Living in Lugano

My first few days here have definitely felt like vacation.  When I say vacation, I mean that it has felt like I am walking through a mix of Epcot, Busch Gardens, and the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.  When I say vacation, I also mean a vacation with meals made up of peanut butter and jelly, pretzels, and vending machine cappuccinos.  Here are some of my recent realizations:

- Eating airline food is basically like consuming a (not so) lean cuisine
- I will look American regardless of the clothes I wear, the shoes I wear, or how I do my hair
- 17F (1F=$1.10) for a meal at McDonald's is normal
- Carbs are present at every meal
- Heavy Cream/ Dairy is incorporated into every dessert
- The Swiss have heard of Piper Perabo's breakout movie, Coyote Ugly
- The Swiss know more about the NHL Lockout and Sidney Crosby than I do
- Fitness Centers are either hard to come by or non-existent
- Coffee is small and to the point, no pumpkin spice lattes here.  Non-fat milk is also not an option.
- Trying to communicate through hand gestures is not ideal

Luckily, we are served dinner four times per week at the Montarina (our hotel), and I recently made a grocery trip to Migros for some breakfast and lunch staples (in addition to pb&j). Around fifteen of us are headed to Milan this weekend to experience the eurail and a hostel for the very first time.