Travels – Page 3 – ⋆ Second Gen Desi ⋆

Pree June 9, 2022 Houston, Texas

Things I Miss as an American Expat in Italy

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Every trip I’ve made back to the US from Italy, since August 2021, has been surprisingly enlightening, and one thing is absolutely clear.

Italy will never be home. America is the parent I long had the “rebellious, teen phase” with, who I now realize has been there for me all along, waiting for me to come to my senses 😂.

I semi-kid, but in reality, I have had yet another epiphany.

Life has an interesting way of working. I look back on all the steps I’ve taken so far and do not regret a single event, although if I had the chance to go back in time with the knowledge I’ve gained, boy, I’d use it to my advantage.

I am grateful that my current job is a stepping stone for something greater in my career. True, the pay is less than what I’d like (I’m not exactly eager to transition to an Italian contract for that reason…), but my current role offers a lot of flexibility. There are still opportunities for me to stay connected stateside and I can only hope what I do now will build up to that future I envision.

I must admit that every time I am in the US though, it feels like a HUGE sigh of relief. It’s like I can finally remove a mask that was suctioned to my face for the longest time and I can breathe once again!

And I will also admit that, I probably wouldn’t feel so grateful for “America the beautiful” if it hadn’t been for my experience living abroad!

When I make my trips back to the US, I am so much more appreciative of…

Working in a coffee shop & Starbucks coffee

The idea of parking yourself in a coffee shop and working for hours is purely American. It’s rare to get away with that in Italy, except for maybe one or two shops that cater to the working tourist/digital nomad.

Even then, they play the game real well—pricey entry fees and still expensive coffee.

Starbucks ain’t cheap, but a $5 signature drink for unlimited hours of workspace and wifi? How can anyone complain.

I spent a recent Saturday morning parked at a Starbucks in North Houston to work on an important project for my job. It was the perfect occasion to try the new Chocolate Cold Brew (thanks to Allie for bringing it to my attention on her blog!).

I wasn’t a super fan of the drink, but the fact that I could order something “crazy” like that off a menu with 20+ other off-the-wall concoctions? That is American freedom at its finest.

Also, I now crave American Starbucks whenever I am back on US soil. Who even am I? 😅

Stores like Sprouts and Whole Foods

This goes along with the above—innovation when it comes to food products is pleasantly insane in the US. I have always loved Sprouts and Whole Foods because of the plethora of items they have in the vegetarian and vegan space. Sure, the price tag can be on the hefty side for WF especially, but food has always been my treat.

If I had to pick between access to all the “authentic” Italian gelati, pizza, and pasta or Sprouts/WF visits, I’d be crazy to give up the latter!

Anything but the metric system

Yes, I am a scientist, but Imperial is my comfort zone. In the lab, I can use metric all day long and not be bothered, but when I run, my distances are in miles. When I’m figuring out what to wear for the day, I can’t be bothered with Celcius. Give me Fahrenheit, baby 🔥 😂

I’ve been teased for my penchant of anything but metric, but how can you blame any American for that when it’s literally what we’ve grown up with? Changes don’t happen overnight. Jimmy Carter tried to “right our wrongs”, but the history books can tell you about that backlash. Now, I simply shrug my shoulders and say, “I’m not Google, can’t convert that for ya.” 😅

Love for running (and runners!)

When I met with a potential running coach based in Houston a few months back, I was telling him about how finding a group of runners in Milan has been unsuccessful for me, and how the “running culture” most of us are familiar with in the US just hasn’t seemed to permeate in Italy, to which he replied,

“So, they’re like how the US was 20 years ago?”

I couldn’t help but nod in agreement because it was (unfortunately) so true! Exercise and fitness in general seem to be more “trendy” in the US compared to Italy.

I love my solo runs, but I pine for the days I used to train with other passionate runners for the LA Marathon. It can be difficult to replicate that type of camaraderie elsewhere if there are barely any participants in the activity you love…

All the races I’ve run so far in 2022 have been in Texas. It honestly is a chore to navigate running culture and racing in Italy in comparison…

The art of negotiation

I’ve come to the realization that Italians really have a passion for the word “no” 😂. The firmness, the “no-I-can’t-do-anything-go-away” type attitude is infuriating, but also something I now chuckle to myself over. I’ve gotten into my share of arguments with US post office and DMV workers and the like, but at least these occasions had some level of reasoning and back-and-forth. In Italy, the language barrier doesn’t help, but even when I’ve had assistance from Italian speakers, I never got anywhere productive.

Either my “helpers” were too timid for the job, or the concept of negotiation simply does not exist…

A trip to a DMV in Texas a couple of months ago made me realize how good I’ve got it. Americans are always complaining about government offices, but compared to my experiences in Italy? It’s like night and day! Even if a headache is still part of the price to pay, there is always room for negotiation stateside.

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I will never shy away from being honest, especially on my own blog. When I was on IG, I kept this same sentiment, but did hold back at times in order not to “completely offend” expats/”lovers of Italy” I mutually followed. I wrote a post about opinions and how it’s healthy to listen and understand why one has a particular opinion. I normally recommend people to that link if they get a little upset about what I have to say 😏.

Being an expat is not always a fairy-tale adventure, but it can often help a lost soul find her purpose, even if it means looking back and being grateful for her roots. And I think this is what my current expat experience is doing for me…

Pree May 16, 2022 Geneva, Switzerland

Expat Adventures: An American’s Italian Work Trip to Geneva

Reading Time: 8 minutes

So, this is my first blog post after deleting @secondgendesi from Instagram a little over a week ago, and the timing couldn’t have been better. I will admit that I experienced a huge amount of FOMO in the days after deleting. Feeling weird about not “posting to stories”. Experiencing sadness and crazy mood swings…it really is scary how social media can play with our mental health so intensely…

These feelings wore off about 4 days after I quit, in the middle of my work trip. Perhaps it was the packed schedule of my first industry conference, but it became easier and easier to not give a thought to the “world” I left behind. There’s no pressure to keep up with other peoples’ stories, or watch who likes my posts or views my story and get mad at those who don’t…

At the moment, my only connection to IG is through a science education account. I use it to share information about clinical trials in an easy-to-follow way, and it is meant to provide *some* useful content on a space so many spend time on.

This blog however, is the still the perfect place to elaborate on life things, and share it with people who actually care. Including things like life abroad experiences and global business trips.

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While I won’t explicitly say the name of the conference I went to, you can probably put two and two together after a little internet search, if you are that curious 😅. It was my first time in Switzerland in the French side (as an adult, not a five-year-old), and taking the train from Milan on an early Tuesday morning for a 4-hour ride was a very “European” experience.

I was traveling alone, since some of my colleagues drove on their own (dang!), took a plane, or took earlier trains. I was supposed to travel with my boss boss, but plans are always changing for directors so I had a feeling I’d be traveling on my own (which I was fine with).

The train was headed in the direction of Domodossola, a border city in Italy near the mountains. Once we passed the border, I had to rely on my company phone for data and a mobile hotspot, since my personal phone plan is a cheap Italian one that only offers good data service within the EU 🙄.

Regardless, once in Swiss territory, the views only got more beautiful with the distance. Once we approached Montreux, then Laussanne, we were encircling Lake Geneva which brought with it some gorgeous views. I of course had a headache, and couldn’t appreciate these gorgeous views to the extent I wished I could.

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Once I arrived in Geneva at noon, I had to find the bus that would take me to PalExpo, where my conference was taking place. Years of navigating public transit in foreign cities has helped me to figure out new cities with ease, but even then I face hiccups. I spent about 20 minutes waiting on the opposite side of the station for the bus, and only after a kind woman helped a French-speaking bus driver translate did I realize I had to walk back to the right side of the station.

My patience was wearing a bit thin, since Tuesday wasn’t a “good mood” day due to my social media “withdrawl”, my heavy bags, and accumulating sweat on my work clothes 😅.

Things were fine once I checked in at the expo, dropped off my bags at our company’s booth, and joined my colleagues for a talk being given by one of our scientific collaborators. Besides the collaborator just staring at me upon a colleague introducing us, not offering a handshake, and asking “do you speak Italian?” in the most judgy way, the talk went fine 🙃.

I went to some more talks in the afternoon, met with some companies we might be interested in collaborating with, and also snapped up some freebies wherever possible. I came away with ALL the vitamins, gummies, rice snack bars, and reusable bags…my countless experience with race expos came in handy here.

My half-day at the expo was tiring, yet I managed to have enough energy to chat with one of our sales guys on the shuttle back to the hotel. My colleague helped check me in, and once I got up to my room, I could not help but crash on the bed and lay motionless for a full hour—but not without taking some pics first.

A luxurious bed with some expo freebies on top

Concierge reminded me I could “order” a complimentary pillow before 10pm. I didn’t take advantage of it because I was too tired to make the choice, but some of these options sounded intriguing:

I had to get ready for a dinner out with some colleagues, which also felt exhausting because it was an added “Italian immersion” session for my brain. When I have the energy, it makes tackling language learning a *bit* easier, but after a long, busy work day that was already full of interactions? My brain was dead, and the bland excuse of a pasta dish (the only vegetarian option, of course) I had at the overpriced restaurant we visited did not help…

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The next morning, I surprisingly had enough energy to squeeze in a 3 mile run before the day’s events. Geneva is a beautiful city to run around in:

I got up at 6, and after the run, shower, and getting ready, I was waiting for everyone in the lobby at 8:00 sharp.

Too bad the shuttle was scheduled to arrive at 8:30.

My colleague spotted me and urged me to get some breakfast, since the day’s events were set, but could turn unpredictable. I couldn’t say no, since it was a business trip meal expense, after all.

I was obviously tired of bread and pasta, so I took a stab at the cold bar. Got some interesting picks for “breakfast”, including pickled onions, jam, cream cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and goji berries. I even asked for a cappuccino, but it never came. Sadly, I couldn’t be patient. I had to dart back to the lobby so I wouldn’t miss the shuttle at the actual time!

Wednesday was packed with more talks, booth visits, and two presentations particularly important for my company. One of the presentations was right before “lunchtime”, and I knew I had to eat something or I’d collapse.

Too bad the organization of the expo regarding food options was abyssmal. Swiss prices are crazy to begin with—at least have plenty of food hot ‘n’ ready for hungry industry professionals!

I had to choose between a 20CHF salad (that I wasn’t sure would fill me up) or 20CHF crepes made with egg, cheese, and spinach…the crepes won over.

Egg, spinach and cheese crepe — the food truck ladies packed the spinach on THICK. Which was appreciated, but I had to make sure none of this spilled on my dress!!

Was it worth waiting 40 minutes in line, plus another 20 for the crepes to be made? Not really, but my ravenous stomach begged to differ.

Anyone else hate eating hot/oily food when you’re dressed up? I’m so paranoid about sweating from the effort of eating—it’s a never-ending struggle!

I managed to make it to the end of the day, but not without feeling like a truck had run me over. On the shuttle back to the hotel (after waiting under the heat of the uncharacteristically hot May sun…), I found myself falling asleep, and once I got back to my room, I crashed.

Still, I had to make it out for yet another “team dinner”. Actually, we started off with aperitivo, or whatever it’s called in French Switzerland. I didn’t complain too much because 1) there was a fantastic cool breeze that made me feel cold for once and 2) the view was breath-taking:

After my colleagues downed their Aperol spritzes and I my orange juice, we went downstairs to the hotel restaurant. The lighting was dim and I was around people, so I wasn’t going to be that girl and take obnoxious photos.

I did partake in obnoxiously-priced Swiss food and a custom-made pea risotto, because yes, only ONE item was vegetarian on the entire menu…

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The next morning was one that I did not spring out of bed for—I sacrificed what could have been the perfect opportunity for another run around Geneva, for an extra hour in bed. I also had hotel breakfast again, and this time, I got my cappuccino in time.

It looks adorable, but tasted *oh so* bland.

Thursday was the last day of the expo, and also the slowest. I was able to fit in some last minute booth meetings, after getting a shot of espresso from our booth closet (lol) and resting at one of our tables for an hour.

I left with my colleague around lunch to catch the train back to Milan. We got some lunch and snacks to-go from Migros, a local Swiss store chain, and shockingly, our combined total for lunch, snacks, and chocolates to bring back to share with colleagues that stayed behind ended up being 90 CHF….how?

At least one of the items of that purchase was a good one: vegan chewing gum that had a fantastic flavor:

It was a slow four hours back, but at least I slept well that night. The next day was still a working day, but at least my inbox was pretty quiet 😅.

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For my first ever industry-related event-focused business trip, Geneva was not a bad destination at all. This was also the first time post-COVID I experienced long-term interaction with thousands of people (I didn’t talk to all of these people, but just navigating a large crowd again…man, it was exhausting!).

This trip was also a reminder of the language barrier I still face. I had my share of “how’s your Italian going?”/”do you speak Italian?”/”why don’t you speak Italian?” questions thrown at me on this trip, and of course it’s an annoyance I know will pop up as these events continue. I said in a recent post that while picking up Italian would be nice, it really isn’t my ultimate goal. I have so many other dreams that I hope I can make true, and speaking fluent Italian isn’t necessarily one of them…especially if it means I’d have to sacrifice time spent to make the other dreams possible.

But of course, is that politically correct to say as an expat? Am I just being a stubborn American?

Maybe, but maybe I’ve also struggled and failed way too many times in the past to feel motivated enough to try again.

Some thoughts to pick up on in a future post…I’m sure I’ll experience more situations that will elaborate on this issue further, and perhaps better explain why language learning has been one of the greatest banes of my existence…

Pree October 23, 2021 Torino, Italy

Torino Personified

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Dear Torino,

It’s 8am on an unusually chilly, mid-summer morning, but I suspect you’ve already been awake since dawn. You’ve put a moka on the stove, and gave Cappuccino her kibble.

What’s next for the day?

Porta Nuova, one of the major train stations in the city

A brisk walk around the city’s famous piazzas? It’s familiar, it’s routine, but doing that today feels unsettling.

On the way to Piazza San Carlo & Piazza Castello

81 years have been spent in this city, and you realize that’s been a lot of time. Wasn’t it just yesterday that you were walking hand-in-hand around the fountains of Piazza Castello with a handsome, young diplomat?

No, it was a dream that may or may not have happened 60 years ago…

And before diabetes, there was always Café Al Bicerin to look forward to.

Most kids remember the first sip of wine their parents allowed them to take. But you know that doesn’t compare to the experience of one’s first Il Bicerin.

The iconic cafe’s signature drink – Il Bicerin

A warm, rich glass layered with coffee, hot chocolate, and cream, only made more heavenly with a side of biscotti. Such a treat now would have to be timed well to avoid a sugar-induced coma!

You see Cappuccino is starting to get antsy. A walk outside is now mandatory, but if not at one of the piazzas, then where? Deciding where to go ends up becoming a walk in itself, but then you realize you are in the vicinity of the Palatine Towers, a strapping Roman age relic that has stood well against the test of time.

You were never one for history, always daydreaming about the future and escaping to a modern Italy. But after years of chasing that illusion, it’s felt less exhausting to retreat back to what is familiar and appreciate la dolce vita whenever possible.

And of course that means food and drinks and amici, but it’s been years since you’ve attended weeks upon weeks of gatherings.

In fact, wasn’t it just last week that another dear friend was put to rest? Time seems to have let you be, winning the title among your group of childhood friends for longest-living ragazza was never the plan.

Despite the looming, bleak outcome life seems to have in store, redirecting oneself back to daily distractions seems to help. Especially if Mole Antonelliana is that distraction.

Mole, a building of monumental proportions…Alessandro Antonelli got that right.

When it comes to distractions, crossing the Po River to see Torino from the top used to be a magnificent escape.

Crossing the Po River, amongst the backdrop of Torino pride 🚩

Leg pain and fatigue get in the way from making the steep climb nowadays, but it’s something you would have urged your kids and grandkids to do if they had ever graced this planet.

A feisty, furball like Cappuccino on the other hand? Good luck chasing her stubby legs up a vertiginous incline!

Borgo Medievale seems more approachable right now, although another long walk through the park doesn’t sound appetizing to a grumbling stomach.

It’s nothing like Disneyland—a teenage dream that even your world-faring parents couldn’t help you fulfill—but at least you take pride in its authenticity.

Fontana di Nettuno is nearby and always stirs a chuckle…as a fiery Leo, you find Agosto to be a tad timid, while Settembre and her Virgo charm seem to be asking for a friendly competition…

Alright, it’s been an incredibly long walk, but before collapsing onto the bed at home for a lusciously, long afternoon nap, una coppeta of gelato seems much deserved! Diabetes should let a few spoonfuls pass on through without a fuss😉

Sweet caramel and pistacchio—flavors that always wrap you with comfort. Gelato—Italy’s gift to the world that despite the unknowns and uncontrollable outcomes of life, life is still a sweet adventure.

An adventure that Torino genuinely fulfills in a quiet, reflective manner.

Pree September 4, 2021 Houston, Texas

Home IS Where the Heart Is

Reading Time: 8 minutes

Even though I have lived in Italy for a little over a year, I do not regret spending my “precious summer vacation time off” back in the US.

I could have flocked to the south like 99.9% of the vacationing population (don’t cite me on the statistics 😂), but my heart wanted nothing more than to be with my family, even if they live in a negatively-stereotyped state.

I’m here to show you that Texas is just as “hot” of a vacation spot as Puglia or Sardenga or Sicilia…

…and sure, I’m biased because this is now where my family is, but the happiness I felt in the two weeks I spent here and with them—it was nothing short of incredible.

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Compared to most families, my family was quite nomadic when I was young. My parents immigrated to the US and settled in Oklahoma where my dad’s job was located for many years. He was given an offer to relocate to the UK for two years in the mid-to-late 90s, and so my sister and I were British tots for a short-while 😅.

Since we had to move back to Oklahoma in the late 90s, my sis and I lost our British coalminer accents (how on Earth we got them, don’t ask 🤣), but our move was short anyways. Within a year, we set off to grand California, and settled in a cozy town right in the middle of the capital (Sacramento) and the infamous San Francisco.

And we were rooted there for 15 years. I went to a UC not too far, and for grad school, I stayed within the state with my choice to attend a school in LA. My parents ended up moving back to Oklahoma in 2015, and ended up moving to Texas in late 2020. My sis and I were able to stay in California for as long as we could, until she ended up moving to Texas as well in late 2019, and I for Italy in 2020.

Needless to say, we all were certainly nomadic, given that I know a number of people who have never left their hometown in their entire life.

The strange thing is, I don’t really miss California. And as much as I’ve expressed my love for Oklahoma here and on social media, my recent two weeks in Texas hit me differently. It just automatically felt like home, even though it never had been in the past.

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My parents’ new home is in a northern suburb of Houston, not too far from the George Bush International airport. I spent my first week of vacation waking up close to sunrise, heading out for a sluggish, humid run, and then returning home to Dad’s freshly-prepared coffee still swimming in my own sweat 😂.

Shortly after, we’d head over to the community tennis courts (as far as I know, I have not come across “free” tennis courts in Italy, so this is an American freedom I now whole-heartedly appreciate 😅), whack a few balls, and fall over in laughter when we saw the neighboring Muscovy duck flock get up to some insane antics!

Most of the time, we ran errands and visited my favorite stores. I was actually excited—for the first time in my life—to make a trip to Target 😂! I got my fill of kombucha, tonic water, BBQ veggie burgers, cupcakes, and froyo—indulgences hard to come by in the land of la dolce vita 😉.

Even though I would have been happy being a couch potato for two weeks, my Dad suggested we should do a day trip. I already had plans to go to Austin to see my sister for a few days, and we even spent an evening in College Station having dinner with my cousin’s son.

But a day trip to Galveston sounded like a great dad-and-daughter adventure ☺️.

From Houston proper, it took a good hour to get to Galveston by car. Galveston is technically Galvestion Island, and is located on the Texas Gulf Coast. Like every day of my visit, it was humid and warm, but the views were charming.

Sure, the water was “darker” than the what you’d expect from the Mediterranean (or even the Pacific, the further you go down along the California coast past LA), but it was a busy body of water, as one could see by the industrial oil rig set-up.

Dad thought a “fun thing to do” would be to book seats on a tour boat and try to spot dolphins. I normally have motion-sickness, but I did alright on this 1 hour tour of the gulf 😂. We spotted some, but it was mostly just something to do to pass the time.

After the tour, we drove down a nearby street all the way to Galveston Beach, and I was shocked by how empty it was! I’m used to seeing beach crowds based on my years in SoCal (Santa Monica and Huntington Beaches were always bustling), so to see nothing but terns along the shore was absolutely refreshing.

The best part of the day was finally getting my hands on a Blaze Pizza, with toppings just the way I like it. Pineapple on pizza is a sin in Italy, and even though I’ve had my share of Italian pizzas, I still honestly believe Blaze makes the best kind of pie there is.

The ‘Art Lover’, packed with mozzarella, ricotta dobs, garlic, red sauce dollops, and artichokes (with my addition of pineapple and BBQ sauce) is literally my dream pizza. I find it hilarious that I, living in Italy, have to go back to America to get the best pizza there is 🤣.

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Then there was Austin, and I think that’s what made me think, man, I really like Texas 😂.

But to be fair, a lot of my feelings had to do with the people I was with. My sister and our bestie—my girls for life.

I drove from Houston to Austin alone on a Saturday morning, while my bestie flew in from Vegas to Austin’s airport, where my sister picked her up.

Once we were reunited, we made a stop at Juiceland for thick smoothies and acai bowls (the things I miss while living abroad… 😂) before heading to my sis’ air-conditioned apartment to unload our luggage and hug her adorable Tortie Autumn:

And the rest of the time we spent together was blissful. To be able to belly-laugh again and really be my “crazy” self with people who have known me for years…it was something special.

In the mornings before going out, I’d go out for a run (of course) and take in the gorgeous scenery Austin has to offer. The grand Texas sunrise. Beautiful murals. Long roads.

Most of our time was spent at coffee shops, eating out (or getting food from outside to eat in), and running in-and-out of Target or a local grocery store for snacks, just like old times 😂.

I made sure to get iced coffees at every chance I got, since Italy is not a huge fan of ice in drinks. We also splurged on other fun, “only-in-America” type meals like breakfast tacos from Taco Joint near UT Austin, and carrot cake at a cafe near Lake Austin.

Citrus Americano from Square Peg Coffee – Sis’ order of breakfast tacos from Taco Joint – A mouth-watering profile of decadent carrot cake from a cafe near Lake Austin

We did make sure to go by some “attractions”, but in all honesty the weather made it impossible to do anything (and enjoy it) for the majority of daylight hours.

Still, we managed to walk around UT for a bit and pass by the Capitol Building.

Views by the UT Austin campus bookstore, and passing by the Capitol Building

We also managed to brace ourselves for a very short hike at Bull Creek Preserve. We were trying to figure out what we could do to kill time before hitting up a coffee shop again 😅. I think we would have found the park even more enjoyable in the fall, or at least whenever temps were to cool down again.

There were a lot of dry areas, but there was still water flowing through the creek—and amphibians holding on for dear life!

As the weekend with my girls came to a close, my mood went from an ultra-high to a super-low when I got back to my parents’ house in Houston. That Tuesday night I couldn’t help but cry, thinking that after so many months of challenges and unsettling circumstances, a three-day weekend with my girls restored the vibrant personality they know me for…the one that has been dampened by the burdens of life.

I remember looking out to Lake Austin thinking, wow, today has really been a lovely day.

It was strange that, from the point I returned from Austin back to my parents’ house, my vacation quickly concluded. I barely remember what happened in the days between Wednesday of that week and Friday prior to my departure, but at least it was time spent with my Dad, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

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Obviously I was sad about leaving my family, and the new-found love I have for Houston and Austin especially, but the time had come to return to Italy.

As I finish writing up this recap, it would have been a week since I left home to come “home?”. In Amsterdam, the immigration officer left me temporarily stumped with a question when I handed him my US passport and Italian permesso:

“Are you returning home?”

I found myself frozen, and he sort of chuckled when he replied, “Well, you live in Italy so you’re going home”. And with a loud stamp, he allowed me to proceed to my terminal.

It’s only been one year for me in Italy, but it’s also been one incredibly long year for me away from my family. My culture. My country. Still, I’m doing my best to keep my shoulders back and head held high as I go into my second year. I’m still holding out for exciting opportunities that have the potential to advance my career, but it’s also scary not knowing what lies ahead.

I suppose that’s why most people in this world never dare to venture out, because their hearts are so full, comfortable, and safe being nursed by their loved ones at home.

Pree July 24, 2021 Monza, Italy and Lugano, Switzerland

Two Hour Trips

Reading Time: 7 minutes

It’s late June as I start writing this post, and I have now been to more places in Italy (and even Switzerland!) since I last complained about lockdowns 😅

After Bellagio, I took a little break from day trips to reconvene and figure out what to do next. I knew June 2nd was coming up and since it was a holiday in Italy, I would have the day off and definitely wanted to dedicate it to a day trip.

The day ended up being dedicated to Bologna, a story for another day, but before and after Bologna, I was able to still venture out and feed my exploratory cravings.

The convenient thing about having your “home base” be north central Italy is that travel by car or by train to nearby locales isn’t too arduous (as long as we clarify the definition of nearby). Day trips could even just be afternoon trips, depending on what you want to see and how much energy you have 😅.

I took two such “afternoon” trips from Como with my boyfriend, and thanks to his car, we were able to start our “trips” as late as 3pm and get back around 6 or 7pm! It is completely doable to see the best of Monza, Italy and Lugano, Switzerland within a few hours.

💛 Monza, Italy 💛

Technically, if I had left for Monza from North Milan, it would have only taken a handful of minutes by public transit versus an almost hour drive from Como. But I thought spending a sunny Sunday afternoon outside with my boyfriend scootering around a new city sounded a whole lot better than walking around alone.

Como to Monza – a little under an hour by car

Trying to find a parking spot near Parco di Monza brought on a minor headache, but we found a spot in a residential area that was actually alongside a walking path. Once we got the scooters out, we blasted onto the path and made our way toward the prime destination of the “city”.

It didn’t take us long to run into a swarm of locals and tourists in front of Villa Reale di Monza. We eventually had to get off our scooters and walk amongst the crowds, so we decided to go inside the courtyard to get a closer look.

I think under normal circumstances, you can go inside the palace for exhibitions and shows, but it seemed as though plenty of people were happy enough with just strolling outside and soaking in post-lockdown sunshine.

After I got my share of pics, we proceeded to the park, where it turned immensely cool temperature-wise thanks to the towering trees and their overgrown leaves—it was literally a forest.

And while it was lovely to see (and feel) such cool, green scenery, it made for awfully bumpy paths that were not friendly to the scooters 😅. Still, it wasn’t too long before we reached friendlier roads.

Even though I was scootering with the BF, I imagined that this park would be the perfect place for mid-distance or even long runs. I think from top-to-bottom it is about 3 miles, so loops would definitely need to be considered!

But is that such a mundane thing if said loops included loops around Azienda Agricola Mulino San Giorgio ?

Basically, animal heaven??

I basically came to a screeching halt when I saw the donkeys.

Being the huge animal lover that I am, I immediately parked my scooter and ran over to where every munchkin under ten years old was lined up petting the donkeys. I wanted to join in on the fun too 😂!

I picked the least-friendly donkey to (try to) pet. Still, my heart was full 🧡.

And it overflowed once I realize we were at the border of what looked to be a petting zoo! We took a detour, and I got my fill of cows, pigs, goats, baby horses, chickens, ducks, rabbits…

It was difficult to pull myself away from these beautiful creatures, but the boy and I headed onwards to the furthest we could go on the path. A couple years ago, I remember watching the documentary Breaking2, which documented the journey of marathon’s running elite to break two hours in the marathon. The special race was apparently held at the Monza racetrack, which is at the north end of the park!

I thought we would be able to come across it (and perhaps enter to take a look on the inside…stepping on the same path that Kipchoge, Tadese and Desisa raced on), but unfortunately it was fenced off. And by the time we reached it, we realized the park was going to close soon—at a relatively early time for Italians, 7pm!

Getting back to the car was an easy endeavor. Once we were out of the park, we were able to directly get back on the path we took at the start. We could have taken a detour into the city center, but I was close to empty energy-wise, and I figured the city center wasn’t exactly as much of a “must-see” as Parco di Monza was.

Villa Reale di Monza is very gorgeous though!

💛 Lugano, Switzerland 💛

Driving up to Switzerland from Como is actually shorter in comparison to driving to Monza. It seems counter-intuitive…driving to another country takes less time? 😂. Technically, I suppose it takes around the same time, but driving up on the weekends eliminates the traffic brought on by Italians driving across the border to get to work!

Once you get past border control (which isn’t a big deal, they normally stop cars at random), the drive becomes more beautiful. At one point, you have to take a bridge over Lake Lugano which offers some gorgeous views. Don’t have any here for ya, but once parked and in the city center, the view is just as good, if not better.

Right next to this view is the entrance to Parco Ciani, a beautifully groomed park with a winding path and sights all-around.

This statue is an entire MOOD, and often mine 😂:

Quick search on Google indicates its Socrates…

Further along the path, there was a wooden deck area where, apparently, swans like to take rest or swim near. I was looking forward to the sight, but only saw too many half-naked humans…pity.

Away from the water, the temperature started to feel a lot warmer and unbearable. It was, the middle of June after all. After a certain point, the streets begin to look monotonous and empty, and that’s probably because Lugano is more active during the work week.

Some buildings still kept their charm though.

Tesla even managed to squeeeeeze into the aesthetic, and not the other way around.

I learned that they had to knock down the wall on the side of the building just to put a Tesla inside, and then rebuild it back up again! For test drives, they have a single red car parked in the back 😂.

Closer to the city center, there were more buildings to marvel at and photograph:

A bar for dogs! Wasn’t as popular as one would think!

All of this was seen and covered by foot within two hours! Of course if you want to make time for aperitivo and swimming and gelato and shopping, you could easily spend a full day here.

But, even though I was tempted by this *pricey* Subway offer, I was content with having dinner at home, after a pleasantly exhausting afternoon of travel!

Remember $5 footlong meals? Non-existent. Double for a half sandwich and a drink and cookie 😧

Are you a fan of short day trips or even afternoon trips?