Spending a month in Milan, Italy gave me a new perspective on my life, especially my life here in the States.
Transportation was a large portion of the culture, since it got you to work or to the grocery store, many Milanese (including ourselves) relied heavily on properly working transportation systems. After only living in Italy for a week, the metro quickly become one of our favorite modes of transport. It was easy to use thanks to our metro cards, convenient due to the many stops and stations, and fast moving. Not to mention, it is a fairly inexpensive way to travel the city much like the bus and tram.
Not only was the transportation a major part of this trip, but our restroom experience was important to note since they varied so frequently from location to location. My focus for my journaling, for instance, was the toilet handles, because they were all so drastically different in Italy, and they were even more unique than the ones we see in the States. In Italy, there are button flushers both on the toilet itself or on the wall above it, handles that you manually turn in order to start and stop a flush, and floor flushing mechanisms just to name a few.
We went to a few Triennale events, which allowed us to experience the works of Italian artists up close and personal.
Each event was a different expression, a different voice of Italy. It was incredible being able to experience such impressive works, while also being able to live in the city these artists were describing or at least attempting to convey through their works.
Also, their coffee (caffé) is, simply put, espresso and it cost a mere 1 euro, whereas in the States, we pay $5 for a cup of watered down coffee. Not only was their food and coffee better, fresher, and more rich, but it was cheaper. Albeit not everyone, especially in areas of high tourist traffic, but the wholesome foods we ate were usually cheaper than their American counterparts.
During the week, we would visit a multitude of studios, museums, and exhibitions; throughout our time in Milan, we saw dozens of them, and a few of my favorites consisted of those that portrayed the mood and culture of Italy such as the fashion and appliance museums/studios/factories.
For instance, one of the best exhibits we visited was the Armani/Silos museum about 15-20 minutes away from our apartments.
The works we saw there were delicate, intricate, and stunning; we were able to walk through the progression of works from the birth of Armani to his most recent works. The character of each style was absolutely unique and told the story of Italians and their worldly counterparts (including but not limited to Asian and Indian influenced pieces).
Although our time in Milan has come to an end, I will always carry the things I have learned with me. Not only has it given me a new perspective on life in general, but it has made me acutely aware of my surroundings and home culture; Italy, however, will always be considered my second home.