Breathtaking: Milan

Take the risk – the best opportunities lie just outside our comfort zone!

I was fortunate enough to discover this upon completion of my global short program at Cattolica University in Milan. Before I left, I felt a mixture of emotions; having never travelled internationally I felt anxious as this would be my first foreign experience entirely. At the same time, I was also seriously questioning my choice of degree and career aspirations. However, despite all concerns, there was one thing I was truly certain of and that was partaking in this exchange.

Arriving in Milan (during Men’s fashion week!) all my expectations were immediately confirmed. Fashion and business are innately embedded in Milanese culture. The way in which the locals dressed and carried themselves was remarkable; everything is done with such class and elegance. The culture shock was almost immediate.

Waking up each morning in complete darkness and heading to University in near negative temperatures was definitely no Australian winter morning. Undoubtedly, the hardest part of the experience was our inability to speak the language. This made entering cafes/businesses, ordering food and asking for help daunting and led to some seriously humbling moments. However, a little goes a very long way! Learning basic phrases like hello/goodbye/thankyou and do you speak English? Was greatly appreciated by those with whom we interacted with and enabled us to get by almost perfectly.

The trip as a whole was like a series of postcards. Milan is truly breathtaking. From climbing the Duomo, to dinner in Navigli and of course my personal favourite – a day in Lake Como. There is so much to do either in or within a short distance from Milan. Once you have organised a pass / acquired tickets, the public transport system within the city is inexpensive and super-efficient.

Within a matter of minutes, you can move across the city-centre and the high-speed bullet trains make visiting other Italian cities too simple to skip. It’s also extremely hard to come across a bad meal in Milan. Once you’ve eaten your body weight in pasta and Luini panzerotti, be sure to check out the other cuisines on offer and visit up-scale European McDonalds (it’s no Maccas).

I could not recommend completing some form of exchange, short or long, enough to everyone. It’s the perfect opportunity to see the world whilst you’re still young and experience a different culture and lifestyle. You’ll make memories that last a lifetime and grow as an individual in various ways, returning home with a greater zest for life.

Daniele, Liana

Global Short Program Student