very simple

I’ve been a terribly derelict blogger, and I apologize. It’s just that, every time I think about writing a post, it’s either to bitch about something (like getting manhandled by a crazy homeless guy on the bus the other day), or I realize that I’m living the most boring life possible for an American expat. I go to work in the morning, get home around 9 at night, and if I’m lucky, I only need to go to work on one day over the weekend (leaving the other day for exciting things like sleeping in, grocery shopping, and attacking the dust bunnies from hell that inhabit my apartment). Don’t get me wrong. I’ve enjoyed my time here, made some friends, and certainly do go out (even sometimes with other people!). But it’s not markedly different from, say, going to a friend’s apartment for brunch in NY. or going to a bar in NY. except that I can only understand the people I came with, because they’re the only ones who remember to speak English to me. But none of that’s particularly interesting to blog about.As far as current events are concerned, I still voraciously consume all sorts of news and opinion online, but I can’t help feeling particularly removed from american politics. Heck, the state of the union was the other day, and not only did they not air it here (obviously) even if they had, it would have been at 2 or 3 in the morning. Not very practical. It’s probably for the best as I would probably have thrown something at the TV anyway. I’m more upset that I’m going to miss the Oscars, since they’re airing a week before I head home.

So. That’s my long-winded way of saying that yes, I’m just about ready to head home to NY. I actually booked my flight the other day (I’m waitlisted for a mileage upgrade, gotta make use of the massive number of miles I accumulated last year). I’m heading home on March 4th, only a few days after the transaction I’m working on is going to be over. It’ll also be precisely 90 days since I last entered Italy, so I legally need to leave the country that day (not that I really get in trouble for overstaying, what are they going to do? kick me out of the country when they notice as I’m leaving the country? It’s more a concern that they won’t let me back in). And while I certainly don’t want to move to Milan again, I would like to visit, and to go other places in Italy (maybe even on *gasp* a vacation!).

Actually, the most fun I’ve been having is related to my former office-mate here. He’s actually going on secondment to New York in a few weeks, so I’ve been trying to put together some handy, “how to live in NY” info for him. He found out where he’s going to be living today, so I’ve already figured out what bus he’ll need to take to get to work. I know, I’m a dork. It’s a shame he’s getting there a few weeks before I get back, if only because I won’t be there to introduce him around the office. But I’ve already put my group on notice so that he gets taken out for beers and stuff when he gets there (my office in NY has over 200 lawyers, so it can be a bit alienating if you don’t have people looking out for you).

So. I’m going to try to be proactive tomorrow. Yes, I have to go to work for a little while, but it shouldn’t take me very long to get done what I need to get done (basically I got some updates that I need to incorporate into what I’m working on after I left work tonight). Since our office is in the absolute dead-center of Milan, I’m going to really try to make it to the fairly famous museum that’s literally around the corner that I haven’t been to yet (actually, our street abuts the museum property, but you have to go all the way around the corner to via Brera to get to the entrance). I can always clean my apartment on Sunday.

Hopefully it won’t rain.

Tags: milan, new york city