What were you grateful for this week? My host family. 

What was the most difficult or challenging part of this week? The hardest part of this week for me was finding out I have no service or wifi in my little apartment at the house.

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week. A wow moment I had this week was my first day here when I took one of the boys outside to play while the parents were finishing building something in the kitchen. He was really excited when he came back in knowing how to say “tree” in English.

Tell us about your week! I’ve only been in Italy for less than 48 hours and it has been so amazing already. The first night was both exciting and very tiring, but my first full day here was incredible. I’ve learned so much Italian already and have been able to teach the boys quite a bit of English. My host family is so sweet and has taken me in as a daughter. Also, my host mom’s parents live right next door and her mom is the perfect example of an Italian grandma. 

Yesterday afternoon my host mom took me into Lucca, since we live in one of the surrounding villages, and it is absolutely beautiful. There is so much history in that town! It’s crazy to think that just the Lucca city walls were built way before America was founded. While we were in Lucca I had my first gelato here and it was amazing! I can’t wait to have more in the next two months. 

I think my favorite part of being here so far is playing with the boys and getting to know them better. The oldest one is four years old and so full of energy — he never leaves me bored. He is very smart and is quick to learn English and understand what I’m trying to tell him. He also always corrects me when I say an Italian word wrong, so we’re helping each other learn. I can’t wait to see what this next week brings!