Autumn in Milan

It's autumn in Milan, and I can officially ride my bike with no hands.

The light is so perfect in the afternoon that today my professor for Italian literature stopped his lesson so that we could admire the leaves spiraling in the wind outside the window.

As of this Wednesday, I've been living in Italy (what?) for a month. It's strange to think about it like that, and while brushing my teeth one morning I began to worry that I'm letting my time slip away from me, but then I realized that I am exactly where I need to be, doing exactly what I need to be doing.

There are still a few things that don't feel natural -- the word buio in my mouth and the habit of wearing socks around the house, but for the most part this daily routine suits me, fits me. More so, though, I think I've fit myself into this routine. I've learned to drink my Earl Grey at the table and to allow myself at least forty minutes to get to school. I'm on my fourth Moleskin notebook as I explore the Italian language, and they are filled with verbs and vocab, obviously weighted in the areas of food and art.

I'm officially sixteen years old, by the way, and we celebrated my birthday in the mountains. The morning of the ninth I found this waiting for me:

But back to the top. This is about what my exchange has looked like, starting from the Chicago airport.

4 hour layover and the plane that carried me across the ocean

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Il Duomo quando faceva troppo caldo

Attempting to capture the Duomo in the intense afternoon light in the first week.

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Una Torre del Castello

Cairoli

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Hanging with the fam -- Benny and my host cousin, Alessandra.

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Vicino al Monte Bianco

Maria Grazia e Atillio

Gregorio and I after our two hour hike.

Courmayeur, right along the French border

Courmayeur at dusk with imposing chill

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I made hamburgers for the family. Ironically, this has been the only meal (quasi...read on) thus far that has left me feeling sick. 

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Bicicletta (3 min contour)

Waiting for Maria Grazia outside Cadorna

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Outside la Scala

My class, out of all the classes of all the schools in all of Milan, arbitrarily won the opportunity to put on a play this year at a famous downtown theatre called La Scala. We'll preform this spring to the public!

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Stools

Amusing myself in the first week of school when I understood little.

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Sera in campagna

Le pere!

Formaggio di capra (best goat cheese I've ever tasted)

About five different families came and spent the afternoon with us that Sunday, and I hung out with the kids with whom I could speak more easily. And were also adorable, not that that needs to be said.

It was time for the grape harvest when we were in the country, so the roads were all clogged with trucks carrying tons of grapes for wine. I ate so many of these I made myself sick. (The drive home was not pleasant.)

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Last weekend D2040 took a trip to Cinque Terre, a beautiful stretch of mountainous seaside to the southwest of Milan. 

Monterosso

The monastery where we stayed.

Hiking with friends

From the tower by the sea

Cleaning the equipment after making grapa.

Newlyweds throwing candy in the streets (to crowds of camera enthusiastic tourists, like me).

Waiting the for the train 1

Waiting for the train 2

Hangin' with friends from around the world -- British Columbia, Australia, South Africa, and Sweden. <3

Stay tuned.

Departure

Today is September third. Tomorrow afternoon I will be embarking to Milan for a year long journey. In some ways, it hasn't hit me yet.

 I would tell you all the fact-y things that everyone's been asking me about for months, but I'm worn out with pretending to answer a question for the first time. I feel bad, because I know that these people love me and care about me and that is why they're asking. But all these identical questions and conversations are beginning to make once dynamic and unique relationships all feel identical, too.

 At the market today, I saw a couple of friends that I hadn't seen since the beginning of summer. I love these people, and our relationships were so authentic and genuine and still are in memory. But today I found myself feeling distant, hesitant to fall back into a relationship. I feel very much like I'm turning inward, feeling uncomfortable in social situations in which I used to thrive. I'm wanting time alone, to myself, to reflect.

 Time for reflection has been lacking this summer, as evidenced by this blog. My journal, too, lay stagnant this summer (I wrote in it for the first time in months a couple of days ago.). With working about 40 hours per week with Summer of Solutions and spending an additional 12+ per week interning at Brick House Kitchen, my summer is a blur. I think I've blocked some of it out -- the stress that comes along with maintaining a productive team and a very dry garden was overwhelming. I'm lucky that I have pictures to remind me of my successes:

Combining my love for activism, art, and bike-riding in this snazzy poster for our Day of Action! Seventeen summer programs nationwide (including the other 14 Summer of Solutions programs around the country) gathered on July 23rd in their local cities to celebrate and highlight the work they've been doing.

One of our main partners this summer was Bike City Recyclery, and awesome bike co-op located just off Center St. on the trail. Here, we partnered with them to give a workshop on bike maintenance in Walker Park to nearby residents.

I interned this summer under David Lewis in Brick House Kitchen. Incredible. My most frequent task -- washing produce from the market that morning. What a treat!

Making the delicious custards on my last day. You can feast on these at BHK Kafe on Dickson St. (inside Nightbird Books).

It happened rarely this summer, sadly, but I also experimented with food at home, too! This was a delicious meal shared with good friends, concluded with the most delicious banana cake and lemon buttercream icing. Mmmm.

Andrea and I. Together, we spent over 1,000 hours planning and executing this year's Summer of Solutions program in Fayetteville. What a treat it was to work with you.

At the end of the summer, forty representatives from thirteen Summer of Solutions programs nationwide gathered in Raleigh, NC for August Gathering. We celebrated our successes and our friendships and worked through challenges that we'd faced in our local programs. What a week it was and what friendships blossomed. Love you all!

For myself, I'll be documenting this year through sketching. For folks back home, this blog will probably be the venue for some semi-regular updates. Stay tuned!

I'm beginning to like autumn...

Good morning.

It's Saturday, which is my favorite day.
I'm about to head off to the Farmer's Market on my bike.
This evening I'll be hosting a Food Appreciation potluck with fellow high school students.

Tomorrow night, I'm going with some friends to see Sufjan Stevens in concert. It's in Kansas City, and the drive will be glorious.

The leaves are starting to change here, but it's still warm.
I'm beginning to like autumn.

Hope you're doing well.

Best,
Serena

The Paper Year

While summer’s heat and haze remain apparent, all other aspects of life one comes to associate with the blistering season are braced for sudden expulsion. The season will end, just as all things do, with school and shoes and a slight crispness to the air. We will barrel into a soaking autumn that rolls undefined into the infinite grayness of southern winters. Weeks with biting winds and colorless sleet, for what? Two snow days. This season will be a long one. Burt’s Bees and Earl Gray and the color red comfort lonesomeness, but all bring back ex-lovers. The winter will linger long past February, March, and – could it be? – even April. The months will feel like years, color will be forgotten, and the swift flurry of Christmas cheer evaporated. Finally the slightest green glow will paint itself into the underbrush. The rigid air will drop its formality. Daphodills give the romantics hope, and later on the tulips will slough the last winter frost. The long awaited spring will rush by – dripping, luscious – masked by finals and break ups and taxes. Then summer will blossom, turn the rain into steam, and hang over the city. The children grow restless, teenagers horny. Everywhere there’s the impatient frenzy of anticipation. The last bell rings, and youth crowd the streets. Goodbyes, hellos, another year’s adventure.