Excitement was my first emotion of the day as I woke up. After finally getting some rest, today was full of activity from the moment I woke up. I experienced my first continental Italian breakfast which was very different compared to American hotel breakfasts. Multiple types of bread and traditional Italian cold cuts were also available to us, unlike classic American eggs and waffles.

After getting ready for the day, we all were given a 2-hour Italian crash course to help us learn a few useful Italian words and pronunciations. Since I already speak Spanish, learning the Italian language was much easier for me because it was so similar to Spanish. Italian language is much simpler than the English language as there are fewer grammatical “exceptions” to the language rules. Shortly after, we went on a tour of Milan where we were taught about the new unique architecture being built in Milan. Our tour guide told us that one of the modern glass skyscrapers being built in this developing area were constructed like how they would be in the United States, with the metal base built first. Besides this building, all the others were very modern with a lot of greenery or very traditional Italian style with cement and colorful paint.

One location from the tour that really stood out to me was “EATALY”. It was a very different experience seeing the Gelato shop, a restaurant and an escalator leading to wine tastings all in an open market grocery store, that was STILL not half as crowded as an American grocery store. Ending our tour, we went to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and the Duomo Cathedral. This was the highlight of my trip so far as I had dreamed of being at the Galleria since I was a little girl. It was an amazing feeling buying a Gucci belt and Tiffany & Co ring in Milan. Also, the Duomo was one of the most magnificent buildings I have ever seen, the white-ness glowing on the street almost looked fake. The construction at the top was unlike any American architecture, but still a similar tourist attraction to most infamous landmarks in other countries as well. Although today was full of walking from the moment we left the hotel, it was truly an unforgettable day and I cannot wait to see what tomorrow holds…