Toto, we're not in Montepulciano anymore

My last couple days in Italy were spent with a few friends up in Milano. I was flying out of the airport there, so they told me to come up a couple days early and see the city! It was a whole new Italy I had never experienced. We passed so many things that I didn't know existed in Italy, like Blockbuster. "I didn't know there was Blockbuster in Italy!" "Dat's because you live in Montepulciano" "I didn't know there were parks with grass in Italy" "Dats because you live in Montepulciano" "Your car is automatic!" "Cameeelle, you really need to live in Milano."

The sunsets in Milano were GORGEOUS. The air is so bad, it makes the sun blood red. Pretty neato, I'm thinkin.

They made me take a picture of the gas prices sign because a light was out and it looked like it said "Ciao"


I was supposed to fly out the next morning, but my flight got canceled! So Marco called up his buddy Mauro, and we went to see downtown Milano. These are just a few pictures I got of the Duomo. It was insane. Pictures could never do it justice!















This is me saying "mah please" to Mauro who didn't get off his phone the whole time. If you ever want to get to know a true Italian man, meet Mauro.

Crazy huge buildings everywhere!

They had to show me "Their Stadium" where "Their team" plays. It was pretty incredible. I think I would have had to stand about a mile away to get one whole side of the building in a picture

When you're sightseeing with two Italian men, these are the kinds of things they want you to take pictures of

I have never hung out with two funnier people. Marco and his friend Pietro withstand all stereotypical fantasies of Italian men. We ate pizza, milkshakes, and gelato in Lake Como and it was a glorious evening to say the least. I wish I had more pictures, but we only had about an hour to spend there and it was so dark :( Mauro and their other friend Fillipo came as well, and we all squished into Pietro's tiny car. That was an adventure I shan't soon forget :)
The next morning I got on the plane, and spent the next 26 hours in the air and sitting on hard seats in airports. It was fantastic. I even had Taco Bell in Dallas, which did a fine job of filling that empty mexican food space. (Not exactly real Mexican food, I know, but... it wasn't pasta!) My awesome parents hung out at the Salt Lake airport till about 1am waiting for my delayed flight, then we drove home! To EDEN UTAH. People in Italy always make fun of me when I tell them I live in a place called Eden. One of them asked me if people walk around with fig leaves for clothes. I laugh, then remember the odd people that really do live here, and I don't think it would turn too many heads.
So... I'm home! Everything is exactly the same! (Except my LITTLE sister is towering above me even more, and my Lime tree has died). I think I have transitioned ok, except I do miss a few things. Like walking through town, eating gelato like no one's business, and only having 5 ingredients to make every meal with. But this is home. I'm comfortable here. And I have my family back :)