went to eat back at the hostel. I stayed in a 6-bed female dorm being that I was by myself, and the woman with whom I was sharing a room was there named Hayley. She was born in South Africa, but had moved to the UK where she had spent the last decade. Her job consists of working for two weeks, then having two weeks off which she spends traveling. We exchanged travel stories, talked about British and American politics, college, the economy, humanity and the problems with our respective countries. Meeting Hayley was definitely a highlight of my trip because it reminded me that traveling isn't about what you see--it's about the people you meet, what they teach you, and the impact they have on you without even realizing it. It's moments like those when I remember why I love traveling so much: there are people out there just like me and it gives me hope that one day we will understand each other, and ultimately come to respect our differences.



All in all, spring break was wonderful. I would go back to Athens and Monaco in a second. Nice was okay but there are better Riviera towns, in my opinion. Limasol was nice mainly because of the weather and the hotel we stayed at was incredible.

But I loved every minute.

One month left!!

So... I have 4 weeks left officially. I don't know where the time went, but I found myself thinking a lot the past few days about the end of....an era, really. I was sitting with one of my friends the other night at dinner, and we were reflecting on what it will be like to go home. And it got me thinking... How is this going to end?

I remember sitting in Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris last spring waiting for my flight to Chicago, thinking, "that's it...it's over. I can never get this experience back." There was a finality to stepping on that plane that made me uneasy. I was never again going to call 22 Rue Lamblardie my home, nor was I going to be able to take the elevator upstairs to chat with one of my good friends. She lived a solid 24-hour drive away from me in the states, and seeing her again was going to take a year or two. I wasn't going to be able to see the lights of the Eiffel tower from my apartment, nor was I going to be able to go to 'Mix' for free on Thursday nights to dance with my friends. It was the ending of that chapter of my life and time to go back to "reality". The days leading up to our departure, many of my friends were extremely upset, but I wasn't half as upset as them. I think it was because I knew that I was going to study abroad again, so the studying abroad "chapter" of my life wasn't over yet. But now, as I sit here with exactly one month left until I leave, I know when I get to Malpensa airport on May 16th it's going to be very tough for me. No more contemplating where I want to study abroad again, no opportunities to live in another country... at least, no chances in the near future. I will live abroad again, I know, but it really is like closing a chapter in my life. Back to reality...and time to grow up.

Which poses an even scarier question: What in God's name am I going to do after graduation? Move back home and go to law school? Take a year off and teach english in Thailand? Brazil? So many options...it's overwhelming.

I've been thinking a lot about doing some sort of traveling writing, even though I don't have any experience but you've got to start somewhere right? So in order to get myself out there, I've taken the small step of making a Twitter account. You can follow me at: https://twitter.com/C_SanDiego.

Next post will be about spring break: Greece, Cyprus, Nice and Monaco!

Miss you all.

1 month down

Ciao!

I realized yesterday that I've been here for a month and that fact is hard to believe. I can't believe how fast time goes. This post is going to be a bit all over the place, so bare with me.

I've been thinking a lot lately about "luck". So many of my friends and family have been saying "you're so lucky to be studying abroad!" But... is that what it is? Luck? Now of course I am lucky that my parents can afford this, and yes I'm lucky that I've been blessed with certain circumstances allowing me to go, but... other than that, none of this is luck. I've wanted to travel since I was very young, and I worked hard in high school and in college which allowed me to get accepted to certain programs. I worked for this. It wasn't by sheer luck that I've had the opportunities I've taken advantage of. Yesterday my roommate said to me that I am lucky that I have been to so many countries at such a young age, but I still don't think it's "luck". I'm blessed, absolutely, but I've done so much because I went after what I wanted and didn't give up.

Never give up. I can't stress that enough.

Random thought: Yesterday I was watching the USA/Canada Men's Hockey final and something struck me. Now I know that there are people out there who roll their eyes at my love for America, but I don't really care. Despite it's [plentiful] flaws, I love my country. And yesterday as I was watching the game, I was also following my news feed on Facebook and saw many of my friends' statuses were something along the lines of "GO USA!" What struck me was that many of these people were in different places around the world and it didn't matter. They were watching and cheering for their country no matter what continent they were on. That gave me some sort of hope that I can't really explain, but I couldn't stop smiling for an hour or two after the game. Maybe that's why I love the Olympics so much... it brings people together no matter where they are, no matter what their races/political views/religious views, it doesn't make a difference. I have a feeling that all Americans everywhere watching that game were doing a little "USA!" chant in their head.

Switching topics again =) For those of you who don't know, last week I was accepted to do a internship this summer in Mumbai, India. I created a website about it for anyone who would like to check it out. It's basically a donation/information site for some people who expressed an interest in donating some money to cover the costs of tuition. If you'd like to donate, I can't thank you enough for whatever you can give. Please check the site out: http://sites.google.com/site/mumbaiinternship/home

Thank you everyone so much!

Well I've got an Italian final on Wednesday, so I'm off to study. I miss you all. Ciao!!

INDIA!!!

Hey guys!

So for those of you who don't know, I applied for a Microfinance internship for this summer in Mumbai, India. I applied last week and received my acceptance today! Only problem is... I need to fund it now =) I've received a $1000 scholarship from my home university already, but I'm still about $2200 short. Many of my friends have urged me to make a "donate" web page, so I added a "donate" button above. If you would like to check out the website, feel free at http://www.indiastudyabroad.org/program_details.php?prog_na_id=14 . Any help you guys can give me would be greatly appreciated!!! THANK YOU!

Expect a post soon about Lake Como/Bellagio =)
Night!
Caitlyn

Paris or Milano?

Ciao!!

So I've been in Milan for 2 weeks now, and everyone keeps asking me the same question: Which do you like better, Paris or Milan? And the answer to that isn't an easy one.

Before I left to come study abroad again, I kept telling myself that I wasn't going to compare the two. They are completely different experiences and I refuse to keep telling myself things along the lines of, "Paris is so much better than Milan because....." and not to pat myself on the back, but I think I've done a pretty good job so far. There are differences of course, but I need to complete this experience before I decide which one I like more. I can't judge it now. I absolutely love traveling and I'm eager to experience new things, so I've just accepted that Milan is just...different than Paris. I love Milan for completely different reasons than Paris. However, there are some differences between the two cities that cannot be ignored.

Paris is a much prettier city. Milan actually isn't that attractive with the exception of the area around the Duomo. Other than those few blocks, Milan architecture can't hold a candle to Paris's gorgeous buildings. But then again... no one ever said that Milan looked like Paris, so once you accept that Milan is an ugly pretty city, you warm to it much faster.

I love Italians. =) The Italian way of life is...slower than in France. Not only are they friendlier, things here are just not as intense as Paris and far less intense than in the U.S. Everything that could possibly go wrong, does. The trains are always late. People show up to things at least an hour and a half after the scheduled time. Shops are always closed. Nothing ever goes smoothly. And people just shrug it off and go home to their families and drink wine. I love that attitude.

Classes here are much more laid back. Maybe it's because I have Italian professors instead of French/American professors as I had in Paris, but here you can be 15/20 minutes late and the professor won't say anything. Why? Probably because they understand that the trains are always late....

The attitude towards Americans are also different. Here when you say, "Sono Americana" (I am American) Italians say, "ohhhhh!!!" and they are excited and eager to talk to you. Whereas in Paris, I didn't want to tell people I was American because I didn't want their attitudes to become snotty. I definitely feel more comfortable here. I feel like I've made more Italian friends in two weeks that I did in 4 months in Paris.

One of the most important things I've learned about traveling is that you need a sense of humor. If you can't laugh at yourself, then you will never get the most out of your experiences. I promise that. For example, yesterday our power went out completely and the flipping the circuit breakers wasn't working, so we went to ask our neighbor who didn't speak a word of English how to turn it back on. After a few minutes of miming "light" and "none" he finally got it and helped us. But I look at some of my friends who I know would never go up to someone without speaking their language and ask for help. I wonder sometimes how they survive(d)/will survive their study abroad experiences...

Of course it's impossible not to compare the two cities, but I'm trying not to compare the experiences as a whole. I've just accepted that they are very different. Besides, I haven't been here for that long! I still have 3 1/2 months of adventures to experience. And I can't wait.

I love you and miss you all.
Ciao ciao!!

Month 1

Okay. So I've been here for 5 weeks already, and I haven't updated this. It's time, huh?

Well, first let me start off by saying that adjusting to living in another country sure isn't easy, as I am sure you can imagine, but it's not as difficult as I thought it would be. With a good working knowledge of French, I've been pleasantly surprised at how well I've adjusted to not only a new country, but also city life. Needless to say, I love it here and can't believe how fast the time is flying. It's truly unbelievable. I am going to cry when I have to leave and as my family can attest to, I never cry. But that's another story for another time...

Some interesting things that have happened in Paris:

-Now I understand that there are crazy people out there, but I will never forget the time I saw a man erm... "moving his bowels" as my great-aunt would say, not only at a Metro stop, but in his pants. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a smell that will probably never leave my mind.

-Adding to that, I will never get used to the smell of the metro. It's an odd combination of alcohol, puke, urine and Chanel number 5.

-I am sure you have heard that Parisians are not friendly to Americans. This is both true and false. Parisians are not friendly to anyone. They don't discriminate even amongst their own people. That isn't to say that I haven't met some very nice Parisians, but unfortunately, the stereotype is true. It doesn't matter if you are Irish, Romanian or Chinese, they will not smile at you, they will not stop for a chat, and if you hold up the line at the grocery store... forget it. The glares you will receive will be enough to burn you alive.

-No one speaks. I'm serious. You could drop a pin in the metro and probably hear it. People are so quiet that whispering seems like yelling. I find it odd that no one engages in conversation, but I guess Parisians are a quiet people.

-I smiled at a man who said 'bonjour' to me when I first got here and he looked at me like I was growling at him or something. I still can't get over that no one smiles.

-The amount of times you will get hit on is amazing. Well, maybe "hit on" is a strong word, but you can't walk twenty feet without someone saying something to you or calling something out in either french or broken english. For future reference, wearing your iPod is a good idea.

Oh, and once someone asked me if I had a spare train ticket while I was walking in Gare de L'est-which is a train station for those of you who don't know. He didn't want a metro ticket, but an actual train ticket. I started to laugh. Does it look like I am selling train tickets?

If you ever get the chance to study abroad, please do it. I promise you it will be the best thing you've ever done. I have met so many people, seen things from so many other perspectives and been to places people only dream about. I can't believe I am only 19 and have done so much. Thank you mom and dad =) You probably don't even realize how much this means to me. I have been waiting to travel around Europe since before I can remember and here I am, living my dream because of how hard you guys work. I love you so much.

This weekend I am going to Amsterdam.

Spring break=Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary.

End of March=Barcelona

April= Rome and Venice.

May=Who knows?

This is the best decision I've ever made in my life. I wake up every morning smiling, knowing that I am this is living proof that you can do whatever you want with hard work. Corny? Maybe. True? Yes. If you get the opportunity, travel, travel, travel!

Oh, next weekend I'm trying to get to Normandy. I can't wait.

Mom. I need you to tell me when you are coming. You coming here is messing with my travel weekends. I love you, but I don't love you that much.

Just keeeding.

...Maybe =)

I'm off to bed.

-Caitlyn