Upon arriving in Milan, one of the most interesting things that stood out to me was the emphasis on sustainability. For example, during our orientation for Aparto, we were asked to make sure our trash was separated. The Italian government places a strong emphasis on sustainability and waste management. In our rooms, we have four different trash bins, and we are responsible for separating our plastics, papers, and other waste. We then take the separated trash to the trash room, where there are dedicated bins for different types of waste. This process is quite different from life at home, especially living on campus, where all types of trash are thrown in the same bin. This separation has made me think more about how much waste I produce and where it goes. Additionally, I learned a lot from my internship about the EU’s new restrictions on textile waste, which I will discuss later, and their efforts to reduce textile incineration. All of these sustainability initiatives make me wonder why the United States is so far behind. If the government does not take steps toward sustainability, why would corporations want to?

I found the first day of the internship seminar interesting and very helpful. I think it is important that we not only live here but also immerse ourselves in the culture and understand the nuances of Italian life to be successful in our internships. For example, learning that coffee is very cheap because it is something you can buy for someone else as a form of gratitude, regardless of wealth. I found it very helpful when Professor Swain explained that asking questions during your internship is important because it shows your sponsor that you are interested in the work you are doing and that you care. In my opinion, in the United States, asking questions can be seen as a sign of inexperience and may suggest that you are not capable of doing the work. Next time I go into the office, I am going to ask all the questions I have written down and take thorough notes, as Professor Gupta suggested.

On the first day of my internship, I was extremely nervous, knowing I would be working alongside the company’s two co-founders. This was very intimidating, especially since I was their only intern, and the three of us were working together for the entire morning. Matteo, one of the company’s co-founders, gave me materials to read, which helped me better understand the company’s values and goals. I also read about current European textile restrictions, which gave a background of how the company meets market needs. In the past few years, the EU has created heavy restrictions on how companies can dispose of textile waste. Companies can no longer incinerate their extra inventory and must report what happens to this inventory. Must Had assists companies in data digitalization, tracking and measurement, and operational control. Their mission is to help companies with the transition toward the circular economy by making the process efficient, measurable, and scalable. Companies can come to Must Had to track their data, and Must Had will also help connect them with other companies that can assist in recycling, upselling, or reselling their waste. I found the articles Matteo provided fascinating and appreciated the opportunity to fully understand the company and ask questions. After I finished reading, Matteo explained my role as an intern and showed me how I would use Excel to help organize their data and research customers to expand the data. I was grateful that Matteo took the time to explain my responsibilities in detail and made me feel comfortable asking questions. By the end of the internship hours, I felt much more confident and excited to continue working. Additionally, I got to sit next to Matteo’s little Pomeranian, which he got while traveling in Vietnam!

This past weekend, we visited Lake Maggiore. I loved this trip and had a lot of fun exploring each island. My favorite, Isola Madre, had a beautiful landscape, and I enjoyed watching all the birds walking around. I also loved looking up at the trees and seeing oranges growing. I do wish I had read about each island beforehand so I would have some background knowledge when walking through the palace. The next day, Julia, Jen, Vic, Mads, Evelyn, and I wanted to take advantage of the beautiful weather and found a train to Genova, which we thought had many beaches. This day was hectic as we had to wake up early to catch the train, which we almost missed. Additionally, we learned that ticket sales for the train close five minutes before departure. If you do not buy your ticket on time, you can still buy one on the train, but there is a considerable fee. After we made it to our seats, we had a two-and-a-half-hour train ride to Genova. When we arrived at Genova, we thought we could stay on the train for one more stop, believing it would take us closer to a specific beach. We were wrong, and the train started going backward. We all panicked, thinking we were heading back to Milan, and the next stop was forty minutes away. We decided to ask a couple sitting near us, and they told us that the next few stops would take us to beaches and that the Genova beaches were not as nice as Genova is a port city. We got off at the next stop and found a little market with a lot of jewelry, where we spent some time shopping. Then, we had lunch on the beach and spent the rest of the day swimming, reading, and lying in the sun. While the day had a rocky start, we learned a lot about how to use the train and where to go if we wanted a beach day!

A picture from the beach in Varazze!