European cities are romanticized in many different art forms. This might be because they are more picturesque, or perhaps they are better places to live than Columbia. As a Columbia-lover at heart, I’m just going to attribute this to the fact that they are much older than most American cities, including Columbia. There are things that I love about both cities, so here’s a comparison to help decipher which city is really better.

**Food:** Personally, I miss the food back at home. I put hot sauce on everything that I eat, so being here deprives me of the spice in my life. Italians do it best when it comes to anything pizza or pasta, but it seems there isn’t as much experimentation in the foods that I have had here. Many dishes are simply the classics, but when you perfected the classic, who could really blame them?

Be willing to spend about 10 to 20 euros on any meal at a sit-down restaurant, whereas there are many meals at restaurants in Columbia for under $10, including a drink. But when you’re living in a bigger city, things are bound to be more expensive.

If you’re more of a traditionalist, Milan is the place to get the goods. But, if you’re looking for something to shock your senses, Columbia might be a little better. Milan does seem to have fresher food, though, and there’s always a supermarket right down the street. So for restaurants, Columbia wins, but for groceries, Milan gets the gold on this one.

**Transportation:** Since the population of Milan is so much bigger than Columbia, Milan wins this category. Living within the city boundaries means you never have to drive anywhere. Necessities are just a short walk away, and everything is accessible by metro or bus. However, no taxi can hold a candle to STRIPES.

**Academics:** It seems that all the classes are super easy compared to the classes at Mizzou. There’s no online math, no reading quizzes and maybe one or two papers per class. You only have a midterm and a final the whole semester and hardly any assignments or homework. Just make sure you know your stuff for the tests because professors here are much more stingy on handing out the A’s, because nothing’s “perfect” after all.

**People:** Big city livin’ ain’t so easy when you’re used to a small town attitude. Columbia wins this round, because it’s always nice to make a friend when you’re sitting down drinking coffee next to someone who started out a stranger. While the people in Milan might have better fashion sense, Columbians win my heart with their willingness to let anyone join in on a party. Whereas the invites to Milan’s best parties are dictated by lists that not “just anyone” can get on.

**Shopping:** Maybe if Columbia had just one more Target, it would be closer to surviving this round. But Milan is the fashion capital of, perhaps, the world, so it dominates Columbia this round. Although some days I wish I could walk out of the house in sweatpants, it just isn’t acceptable here. I can’t go anywhere here without seeing about $1,000 worth of clothing that I wish I could buy, but alas, I am developing self-control of steel and restricting myself to only buying one pair of shoes a week. Hey, that’s self-control for me.

**Nightlife:** This category is a little tricky, considering I can’t experience the full spectrum of nightlife in America that I can experience here. But I’m just going to take a stab in the dark and go ahead and say that the clubs here are a lot more fun than Déjà Vu. Every night here is a party, and you can’t really beat _aperitivo._ At most every bar, “happy hour,” or _aperitivo,_ lasts several hours and you can buy one drink and then eat at an unlimited buffet for free. It usually costs only about 5 to 12 euros, and you can get a free dinner along with a nice cocktail.

Each city has its own perks, but you’ll have to decide for yourself which is best! Ciao for now!