Opportunity.

This week is a little bit unreal.

It was my friend Amanda's birthday the other night, so we all went out for an aperitivo to celebrate at the same place we went to with Global Experiences, The Jazz Cafe. It was a lot of fun, and it was nice for us all to have a night out together. We all made a toast to Amanda, and as any group of four girls does we determined who our Sex and the City characters would be (I'm Carrie, Amanda is Charlotte, Alana is Miranda, and Carly is Samantha). While we were there, this guy and girl a table away began talking to us because they were excited to meet English speakers (a common trend when your language is the minority somewhere). The guy, Steven, is from Orlando like Carly, and Fleur is from Holland. It turns out that he happens to be an Armani model, and invited us all to come out tonight for an event (well, party, but "event" sounds classier) with all of the male Armani models. Um, yes please. So what if they're all going to be homosexual? And who cares if I'm absolutely exhausted and would probably rather stay in and spend the night with John Steinback or Vladimir Nabokov? When else am I going to get to say I partied with Armani models in Milan? Let's be real. I am going to seize every opportunity I get out here.

Also, our Global Experiences representative here in Milan totally came through. Well, for some of us at least. She was able to score three tickets to Fashion Week shows on Saturday, and gave them out on a first come, first serve basis. So, I am officially going to Fashion Week in Milan with Amanda and Luiza! I feel bad that the others couldn't get tickets, but who knows? Invitations happen so last minute in the fashion world, there's still honestly a good chance for everyone. Lilianna may be getting tickets where she works too, and if they're for a different night then that would be so phenomenal. I ordered business cards, and I am praying they get here on time. Well, I'm not actually praying. Don't be silly. But, I really hope they do.

So, with the Armani party tonight, Fashion Week on Saturday, and the Dolce and Gabbana party on Sunday, all I can think is... why isn't there something fabulous lined up for tomorrow? That just doesn't seem right. 

Of course, it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. Or, rather, until someone starts work. Yes, while fabulous opportunities are presenting themselves all at once, apparently (I'm told) the fabulous-ness won't last forever (we'll see about that). Yes, Monday is my first day of work at my internship, and I am both incredibly excited and incredibly nervous. What if I get lost on my way there? What if I'm dressed inappropriately? What if they don't have anything for me to do, or too much for me to do? What if I have too much trouble with the language barrier? What if there's a huge fire and it's up to me to choose which collection to save, and I save the Dolce and Gabbana section and I get fired (ha, fired, because of a fire... get it?) because they wanted me to save the Armani garments? What if a model breaks her hip last minute saving the Armani collection from the fire because I failed to save the right one, and they need me to step in as a model, and I trip and fall on the runway and ruin the garment and everyone loses their jobs and vows to not stop until they can find me to burn me at the stake? Okay, maybe that's a little far (but probably not). I just want to do really well at this internship. I'm going to just play the "I'm adorable, please love me" card I typically pull out for these occasions and hope it works.

It's interesting to be at such a different personal state than the rest of the interns here. I see everyone going through the struggles with homesickness, the feelings of wanting to throw in the towel and just go home because it would be easier... essentially everything I felt in the beginning of my trip in London. I'm not incredibly homesick. I miss my family more than I could ever say, but I've come to terms with it all. I know I'll be home really soon. These two months don't feel like a long time to me because I've already done over 5 months. To them, it's a big deal, because they aren't even a third of the way there. I'm more than two-thirds of the way done. I just want to tell them, "Stop getting yourself down about it. You're just complaining about it because it makes it easier on the homesickness if you can point out everything you hate about the place. It's not a bad place at all, you're just seeing it that way because you're getting hit with culture shock hard right now, but it will go away," but I know they won't really believe me... I didn't believe it when people told me that. We have such a fabulous opportunity out here though, and I don't want to see them waste any of their time like I did. I look back and hate myself for how much of my time in London I spent moping about it.

I do really miss my family the past few days though. I think it's mainly just because it's even harder to keep in touch now, because at least in London I had consistent internet access (although terribly slow) and I was able to stay up later to talk to them. I have school and work early every morning now, and can't stay up until 3 A.M. like I was. I know I'm in the last leg of the race now though, and the light at the end of the long European tunnel is starting to become visible, so I really am doing fine. It took me far too long to get to this point, but I'm here and I'm feeling good about my place out here. I'm dreading the reverse cultural shock when I get home, though.