First Days

This blog is inspired by a special person who is blogging from Honduras (go Amy!) and also undertaking a completely new adventure (even though she is not planning to stay and live in Honduras and change her life like me; at least not for now). The idea comes from the fact that, as most of you know, I decided to leave my comfortable life in the US (nine years!) and jump into the unknown in the EU. Even though I am a EU citizen I feel so out of place here that it makes me want to get on the next plane to known DC....

Anyway, I will be spending some time in Spain and hopefully get a job as an English teacher. As of right now I am in Milan, Italy visiting a very dear friend and enjoying the city. My adventure started from the moment I got to Sofia airport. Luggage and weight restrictions are pretty bad but after being stressed for a few hours and wondering what I can throw away (paying the extra pounds/kilos is out of the question), it all turned out great. Our flight was an hour late thus everything from there on became an adventure which I didn't expect.

I arrived at the airport in Milan and after a few moments of confusion asked for "the metro." It is of course on the other terminal and it is not a metro but a plain train. I missed it by 1 min so now I'm 1.5 hrs late for my meeting with Tania in the centre of Milan. My phone does not work so I'm hoping she is there waiting patiently for me (I do not even the address). The train takes almost an hour. From there I have to take the metro (green line :). Buying a ticket is easy -- the machine has English! From there though I need help. People are very helpful and speak English. There is usually only 1 escalator going up so I have to go down a flight of stairs -- you might not realize this but I have a big suitcase which weighs 23 kilos, a carry-on which is at least 15 kilos and a big laptop bag (at least 10 kilos). So the girl who took me to my train was very very helpful and took the carry-on while I started working on my upper body muscles (I have no idea what is coming later).

I finally get to the station where Tania is supposed to be waiting for me but she is nowhere to be found. The roads here are just like in BG even worse -- pavements, big stones, no consideration for handicapped. I only say this because trying to wheel a huge suitcase and a carry on is close to impossible.... I try very unsuccessfully some payphones -- it is all in Italian and when I finally get to English, the phone says something in Italian and I start from the beginning. After 20 mins I ask a guy for help who also tries very unsuccessfully and in the end gives me his phone to send her a text. Not sure if it will work.....After 5 mins I see a familiar face and Tania is here!!!!! I'm saved and will not sleep at the station! :)

From there we go for nice wine then off to leave the baggage and a quick change. The flat is on the 4th floor and there is no elevator in the old building -- more muscles for me! And then it's dinner time! Of course the first course I try is....pizza!!!!!!!!! Was goood! The night was over around 1am. The window in the bedroom (the flat is actually 1 dining room and kitchen together plus something like a loft but smaller) stay open the whole night and overlooks a very busy street. In the early hours there is a deafening noise from broken glass which turns out to be the trash truck for recycled glass.....No further comment here.

This is where I stop and I take your comments -- like the idea, blog, no?! Stay tuned for more! Plus pics too.