Today, we woke up quite early in Pittsburgh with a strong sense of excitement and anticipation. It was finally time to fly to Milan. Although we all have been looking forward to this trip for many weeks, we still had to overcome a grueling day of travel that included approximately 10 hours of plane travel and 6 hours of layover in total.

We were served food on the airplane and this helped to make time pass much faster as it is easier to take a nap on a full stomach instead of while hungry. A neck pillow also makes the flight much more comfortable!

Once we finally arrived in Milan a great sense of relief and a new wave of excitement swept over the group. We took an hour bus ride from the airport to our hotel and on the way we saw the snow covered Alps in the distance. Then, we dropped off our luggage and traveled as a group for an Italian lunch. Lunch was delicious and included an assorted meat plate, lasagna, and a lemon sorbet with mixed berries. Rainy weather interfered with our planned walking tour so instead we went back to the hotel and took a much needed nap. After my nap I attended a catholic mass which was entirely in Italian. Despite my lack of understanding, the songs were beautiful and the stained glass was gorgeous.

Dinner was casual and I was able to practice my Italian. However, based on the confused looks the waiter gave me, I definitely still need much more practice. After dinner, I went to bed early to rest up for the busy day tomorrow. I’m excited to get even more family with the Italian culture and language!