*Sigh* Today was a whirlwind of a day.

I told you all yesterday that today was going to be a super busy day and that is exactly how I would describe it now having actually lived it as well. We all started our day at 8:45am, packed our bags, and got on the bus. We had three different site visits today, and then headed back to Milan for the final leg of our fashion adventure.

The first company we visited today was Group Sinergia, a logistics center that gave us a presentation on Italian ecommerce. Compared to America, in Italy consumers see shopping as more of a treat/experience and therefore have not fully incorporated logistics and online retail into their business plans as much. After getting a presentation about the company themselves we also were given the chance to walk around the facility were they create, scan, and ship boxes. It was overwhelming to think they genuinely know where everything is in there, but the company representative said they do.

Then, the second company we visited was just a short walk away actually – because a lot of companies that do business together like to have work spaces fairly close to one another so they can make sure to preserve the quality in the clothing they are producing. Our second stop was a tailoring business  named Sartoria Cavour – where we got to view their sewing machine workplace as well as a show room which housed some of their most famous/nicest blazers and jackets. We even had the honor for one of the company’s tailors to begin to sketch out the panels for a brand new suit right in front of our very eyes which was my favorite part about that particular site. I don’t think that the fact we are getting the chance to meet all of these incredible business people and artisans has truly hit me yet while on the trip, but maybe one day I’ll see an article about them in the newspaper or magazine and finally get the picture of how big of a deal meeting them truly is.

The most awe struck I was today though was during our third and final visit to MF1 – an Italian company that does all of the knit wear for a few measly brands you may or may not have heard of like Gucci, Chanel, Yeezy, etc. There we got to walk through their production facilities and also got to look through their entire clothing archive – of clothing they have created throughout the past 40 years. Soon they will also be opening up a school to teach students about the craft from the ground up in order to freed future employees of the company. Just being in the presence of such luxury was a surreal experience and one I will definitely not forget.

The rest of our day was spent on a bus once again, returning to Milan, and after all that we have learned and explored of other cities it feels kind of weird to be back. I almost feel as if I’m a local now, which is clearly far from the truth, but what I mean is that I feel pretty familiar with the area, know how to get around, and am even starting to recognize local restaurants/shops/etc. Soon I’ll be speaking fluent Italian and sitting on my own marble balcony overlooking the city… a bit of a stretch for our last two days here, but a girl can dream big right?

I am absolutely exhausted from all of the walking, thinking, and talking and think it’d be best for me not to stay up till the wee hours of the morning like I do every other night. I typically use the motto, “I can sleep when I’m dead,” but I think tonight I’m gonna have to sleep to just stay alive. Shoutout to my cat Maddie who is at home right now and whom I miss very much, I think my friends are getting sick of me talking about you. Goodnight!