These first couple weeks in Milan have been nothing short of incredible. Leaving home for a completely different country and knowing no one in my program is exactly the adventure I was looking for.

My first impression of Milan is that it is a beautiful city. The more I have been able to explore, the more I am realizing there is so much more behind the beauty of the architecture and people than meets the eye. The Italian way of life, the language, the fashion, the food; everything about this city truly captivates me. Milan has the perfect balance of history and tradition with what is progressive and modern.

Although being here still feels surreal in a sense, exploring has not gotten old. Between the beautiful courtyards, little art galleries, local cafes, and amazing vintage stores I am realizing already that Milan is full of hidden treasures. As I continue to settle into my new home I am so excited to continue exploring and finding new places to see and things to do.

The first week here before classes started was a mix of planned activities and free time to help us get to know our new home. We had walking tours of campus and Milan, a day trip to the province of Pavia where we toured the Certosa di Pavia, a breathtaking cathedral and monastery, and experienced our first Italian Apertivo together. We also climbed to the rooftop of the famous Duomo where we overlooked the city and have had plenty of free time to shop and explore.

Now that classes have started I am excited to get further in the semester and to dig deeper into learning about the fashion industry. Our professors are all active industry professionals who are so passionate about this field, which is extremely inspiring to me.  The curriculum is hands on and puts a lot of emphasis on learning by doing which is so different than the lecture style learning I am used to at home. I know I will continue to be pushed creatively this semester in my design classes and I am already learning so much!

– Claire, University of South Carolina