Gas Leak, Italia

I have learned several things since arriving in Italy:

1. I love electric stoves/ovens: This gas stove nonsense is DANGEROUS. I am currently making a chocolate cake, and am wondering when the apartment will explode. I had to light a toothpick, open up this tiny trap door in the oven, stick my hand deep inside, and quickly withdraw it as the stove erupted into flames. Srsly. It is the same way with the stove, but I have gotten used to that. This oven experience is very new. It also sounds like it is leaking more gas than it is using to bake my cake. The oven door is also kept closed with a folded up piece of printer paper. Gianna on the Food Network makes Italian cooking seem soooo easy. LIAR.

2. Not many Italians speak English: making it hard for me to function in this city.

3. The grocery store is a very scary place... if you don't read Italian and have no idea how to cook without a recipe... which is me in a nutshell.

4. Milan, while not full of awesome monuments and tourist destinations, is a city of amazing people. Hardly anyone who lives here is from here originally. So, everyone has been in my place at point or another. Everyone is so diverse, and open minded, and welcoming. It is so wonderful to live in an Italian city that is very Italian, but at the same time supporting so many thriving cultures.

Everyone gave me such a hard time about it, but I am so glad I got involved with Couchsurfers. I have met so many wonderful people through it. Spanish people, Polish, Italian, German... all kinds. All ages, all professions, all amazingly kind and open minded people, who are sooo willing to welcome me into their group of friends. I have had some interesting experiences with them so far: last night I witnessed a guy accidently cut the tip of his finger off while preparing an Italian meal for us. But, thank goodness an EMT was also hanging out.
I will be honest and say I am kind of bored waiting for school to start, but am off to a good start here in Milano.

I do miss home. Well, more specifically, I miss Andy. But, I have this feeling that this semester will fly by; it will be here and then gone.

So... I am going to try to eat this burned cake, boo.

LOVE.
Ciao!