And so it begins again

With the change in season also come the start of a new academic year and a new apartment :D. I arrived back to Milan on September 18th. I ate some food and went to bed the next day was the day to go sign the official contract for my new apartment :D. So exciting. Along with my new apartment came two new great roommates and also new challenges. Anyone who ever said Ikea furniture was easy to assemble is lying. 38 minutes, 13 seconds and the brains of two medicals students later I had a desk... only a chair and dresser left to build :(. But we managed and a few weeks in everything was settled for the most part. The apartment is nice three bedrooms, living room, bathroom and kitchen. :D

After we signed for the new apartment and kinda half moved in I started my General Surgery Ward attendee where I shadow a resident in General Surgery at San Raffeal Hospital. This was great fun. I had one over night as well as the weekend shift. The surgeries were interesting but it was not my first time in the OR. To be honest the weekend shifts seeing patents was the most interesting to me. We had about 10-15 patients we saw that were staying on the ward. One I had seen a few nights before during my ER overnight shift. So that was really neat to follow some patients for a few days. It was also nice to see one of the patients a week later doing much better around the hospital grounds. I don't think he remembered me but it was nice to see him doing so much better.

Lessons began on October 1st. This semester I am taking Basic Pathology and Immunology, Microbiology and Mechanisms of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Laboratory Medicine. So far Micro is the most interesting to be but Pathology is a close second. My schedule this semester is good because expect for wednesday we rarely have more then 1 or 2 lectures in a day which leaves a lot more time to study this semester.
Another exciting thing this past month was having my parents and our family friends come visit me in Milan. They got to go see some great sites of Italy as well while I studied but it was great while they were here. We spent a few days touring Milan and showing them where I go to University as well as introducing them to my friends here. My mom was very excited to get her hair cut and styled here in Milan and it turned out so wonderful.

On the Saturday they were here we went to the city Bellagio on Lake Como for the day. OMG totally going back. Although the weather was only ok it was still a great place, just beautiful. This spring I think I will need to take a weekend trip back. Then we hurried back to Milan to go grocery shopping because the next day my parents cooked dinner for my friends at the new apartment. We had a great dinner with veal piacatta and polenta. There was enough food to last me for like a whole week :D An additional benefit to having them around.

They then went on the rest of their trip around Italy while I studied. The day after they left my university put on an exam that was a moke NBME (national board of medical examiner) they returned a week later for just one night. We had a calm evening with dinner at a pizzeria near my apartment. The next day they left to go back to Minnesota. I was sad to see them go but I knew there was no way I could focus on my studies enough if they had stayed.

Next up study study study until it is Thanksgiving time.

Till We Meet Again,

~M~

The inbetween time

Although most of the time I am studying (by most I mean all) We do fine time occasionally to let off steam and see the world. Last week I went to cheer on my friends who are on the women's soccer (football) team take on Politecnico University. Even tho they didn't win it was still great fun to get out of the apartment and see them play.

The week before the soccer match my friend Jen came over and made hot pot in our apartment. If you have ever had hot pot you are in for a treat. It is a type of asian soup. You basically make stock with different spices then once all hot and ready you start adding all types of good things like, tofu or meatballs or veg. Due to the fact that it is all hot and tasty it is ready in a few minutes. You eat it with rice noodles or white rice. I am not sure what is better the hot pot or the process of making it :D.

The other small bit of entertainment we have is at the supermarket. Yes that's right the supermarket.  There are always different programs at the market to win stuff depending on how much you spend. In these months it is pixar and disney themed. Basically this is how it works:

* You get 1 small sticker for every 10 euros you spend.
* For every 5 little stickers you get 1 big sticker of either Mike or Sullivan and a small plastic toy.
* Once you get 6 Mikes or 12 Sullivan you can trade them in for a plush version on Mike or Sullivan.
Now this may seem like a pretty easy system but the big sticker is either a Mike or Sullivan (from monsters University) and you don't know which one you will get.  You would be surprise how much fun these type of things can bring. We have so far have 1 mike and enough stickers for an other mike and a Sullivan :D




Ok now the fun is over and it back to the books... at least we have Mike to keep us company.

Till We Meet Again,
-M-

Where does the time go

Last time I check I swear it was still July, but somehow time came and went and it was late September again. So much has happened this summer it is hard to know where to start so I guess the best place is the beginning.

After a short 13 hour journey I was home. ahhh to breath again. I was home only a few days when my brother, Anthony, and his wife, Molly, arrived from New York. Everyone was in the same time zone for the first time in about a year. It felt so great and weird at the same time. We had a great week and a half with them ending with a family photo shoot and our annual family feast. The photo shoot would have normally would have been boring but the people we used were great and it was a lot of fun. As per normal the feast was a great success and a lot of the fun. The rain managed to hold of too which was perfect.


Within the first week of being back I was introduced to the newest member of our family.... Mr. Eugene. Vinnie and Julia's Giant Hungarian Rabbit.

I also was fortunate because Vinnie happen to have an open gallery show while I was home. So, I took a whole day to go down to Mankato, Minnesota to spend the day with just Vinnie and I looking at the work he was doing currently and get a private tour of his show. So amazing, the work turned out fantastic. If only I could bring it back with me... oh wait I did. Vinnie was nice enough to give me two new prints to put up in my new apartment. I now have three prints from Vinnie decorating my walls. One of which he actually let me help him pull. What an experience. I am so happy I was able to spend some quality time with my little bro:D


Next on the docket was starting work at Soverign Estate Winnery in Waconia Minnesota. And yes to all of my Italian friends they do make wine in Minnesota. It was a win all around as I had something to do so I didn't go crazy at home, The Savaryn's needed extra help and it was actually really fun. I basically bartended, but I also helped set up and tare down events. In the process I learned a lot about the ins and outs of the wine industry. My personal favorite was bartending the weddings. Most of the weddings had a rustic style but it was great to see how each couple made it their own. Just as I was getting ready to leave is when their season really is just getting started. So I just missed the grape harvest it was literally the weekend after I left, oh well there is always next year.

Somewhere in between I helped my parents cater a grooms dinner, got some quality nicole and pat time, made meatballs, check on the honey bees and taught four cooking classes with my mom. The first two were on my Milan favorites and the second two a few weeks later were different pizzas from around Italy. What a blast these classes were to teach. We had a good amount of returning students and also some new ones. I shared with them my personal all time favorite pizza the Diavolo. Yummy spicy salami and onions ohhhh so tasty.

I was also able to fit some time in for the OR at Ridgeview Medical Center. Words do not describe how cool a robotic surgery is. I was literally speechless, which if you know me you would know that is hard to do.

Oh I almost forgot one of the best things to happen. My good friends Lena and Robb had their perfect little Liam just about a week before I had to leave. Allowing me to meet and hold the perfect little guy. Don't get me wrong the boy is just perfect but oh he going to cause his parents problems in a few years, which is why just had to buy him this outfit.

Well with a few months of rest and recuperation it was time for as per normal all good things must come to an end eventually but lucky for me with the summer ending a new adventure was about to begin. Look out 3rd year here I come.


Till We Meet Again,
-M-