It's official! I have been living in Milan, Italy for 2 months now as a U.S. Student Ambassador at Expo Milano 2015. I still remember researching the opportunity with the University of Southern California and the Friends of the USA Pavilion to ensure that it was legit; and now I am 1 of the 60 faces representing the United States abroad.
I travelled to Poggio, Italy once before, but I never had the opportunity to visit Milan. The U.S. Student Ambassador program provided me with the platform to work, learn and engulf myself into my first international work experience that would last 3 months.
I always thought of Milan as a fashionable city full of shoes, gowns, models on every corner and the background of nature's beauty everywhere. In reality, Milan is a bustling city full of Italians from all over the country that are seeking to find gainful employment to provide for their families. There are a few parks and landmarks, but for the most part it's a concrete jungle. Due to the city's industrial features and the fact that I interact with people from all over the world at the World Expo, I can honestly say culture shock is not something that I have really experienced.
Racism and discrimination exists everywhere, and this opportunity has opened my eyes to the ignorance of it all. I have been called "colored girl", accused of not being American because I am black, and so much more in the course of 2 months. However, I have learned that it is important to recognize that I may be the first encounter that someone may have had with a Black American woman and in knowing this I aim to educate others. The greatest thing you can do to escape the woes of work, insults and feelings of homesickness is to hop onto a train and travel somewhere new.
My favorite memories so far have come from the trips that I have taken outside of Milan. Lake Como, Lugano, Switzerland, Venice and Florence, have all served as a secondary home during my time here. I am also blessed to work at Expo Milano which in short is a world fair that is trying to find a solution to feeding the estimated world population of 9 billion people by 2050. It is so very interesting to see and learn about the many different solutions that all of the participating countries have proposed. However, there is one common theme that goes beyond simply providing access to food, and that is the importance of working together. Each pavilion in some way, shape or form encourages guests to work together to seek a viable solution.
The coolest thing that I have learned while living here in Milan is that meat and pasta is not a delicatessen in Italy; in fact some Italians jokingly mock us for wanting it, Appertivo which is a happy hour that usually includes a drink and an unlimited buffet for 6 -10€ is one of the greatest ideas on planet Earth and finally "gratis" is pronounced "gra-cee-ay".
I have 6 weeks and 5 days left of work and travel in Europe and I cannot wait to see what the future holds. I have so many more pavilions to visit and I am researching trips to Morocco and Paris as I write this post! The world is so much bigger than the United States and simply watching the news is a way to learn about what is going on outside of our privileged and often times underprivileged walls that we know as the land of opportunity. I take each day as a thankful reminder of all of the blessings that I have received in my life and recognize what work still needs to be done. I am on a journey of self discovery and I love the woman that I am becoming. My next adventure awaits in Amsterdam at the end of September!
I also learned that hip hop artists do not get enough credit for their international influence on young adults. I have seen Italians driving their car early in the morning bumping everything from Fetty Wap to Rich Homie Quan. You can even see the influence of hip hop in some Italians mannerisms and style.
Ciao Bella!