Sojin Josephson

It’s almost 8:30 p.m. here in Milan and it’s about the first moment of still and quiet I’ve found since I arrived on Sunday afternoon. The days go by very quickly, but I realized it’s because I spend so much time lost that it takes a couple hours (at least) out of each day. This may come as a surprise, but I’ve actually been the one good at directions here… I never thought I would see the day.

It’s hard to put into words the amount I’ve already seen and experienced in the past few days, but I’m going to try and sum it up.

I started writing down the start of this in a café, or what they call a “bar” here after drinking sparkling water and eating a croissant for breakfast. I have yet to find my usual oatmeal. It was my very first morning and at the time, I was pretty frozen to my seat trying to gather enough courage to walk back outside with my bags and navigate the area by my school. I wasn’t sure what to do because I didn’t yet have a place (I was lucky enough to stay at a friend of a friend’s the night before) and still had six hours before I could get dropped off at my own apartment. Side note: I’m happy to say that the keys in this place make me feel like I am able to unlock the front doors of Hogwarts.

The adventure began when Michela, another UM student studying here for the semester, and I made our way through the Alitalia check-in and security in JFK Airport. We were sort of in a rush, but managed to eat a Turkish dinner, get yelled at by some lady who spoke a different language and laughed at by the guy at security who was shouting instructions at everyone. He thought he was funny. We got settled in on the plane, which was very empty, so we had a lot of room. Not to be cliché, but I really felt like something big was about to happen when we took off from the U.S. I watched the plane tracker slowly make its way from New York to Nova Scotia before I fell asleep, waking up every couple of hours with a new fancy meal in front of me served by tall, smiling flight attendants in emerald green uniforms and hats.

After we landed, we went through customs and to the baggage claim—normal. But we stood there until only a few other people from our flight remained and the conveyer belt stopped moving. Our bags didn’t make it from JFK. We stood in line for 30 minutes to set up a suitcase delivery. The suitcases ended up taking a few days longer than we anticipated, but I guess it was a good reason to shop. The deliveryman called yesterday morning, but we couldn’t understand each other so I just crossed my fingers that my bag would make it to the correct address. When I finally saw it sitting behind the front desk of the apartment, I was overly excited and gave it an actual hug. I feel more settled now. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise that my luggage was lost because even my carry on and purse were hard to haul around for the first 24 hours.

For some reason, older men are the ones I keep running into when I need help or am lost. The first one was about 80-years-old, had few teeth and a tiny dog. Michela and I decided to trust his directions and followed him as he smiled and gestured because he spoke no English and we speak no Italian. He walked far in front of us and never turned around. Just when we were beginning to think that he did not know where he was going, he stopped and pointed at a sign, smiling of course, and sure enough, it was the right place. And it’s happened a few times since then.

Although it’s been three days of mozzarella, tomato sauce and more carbohydrates than anyone needs in that short of a time period, I actually think I’ve lost five pounds. For the first few days, we’ve been eating at odd times with long, long stretches between meals, no snacks and not much water—it’s not often free around here and we’re not supposed to drink the tap at our apartment. But I went grocery shopping with my roommates for the first time today. It’s considered a “supermarket,” but it was really more like the Big Timber IGA, so not really a supermarket at all. We spent a lot of time in the store trying to read the labels. I picked up a package of what I thought was frozen chicken, but I asked the young man next to me to make sure. He said “No, that’s fish.” I said thank you and moved on to a new package. The same guy looked at me and said, “No that’s fish, too. It’s all fish.” I had a small instinct that told me it was fish in the first place, but I swear it looked like chicken. But that was that. I never found the chicken.

I also had no idea how hard it would be to simply find a towel and a blanket. I heard before I left the States that it would be, but my 50-pound bag and barely-zippable carry on items didn’t allow me to pack them. Last night, I finally found a towel (I’d been using a hand towel prior to that) but still haven’t found a blanket. My roommates and I have been sleeping in single sheets for days now and it’s not very comfortable or warm. Hopefully we’ll find blankets soon. Or a sleeping bag at least.

Last night, I went to a club called Old Fashion with other students from my school. It was my first club experience. When we walked in, there were people from wall to wall and the music was loud—American mainstream music—which made me smile. It was strange for me to see all of the students, ages 16 through 28 (give or take a few years) lined up at the bar for legal drinks or smoking cigarettes in a designated area inside the club. I’m used to older men in quiet bars in small towns. I’m sure not in Montana anymore.

I’ve only had a small taste of the fashion here so far. It’s been wet and cold the past few days, but it’s an excuse for people to wear their best coats. They’re truly amazing and I am having a hard time not buying one. But it won’t be cold for long and I have to get everything home that I purchase here, so I really have to watch it and resist the urge. Milan dropped out of the Top 10 Global Fashion Capitals last year, coming in at number 12, but I’m feeling a strong comeback this year. One thing I do know about Milan fashion: the heels are high and you can’t go wrong with black.

International students (it’s strange to think of myself as one) had orientation the past two days. I learned a lot and met many wonderful people from all over the globe. Many of the U.S. students are happy to meet a Montanan as they excitedly say, “you’re the first person I’ve ever met from Montana!” We now have a long weekend to become more acquainted with the city, our roommates and new friends before we start our intensive Italian language course on Monday. It’s been a series of mishaps since arriving here, but I have already learned a lot. I grow more excited to be here each day and miss the correct stops on the Metro less each day, so I’d say it’s off to a good start.