Day 1...Part 1

May 22

9:35 AM

After 17 hours of air travel and almost no sleep, I made it! Let's do it to it.

A view from the plane

10:24 AM

I'm on the bus to Milano Centrale and from there I will take the train into Bra and then venture into La Morra where I will stay while apartment hunting. On the flight to New York this all seemed so surreal. I was shitting myself, thumbing obsessively through my Italian phrase book. Now that I'm finally here, I feel much more capable considering I felt completely helpless. The first 3 Italian phrases out of my mouth were "parli inglese?" Traveling alone in a country where the language is foreign really takes balls. But I'm actually on my way so it can only get better from here. I am still, however, trying to figure out if I've always been helpless or if I've actually gained some of my guts back in the last 6 months. I've been in Europe for all but one hour and I'm already neck-deep in self discovery.

1:02 PM

Still in Milan. It lacks charm like Inglewood, but in a European kind of way. I won't trouble you with pictures, but here are some of the highlights of what I've seen:

• Burger King
• Mc Donalds
• Persian rugs
• All you can eat sushi
• Gin fizz cafe
• Game rush (not game stop)
• Graffiti EVERYwhere
• Firetruck and policemen raging to the scene of the crime
• An OLD, OLD man on cruiser bike
• Boots! It's still boot season over here. Not one single pair of flip flops.

2:07 PM

Two flights, one bus, and three trains later I still haven't reached Bra yet. I am TIRED!