Mia's Life

January has been a truly eye-opening month as I reach the halfway point of my time here. It’s surreal watching so many of the other exchange students head home—it’s hard to believe they’ve already completed their entire exchange. It feels like just yesterday we were all meeting for the first time in Rome. If someone asked me to pack my bags and leave right now, I don’t think I could do it. The idea of leaving would break me. It’s bittersweet seeing friends go; now, when we talk, they’re back in their routines, while I’m still here, living experiences they can no longer relate to. That said, it’s pretty incredible to think that now I have friends all over the world. No matter where I go, I’ll know someone—and it’s fascinating to get a glimpse into what their “normal” lives look like back home.

Before they all left, I managed to catch up with a few of them. First, I went to Belluno to celebrate Bella’s birthday. The city is absolutely stunning—just from the train windows, you can already see the sparkling lakes and towering mountains in the distance. But stepping out of the station? It’s like being swallowed up by these magnificent mountains from every direction. Mercedes and I made the journey together, and it was my first time meeting Bella’s host family, who were just the sweetest people. When we got back to their house, we all pitched in to make a homemade tiramisu, and let me tell you, it was probably the best I’ve ever had.

That evening, we wandered through the city center and met up with Bella’s friend Pedro, another exchange student from Brazil. He was hilarious, and we had the best time with him. We grabbed drinks before heading to dinner, where Bella’s host mom had a lovely surprise—she’d invited all of Bella’s school friends to join us at the restaurant. Everyone seemed like such amazing people, and I’m sure Bella had an unforgettable exchange with all of them. Afterward, we walked around town with the group and stopped at another bar. By the time we got home, it was pretty late, so we shared a few more laughs before bundling up and heading to bed.

The next morning, we took Bella’s dog for a walk and stopped at a café for breakfast—though I’m not sure “breakfast” is the right word. They were these custard-filled donuts, covered in powdered sugar, with a variety of different exclusions fixed-in. We spent hours talking, just soaking in each other’s company for the last time during our exchanges. After lunch, we headed to the train station for our final goodbyes. I’m really sad Bella had to leave; I feel like we would’ve had so much fun together in the spring. She was always my go-to girl for a good time out. Although this isn’t a forever goodbye, but more of a see you later. Bella and I are plotting a trip to Mexico next year with more exchange students in the area. (Area as in being anywhere in all of America)

The very next day, I made my way to Milan to meet Ella for what would sadly be our last time together. We’d been sending each other TikToks nonstop, each one displaying something we had to do. Naturally, everything we picked was centered around eating. This time, we skipped the Duomo and city center and hopped on the metro straight to Chinatown. It’s such a rarity to find someone who’s equally as passionate about trying new foods, so I was excited to share this experience with her. We wandered the streets of Chinatown, mapping out our food strategy as we went. Instead of sitting down at a restaurant, we decided to grab a bunch of small bites from different places and share them. First up, we stopped at a random spot for crispy flatbread and a stuffed, flattened meat bread. I’m not even sure what they were called, but watching them prepare them right in front of us made them taste even fresher and more delicious. Next, we hit up a tteokbokki spot, where we got a bowl of rose-flavored tteokbokki and a half-and-half mix of the shop’s other flavors. The rose one was by far the standout. From there, we ventured to try Peking duck rolls, which I’d been dying to taste for ages. Ella was just as keen to try them, and they did not disappoint. They were light, crunchy, and flavorful, exactly what we hoped for.

Then, we thought we had found a hidden gem of a Chinese spot, but sadly, it wasn’t meant to be. The soup dumplings had no soup inside, and the pan-fried pork bun wasn’t even pan-fried. It was a huge letdown, both in flavor and in the overall experience, and definitely a waste of space in our stomachs. To make up for that disaster, we headed straight to Golden Bao, which I’m convinced is the best dumpling place in Milan. The pan-fried soup dumplings there were incredible—definitely our favorite thing we ate all day. We topped them off with chili oil for some extra heat. By this point, we were stuffed, but we weren’t done yet. It was time for dessert. We tried mochi daifuku, mango bingsu, and chocolate soup dumplings. The walking between stops definitely helped, but our bellies were ready for a break. We took some time to relax at the Starbucks Reserve, which was honestly a whole experience on its own. It’s massive, with the unmistakable smell of fresh coffee beans in the air, and the menu is completely different from your regular Starbucks, with items from all around the world. We even saw a group of people getting a tour about how the coffee beans are produced, with huge machines on display in the middle of the store. It was unlike any Starbucks I’d ever visited, though we decided not to get anything since we still had one final stop to make. Our last destination was Spun, a famous spot known for its unique tiramisu to-go. We picked two flavors to try: Nutella and Caramello. Both were delicious, but the Caramello flavor was absolutely out of this world. It had this delicious Biscoff-like taste, and the crumble on top was just perfection. It was the perfect way to end our food tour in Milan. With our bellies full and hearts happy, we wrapped up our Milan adventure and headed to Ella’s house in Bergamo for the night.

I love Milan so much. I could totally see myself living there one day. There’s never a dull moment—it’s a city brimming with things to do and always buzzing with exciting events. Most concerts in Italy are held at the Unipol Stadium, so if you’re a music fan, Milan’s the place to be. The transportation system is top-notch too. The train station is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen, and there are hundreds of trains running to destinations all across the country each day. The airport is well-connected, with plenty of international flights. If you love to travel, Milan’s practically your gateway to the world. On top of that, the city itself is absolutely stunning. It’s a melting pot of cultures, with such a diverse mix of people. Milan is definitely one of the most culturally rich cities in Italy. And let’s not forget Fashion Week—hello, Milan is practically the fashion capital of the world. I can only imagine if I lived there, I’d probably bump into a celebrity or two. 

The next morning, we planned to leave the house at 5:30 for our train to Florence, so we set an alarm for 4:30. Of course, a nightmare unfolded when the alarm either didn’t go off or we just didn’t hear it. I woke up with that nagging feeling that something was wrong, and when I checked the time, it was already 5:45. I practically launched Ella out of bed in a full-on panic—Home Alone style. After running around like headless chickens, we realized there was no way we could make our original train. So, we booked the next available one, which wouldn’t get us to Florence until 10:04. The timing was a problem because we had a pasta-making class scheduled for 10:00, and the station was an 18-minute walk away. We texted the chef to let him know we’d be late. Then, to make matters even more chaotic, our train got delayed by 20 minutes, so by the time we arrived in Florence, we were running to the meeting spot. Despite the panic, everything worked out. We missed the market part of the class, but we arrived just in time for the cooking. As we walked to the top floor of the building, we were greeted with the most breathtaking view of Florence. The room was surrounded by windows with a 360-degree terrace view of the iconic cathedral and the red-roofed buildings that define the city.

There were only two other people in the class, a couple from Saudi Arabia, who were incredibly sweet. It felt so intimate, the small group was perfect. The tables were set with bottomless Prosecco, red and white wine, Aperol, limoncello, and delicious olives. Another table was laid out with all the ingredients and cutting boards, ready for us to dive in. It was like stepping into a Pinterest dream. We made bruschetta, two types of pasta, and tiramisu. Ella and I cut our pasta into fettuccine-style strips. The chef made two sauces: a classic tomato and a zucchini cheese sauce, which was our absolute favorite. Everything was amazing, and we were lucky enough to receive the recipes to recreate the dishes at home.

After the class technically ended and the couple left, Ella and I stayed behind with the chef’s wife, who had become our new friend. It was just the three of us in this stunning space, and we stayed for probably another hour, swapping the funniest stories. Her life was fascinating: born in New York, moved to LA, worked at Erewhon, met tons of celebrities, even went to Charli D’Amelio’s house, got fired for trying to stop people from selling babies in the parking lot, went backpacking solo, took the cooking class, asked out the chef, eloped a year later—and now she lives in Florence helping with the business. All at 26 years old. We even ended up doing limoncello shots together.

Eventually, we left when the chefs returned to finish cleaning. We wandered straight to a wine window she recommended and grabbed some sparkling red wine—it was the cheapest option on the menu. It wasn’t our favorite, but we still managed to finish it. We then stumbled upon the cutest souvenir shop with adorable journals and stationery. Next, we headed to Vivoli for affogato, which was just as delicious as we’d hoped. The weather was perfect- clear skies and warm temperatures. We continued exploring, stopping into stores, and ended up at Nomination to buy a bracelet for Ella’s sister. The worker who helped us was the same one who had sold us our bracelets during the WEP trip, which felt like a nice full-circle moment. Eventually, we had to drag ourselves back to the train station for our goodbyes. Ella’s back in Australia now, and the 10-hour time difference feels huge, but once I return this summer, we’ll have a 17-hour difference. It’s wild to think that two people from opposite sides of the world met in the first place. Those two days together were absolutely perfect before saying goodbye. The pasta class was one of the best experiences of my exchange year so far, and I wouldn’t have wanted to share it with anyone else.

After 126 days apart, my family came to visit me. As amazing as it was to see them again, I won’t lie—it felt a bit strange. I’ve built a life for myself here from scratch, starting at rock bottom. I didn’t know anyone, not even the family I’ve been staying with. I had never been to Italy before, and I had no sense of what was normal or what was weird. Still, I had to find a way to make friends despite the language barrier, unfamiliar customs, and complete uncertainty of where to begin. My new environment was like a loop, constantly spinning in ways I wasn’t used to. Now, when I think of “home,” this is where my mind goes. Texas feels like a different lifetime—a life that belonged to a different version of me. That version of me had a different family, different friends, a job, an “American” school to attend, and spoke a completely different language. The two lives feel entirely separate. I’m used to seeing my family through a screen, but seeing them in person was like watching my two worlds collide. My first glance at them felt surreal, like I was looking at a photo taken in Padova with their faces photoshopped in. I found myself slipping back into old habits, attitudes, and ways of thinking. It was like being reintroduced to people I’ve known my whole life. I noticed things I hadn’t before, and was reminded of qualities I forgot. I could see more clearly the traits in them that I’ve inherited and others that I got all on my own. The most striking difference, though, was the way I could feel how much I’d changed, while they still saw me as the same person. When I was with them, I felt like I reverted back to the person I used to be while still being able to tell the difference. It was a weird feeling to hold while not knowing how to change it.

Spending a few days with “full” Americans was also an adjustment. I didn’t realize how much of a giveaway my American-ness was until I was surrounded by them. It’s like their presence set off alarm bells that screamed “I’m American!”—in ways I can’t even fully explain, but it’s in the smallest details, the little traits that give it away. It was an experience in itself viewing my own “culture” from an outside view while still being embedded within it (if that makes sense). I could also speak so quickly, telling complex stories, and they’d immediately understand without needing any clarifications. I hadn’t spoken to a native English speaker in person for so long, so not having to repeat myself, simplify my words, or intentionally slow down felt almost jarring.

My family stayed at a hotel conveniently located between my house and school, so it was easy to visit them. They only spent two days in Padova before we headed off to Venice and Florence together. During those two days, they’d meet me each afternoon outside my school, and we’d head off for lunch. I’d walk them around the city, playing the tour guide as they followed me. On the first day, I took them to a local handmade pasta shop, and we had a picnic in Prato Delle Valle. Meanwhile, I indulged in some Indian takeout I’d been eyeing for weeks. Both nights, we had dinner with my host family. I think it was a cool experience for my “natural” family to meet the people I’ve been staying with and get a more authentic feel for Italy through a local lens. For me, though, it was a bit strange—being with both families when I knew each one in such different ways. I found myself acting as a mediator, explaining inside jokes, stories, and translating when one side didn’t understand something the other said. It was also eye-opening to see how many things I now consider normal were completely new to my family. For example, the walking. I walk the same route every day, and it’s just part of my routine now. But with them, I kept getting asked, “Are we almost there yet?” or “How much longer?”.

On Saturday, we headed to Venice for the night. We walked the strip and had dinner at a restaurant sitting aside a canal. This might have been my favorite part with them because it was such a vibe. The patio was beautifully set, with heaters warming us from above, a personal guitarist serenading us with banger after banger. We sipped on espresso martinis, indulged in delicious pesto ravioli, and enjoyed each others company—all while soaking in the magic of Venice. Later that night my sister, Brynn, and I set off in search of a bar. We stumbled upon a jazz spot where bras were strung across the ceiling, lively music filled the air from every direction, and it seemed like every study abroad student in town had gathered there that night. We discovered new shot combinations. My favorite being the White Russian and hers being the Lemon Drop. The next morning, we took a ferry to Bergamo. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t on our side, so most places were closed when we arrived. Still, the rainbow-colored buildings were super cute.

That evening, we headed to Florence for a two-night stay. We took a pasta-making class, got new piercings, tried the famous Florentine steak, dined on pasta served from a cheese wheel, and wandered through the leather school, markets, and local shops. The pasta class was a blast—everyone relaxed and had fun, shedding any stress. Our group was great, too. There was a couple from New York on their honeymoon, both Broadway stars, and a mom and daughter visiting from Brazil. We made spinach and ricotta ravioli, fettuccine, and tiramisu. It was fascinating to see the different techniques compared to the last class I’d taken. For our piercings, we went to a Claire’s right outside the Florence Cathedral. Alli and I both added second holes, while Brynn went for her third—just on our ears, of course. Eventually, it was time to say goodbye and return to our everyday lives. People often say that after seeing your family again, you’ll get homesick or want to go home early. For me, that wasn’t the case. I take comfort in knowing they’re just a phone call away, and my hometown isn’t going anywhere. No matter how much time passes, I know that when I return, the place will always feel the same.

”I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”- Jane Austen