Two years ago i made one of the biggest decision in my life, to pursue master degree in milan. Well, for someone who never liked being abroad and being in school, i am still not sure if i was being adventurous or plain dumb. Anyhow, at least i think, i made a pretty good decision.
You know how people always say that you have to go out of your comfort zone every once in a while? Well, my first few weeks in milan didn’t only feel like i was out of my comfort zone, in fact i felt as if i was thrown into an unknown zone where uncomfortable would be an understatement to what i was feeling that time. I pretty much hated everything, the city, the weather, the people, even the food (sorry, but the excessive use of tomato in italian cuisines just made me go blargh). Everything was run differently be it how every movie was dubbed into italian or how carbs and proteins are not supposed to be eaten together in one meal. And of course, it pissed me off and i thought every body was stupid to practice those customs.
As time pass by, i started to realize that people are not stupid for doing things differently, it’s just simply different. We are raised with different customs where it’s normal for me to have a bowl of porridge for breakfast while italians use to having brioche and cappuccino. It doesn’t mean that i’m better than them or vice versa. And yes, i started to enjoy my life in milan and so long that silly desire to sneak into the airport and get into the baggage of one of those flights that headed home.
Yeah, there were times when i regretted my decision or thought that i could do better. But then again, there’s no point in doing so. It’s not like i was wasting my time anyway. I learnt many things that i wouldn’t have learnt should i decide to stay in indonesia that time, be it the fact that i shouldn’t wash my jeans with my light-colored clothes unless i want them to have that greyish shade that makes everything looks dull (oh well, i consider this as a blessing in disguise though since i got to buy new clothes) or how to enjoy simple things in life from the sunshine on a cold winter day to the smell of wet soil when it rains on summer. What i’m most grateful for from this experience is the fact that i could learn to enjoy being in the company of my own self. Well, i never enjoyed being alone, i always thought that people were staring at me everytime i was eating alone. But living in milan taught me that spending time alone is indeed very fulfilling and let me know myself more.
Anyway, the time has come for me to move out of the city and come to back to my country. Although, i’m pretty much incapable of establishing emotional bond with things and i don’t feel that sad to leave milan, there will always be a part of me that misses milan, luini, an afternoon stroll in parco sempione, and even the crappy weather. Arrivederci Milano, you’ll forever be missed!
PS: Since i’m back to indonesia for good, i can be reached at my old indonesian number (the one ending with 6669). Anyhow, you can always reach me through my e-mail, dwintawidyastuti@yahoo.com.
Silly Bits of Thought 