My overnight flight landed in Milan at about 6:30 in the morning and my inability to get any sleep on the way meant that I’d have to power through my first day in Milan without having slept since Thursday night.
I had the benefit of navigating to the hotel with a few other girls in the program, making the experience much less stressful. Upon arriving, we explored the nearby area, getting an authentic view of Milan. We came across a massive open market. The fruit looked so much more vibrant and delicious than fruit back home. There were also sellers for cheese, meat, nuts, bread, clothes, shoes, jewelry, and anything else you could think of. It was cool to see how the community used their space, which was the street, to create opportunities for mutually beneficial interactions with one another.
Some other notable mentions of our exploration of the area include a fully gluten-free cafe (which was delicious and I’m not even gluten-free) and a Smurfs-themed grocery store.
When I had aching legs and no energy, I pushed through to fully immerse myself into Milan and connect with new friends. I realized that sleep will always be there but moments like these are limited and fleeting, so we must take advantage of them.
