Survey the state of your soul

Just came back from the Abercrombie opening in Milan. I went with Sumi, a friend from university, and it was a packed house. I mean lines, crowds, roped off entrance, models, models, models. It’s funny/ironic how much Europeans love A&F. If I remember correctly, in the States, Abercrombie is popular with high school students but that all goes away once you hit college. Fyi, someone somewhere thinks Italy is suffering from serious inflation because the prices at A&F Milano are ridiculous.

It’s a tough call but this may just be my favorite JMraz song:

Cause you make me feel…

midterm + postal errands+ napping for an insane amount of hours + shopping (Via Torino style) + running+ groceries + wine hunt + dinner at my dig + trip planning + movie watching = Tuesday.

Airplanes and a little dancing

I want a beach house oh so badly. I was telling my roomie my San Diego dreams over dinner last night. He wants to go on exchange in California but might have to go to Canada if his test scores aren’t high enough. I’m thinking about booking a flight to Boston to visit a friend who studied with me in Madrid last summer. Flights through Southwestern are only $200 right now! Yummy East coast February weather. I really need to make it to Burbank—I used to go every summer to visit family and haven’t been in gosh 4+ years. Can’t even imagine how much everyone has changed. Maybe spring break? Christmas break will definitely be India or China. Always thinking of the next place; my brain needs to stop with the steroids.

Just made my course plan for spring semester…taking 16 hours ugh. But, perhaps ballroom dancing with Paankhuri! Registration opens up on Friday so we shall see. Off to study more le finance —midterm tomorrow then I’m freeee.

Extra hours are delicious

I just found my friend, Martin’s blog! So exciting-it’s in Swedish soo I can’t really read much but he posted this video which I wanted to share:

Sorry if the obsessive spaces taken up by video gets annoying, but I love to share music. Especially piano covers. And who doesn’t love the Fray? I’ve made a new resolution to start updating more often even if they’re small seemingly meaningless posts like these…I was going through my Spain blog and getting nostalgic so I ‘m going to be good about keeping up with this. Plus, it’s kind of relieving to have your thoughts on paper/cyberspace, you get the point.

I woke up at 10 am today thinking it was well, 10 am, and lo and behold daylight savings is upon us! Sweet, I get an extra hour! I think I’ll wander over to the Esse Lunga (huge grocery store in Italy–all the large supermarkets are outside the city and only accessible by tram) and stock up on groceries. After going to Arcobaleno (Bocconi student dorm) for dinner with Elena, I’ve decided I need to cook more. I mean, I’m in Italy, if not here then where?

I’d pull a sunshine story in the pouring rain

Sorry, sorry, sorry it’s been forever! I’m pretty bad in updating this blog. It is FREEZING in Milan. Like December weather in Texas. The above picture helps me think warm thoughts. I’ve been trying to stay warm by using my computer charger (which heats up like an oven) as a radiator. Remember how I was supposed to have that suitcase shipped with all of my jeans, coats, boots, life essentials? It’s lost, MIA, gone for good and I have officially given up hope. I should go warm weather shopping (socks and gloves please!) Monday. I guess if you have to replace your wardrobe, Milan isn’t a bad place to do it. I also did not register for the permit of stay session. I don’t understand why we need these documents since I already have a student visa but apparently if you want to reside in Italy for more than 3 months, you need a permit of stay. It requires a crapload of unnecessary bureaucratic work as well as talking to the Italian police/waiting in line for 5+ hours so I decided to not do it. Which means I can’t really leave the country after December because there’s a small chance I won’t be allowed back in. Still going to risk a trip to Switzerland-if it’s by train it doesn’t count right?!

I was made a returning offer for an internship with Shell next summer. It took me forever to get back to them and I even asked for a 3 day extension so I could call them to decline instead of doing it by email. My internet was being really sketchy and kept dropping my call so I ended up emailing my HR rep anyways. I guess my reply wasn’t definite enough because she told me to get back to her with my final decision. That was a week ago and I haven’t responded-it’s such a tough call to make! I really cannot settle down in Houston (I need to get out of Texas) and the position I’m offered is not in Marketing (where my heart ultimately lies). I loved my internship and the people I met but I know if I take this and am made a full-time offer the following year, it’s going to be even harder to decline. You know, I always used to dream of these big, foreign cities and settling down there. Starting new. However, this past summer, I realized that it’s not so much the location that’s important as the people you surround yourself with. I was stuck in Houston, one of the last places I wanted to spend 3 months (especially when I had plans to go back to Spain with a friend for a summer gig on one of the islands, Majorca), but ended up having an incredible time. So incredible that by the end of the summer, I actually didn’t want to leave for Europe (blasphemy, right?!) However, there are other factors that I’d rather not bore you with that ultimately swayed me away from another summer in Houston. My Shell buddy emailed me a few days back to see if I had talked to HR/changed my mind so I need to get back to him too. I also should call my INROADS rep asap who has been trying to get in touch with me after I told her about Shell. On top of all of that, UT spring registration starts soon and I need to call my advisor to see what honors classes I have to take.

I keep neglecting all contact with the States and it’s getting ridiculous. I’m in fairytale land right now and don’t want to face reality. Just want to escape all responsibilities until I absolutely have to go back to Texas.

Oh boy, I think Italy just won a soccer game. I hear sirens, car horns, and people cheering in the streets. I was showing my friend around my apartment earlier today and when I looked out over my balcony I just noticed a huge Forza Italia flag hanging off the window next to ours.

I’ve been pretending to study like crazy for my Corporate Finance midterm Tuesday. Key word is pretend as I am easily side-tracked. My professor is incredibly talented (and a looker haha)-he’s from Germany, got his Postdoctoral Fellow at London Business School, and now teaches in Milan. I went to the Bocconi library today to really focus and get in 8 solid hours of practice problems and ended up going out for gelato, running into a friend and catching up on the street, sitting on a park bench reading…having a park right in front of the university probably seemed like a great idea at first but in reality is pretty distracting. After coming home with some lofty intentions on studying a bit more, I ended up baking brownies with one of my neighbors and watching movies all night.

The regular students here have midterms for about 2 weeks. However, I only have 1 midterm during the 1st week so after finance, I’m finito! I have a few friends visiting from Sweden for a couple of days (so pumped!) and then come next Tuesday, I’m jumping on a flight to Egypt! So rad, I still can’t believe I’m going.

It’s crazy how much things have changed back home. I guess I took it for granted that when I got back everything would be exactly how I left it. That was naive.

I will have to include a post about my trip to Greece soon.

Currently listening to:

xox