Adventures in IKEA

IKEA doesn't exist in Kansas. I had never even heard of it before coming to Bologna. So when I heard we could by everything we needed for our apartment, I immediately thought Target. Nice simple Target with its clear organization and easy to understand layout.
Boy was I wrong.
My first mistake was thinking I could tackle this by myself. On a Sunday. While it was raining.
Little did I know that Sunday is prime shopping day since IKEA is the only store actually open. And since it the weather was bad, spending Sunday with the family at IKEA seemed to be everyone's number one destination.
And they weren't just there with there family. Mom, dad, screaming toddlers, newborn children, grandmas in their wheelchairs, and EVERYONE had their dog with them. With all these people and their giant IKEA bags there was barely room to move my elbows. I just followed the crowd.
We began our movement through the kitchens. Each one had people sitting in it, examining the dishwasher, and the sink fixtures as if they were testing out whether out not they would be moving in soon. We moved on to living rooms, bedrooms, children's rooms, bathrooms. I didn't know what I was supposed to be doing there! Do I pick up the hanger that's hanging in that fake bedroom? Where do I find just one pillow and not an entire bedroom set?
If I strayed to far from the mob that was the main walkway, getting back in was like diving in to a stampede. I found myself constantly saying "Mi scusi, mi scusi" when really I felt like everyone else was in my way. After making my way through the offices, studys and playrooms I found myself pushed down a staircase to another floor. Here all the items from upstairs were conveniently packaged and shelved so you could take them and go.
Everyone's bags were full of chairs and lamps. I was just full of confusion. I had forgotten what I had even wanted to buy. Did I need a decorative bowl for a coffee table? Do I have a coffee table? Do I need one of those? Or what about that shoe organizer? I should probably be more organized.
After a two and a half hour walk through IKEA's simulated life of the perfect Italian household, I left with only one pillow, a set of sheets, 8 hangers and a desk lamp.
All things that I could have bought at Target in 15 minutes.