My "21 Things" List

In 2009 I was lucky enough to enroll on the Erasmus Programme and I got to live in Milan for 5 months. I didn't realize it at the time (and I guess some people never do) but 5 months is enough to change your life. I left Milan on the 6th of August at 6 a.m. Just after I finished packing I had some hours to kill before the flight. So I took out my laptop and started writing stuff I thought, at the time, that I would miss. I called it "21 Things I'll miss from Milan". It was the last meaningful thing I did in Milan, and this is how it looked:

1 - Being part of a group of people - that later became a group of friends, that later became a family - that lived their lives knowing that time is always short, but in Erasmus its a blink. Everyday was to be lived, enjoyed, to call your friends, to do stuff. I've never lived life with such intensity.

2 - De-briefings at Reginna Giovanna. Nothing beats getting together and talking about the previous night: who was where, who drank too much, who drank too little, who was with who, and how ugly was she.

3 - Living alone - or at least without my parents. Having do to my own shopping, my own laundry, my own dishes, my own food...I liked all of it.

4 - The idea that at any time I could say "hey, there are 12 people coming over for dinner, okay"? And the answer was always "cool!".

5 - Living in the center of a flat city. At any time I could get to the other end of the city in 20 minutes by bike. I could go out dancing and return by bike! It was a great feeling of freedom and I will miss it in Lisbon.

6 - Red Beer. I've developed a taste for double malt red beers.

7 - Pesto rosso. Delicious red pesto, probably won't find it in Portugal

8 - Speaking everyday at least 3 languages.

9 - Speaking Italian, I will miss specifically.

10 - Insanely strong coffee from Politecnico Bovisa. I don't know what they put in those coffee machines, but you take more than two of those and you can't draw a straight line.

11 - Aladino's pizza. Pizza from "aladino pizza palace" was, surprisingly, quite good. And he delivered on a flying carpet to your house.

12 - Aperitivo. Who doesn't like free food?

13 - Aperitivo in spritz. So good.

14 - The Duomo and the Galeria by night. Empty and beautiful. Even better by bike.

15 - Construzione di Veicoli, a course I had. Mech Eng. in Milan is really focused on cars, unlike in Lisbon. I learned more about suspensions and tires and gearboxes this semester than in my entire time in Lisbon.

16 - Old Fashion. I really liked that place

17 - Piazza delle colonne.

18 - Birrificio. What a good bar, what good beer.

19 - Walking down Via Dante on the weekends.

20 - Saying "I'm Erasmus" and getting instant privileges. Sometimes more attention, sometimes an easier time in school, sometimes cheaper entrances, everywhere from discos to museums.

21 - Milan, in general. Milan is a very alive city, everyday something surprised me, a concert here, some clowns there, free art exhibition over there...always a different day.

As I look back on this list, I realize that I didn't actually miss all of the things on this list. Some things I brought with me, others I had to leave behind.. But the first point on the list - the most important point on the list - never left me.

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