Month: May 2025

When I think of design, I usually think of a singular product. Design, to me, was the final poster, piece of furniture, or magazine layout. However, one lamp that I spotted at the ADI Design Museum last week began to change my mind.

Hidden towards the back of an exhibit, there was a whimsical pink-green-blue lamp and an accompanying sketch, clearly depicting the original idea for the lamp. I loved the winding, colorful design of the lamp but disliked the sketch at first: compared with the final outcome, it looked rough and pretty unappealing. However, I came to realize that the sketch is part of the design. Design, in this case, is not only the final lamp but all of the ideas and iterations in between as well. I am excited to continue looking for that process of design in our future activities!

Plus, additional designs I found pretty or useful at the museum below!

Starting the week off with our survival Italian lesson has prepared me to strive to adapt to the culture that I have had the opportunity to immerse myself in. I have even purchased a few books in Italian to give myself the best chance to learn the language. As the Italians do it, slowly but surely, I will get there! My week’s highlights were visiting the Rossanna Orlandi Gallery, sketching in Lake Como, and visiting Studio FM Milano.  Rossanna Orlandi was a beautifully done space; I could have stayed there forever. I was obsessed with the fact that nothing fit the same kind of vibe, but it all went well together. Every room was something different and funky, nothing like I’ve ever seen before – It was a pool of inspiration, and I feel so lucky to have had the chance to experience a space like this. Lake Como was also, of course, beautiful. My favorite part was when we were atop the Archivio Terragni, relished in the view, and sketched the Como stadium. I had never seen such a view, and being surrounded by new friends was a treat! Studio FM was my favorite part of the trip so far. Seeing cool, innovative work done by people in the same field as me is inspiring and has helped me solidify that I want to continue my design path, and that it all comes in time. 

These past ten days have been very eye-opening because I have a new appreciation for the “Italian” way of life. Things move much slower, and people are not living to work; they are working to live. As I’ve learned to slow down, I have also learned that things will happen, you have to be patient, and let them happen.

This week was really great. First off the day of the art gallery and museum of science was a very fun, and interesting day. I learned a lot about how many things emerged and grew which was very new to me. Seeing the first trains, planes, broadcast channels was fascinating.

Lake como was beautiful. It made us want to explore a beach further and therefore we chose to explore nice and get to know a part of france since i had never been. This weekend was really relaxing besides the 4am wake up call and the semi creepy bus. Other than that nice made it for a super relaxing weekend. We explored the small casino and got to lay in the beach for about 4 hours having some spritz’s and piña coladas. The rocks made it hard to get in the ocean but the weather was beautiful and we all got a great tan. Just a note: my topic is graffiti and i observed nice and it had very minimal grafiti and street art was not very prominent either. I think it made the city look a bit classier and beautiful.

After living in Italy for about 10 days, I have come to see, and appreciate, both the culture and manner of treatment characteristic of Italy. This weekend, I traveled to Nice, France, and while here, I saw the start contrast between the French and Italian way of life. This difference, I think can be seen in the doors of each country. Many doors throughout Italy, I’ve noticed, are large, ornate, and wooden. Much like Italians, these doors have grand, beautiful facades, yet are humble and simple on the interior. The French door in the attached photo is also large and oranate—characteristics also present in Italian doors. However, the purple color provides a clue as to the French way of life. Purple, symbolic of royalty and pomp, is a color that can be used to describe French attitudes and—stereotypically—snobbery. Indeed, in my time here everyone I’ve interacted with has been kind, yet there seems to be no imitating of the simple warmth of Italy.

This week, it finally hit me, I’m actually in Italy, studying abroad. It’s only been one week, but something about these past few days made it all feel real. There have already been so many highs and lows, moments of excitement and challenge, but I know this is a time in my life I’ll never forget.

This weekend was especially unforgettable. I had the incredible privilege of being in Vatican City during the inauguration of the new Pope, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. What made it even more meaningful was that Pope Leo is the first Pope from the United States, and he’s from Chicago, my hometown. Even more amazing, he’s a graduate of Villanova, the university attended by half of my family, including my sister. It felt like history was unfolding in front of me, and somehow, I was part of it.

The atmosphere in Vatican City was electric. The streets were packed with people joyful, emotional, hopeful, and excited. Walking into St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time left me speechless. The beauty and significance of the space gave me a feeling I can’t quite describe, but one I’ll carry with me forever.

I also revisited the Colosseum, and this time, with a deeper understanding of its historical context. Seeing it again, with a new perspective, was incredibly powerful. And yes, after walking over 40,000 steps in one day to fit in all the sights, my legs are still recovering! But every step was worth it.

To share all of this with a close friend made it even more special. This first week has already left such a mark on me, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of this journey holds.

The creation of the Huayra Roadster BC was a result of scrupulous analysis and the critical approach the Pagani team took. Their effort was translated into innovation, invention, and exploration of unexplored paths to break new ground, by not following car trends and seeking to build timeless creations. The essence of the Huayra Roadster BC is exactly this: extreme, exuberant, and shaped by the hand line with the fundamental concepts of Leonardo da Vinci’s Art and Science. The car was created with the latest technologies derived from Pagani Automobili’s track experience and in accordance with key concepts of its DNA. It is an intuitive and easy-to-drive vehicle that is meant for the consumer to enjoy, as every detail from the exterior to the interior is unprecedented.

I found the naked ladies from the Palazzo Castiglioni at the Villa Romeo Faccanoni. They are at the health clinic where I was sent for chest x-rays yesterday!

Villa Romeo Faccanoni is “Considered the second most important of the buildings constructed by Giuseppe Sommaruga in Milan, after Palazzo Castiglioni, Villa Faccanoni was, at the time of its construction, an elegant example of residential architecture built in Art Nouveau style for a bourgeois client at the beginning of the last century”.

Coming here I knew it was gonna be a completely new experience, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this different. I began my journey at 6 am in Austin to head to New York City before going to Milan. I was so excited, even though it didn’t go perfectly as I planned. I left my jacket back in Austin’s airport but it turned out to be an excuse to buy a new hoodie for my little New York City adventure since I’ve never been there before. After, the plane to Milan was more than 8 hours long. I could not keep track of time since I had never been on a plane for that long either. I could not sleep the entire flight, I think the combination of excitement and nerves were too much, so I stayed awake watching movies. Finally, I arrived in Italy and was greeted by Emma holding a sign for us. I met a couple other girls, and we took the train together, which was another first for me. Those were my first glimpses of Milan. The building colors, the nature, graffiti, and the whole atmosphere was truly beautiful. Everything was so different from the US and at the same time it felt a little familiar to Mexico. I then arrived at Milano Centrale, which had a vibe that almost reminded me of Harry Potter, to take an uber to our hotel. During our ride I got to observe the city with closer attention to the details: the way plants hang out of almost every balcony, the size of the streets, the small shops and boutiques, and the beautiful architecture that characterizes this city. Everything Milan feels both big and small. I feel like I can take a train and navigate the entire city in 15 minutes, or take a 30 minute walk and be in a completely different neighborhood. I’ve already walked  more here in three days than what I walked in  a week back in Austin. Another highlight of this small week was seeing the Duomo for the first time. As we walked out of the train station, we saw it get taller and taller, it truly took my breath away. I also tried real Italian food, and I think it now has ruined all the possible pizzas, pastas, and gelatos I can find in the US. There is so much I’ve learned in these few days, but I can’t wait to keep learning more about this city, understanding its history and the impacts it had, discover its beauty and observe the beautiful mix between tradition and innovation. 

Some of food I had this weekend!

Roof of the Duomo and Galleria at night!