What were you grateful for this week? This week I was so grateful for the people who I have been able to meet through my travels and through my host family! Everyone is so friendly and truly help me feel like I am at home!

What was the most difficult or challenging part of this week? The most challenging part of this week was when E and I attempted to find the LDS temple in Rome and ended up getting super lost and ultimately never found it before we had to leave back to the center of Rome. It was really disappointing and overall just a not so fun experience.

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week.My wow moment this week is when I was able to help [my host family’s daughter] overcome her fear of swimming in the sea. The waves made her nervous and she was afraid that a jellyfish would sting her. However, there are no jellyfish where we are so that was an easy fix and after holding her in the water for a little bit she soon became comfortable and was swimming on her own!

Tell us about your week! 

This week was so amazing! I traveled to the sea with my host family and we are staying at the most beautiful hotel! We get to enjoy three amazing meals a day and overall just relax and have fun in the sunshine! 

I was also able to go to Rome from Thursday to Monday and it was amazing! It was so cool to see all the classic sights and a couple of less known ones as well. I really enjoyed visiting the Vatican, especially the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo was insanely talented! I also really loved St. Peter’s Basilica. C, E and I climbed the 500+ stairs all the way to the top of the dome to look over the city and it was breathtaking and such a cool experience!

I really loved having the extra time to just explore Rome after I saw all the main things like the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. It made the experience so much more memorable and unique.

We got to see the Aventine Keyhole and the Orange garden right there right at sunset and it was so amazing. I also got to visit the Mouth of Truth which is featured in one of my all time favorite movies Roman Holiday, so I had a true Audrey Hepburn Moment! All in all it was a truly magical weekend and I believe Lizzie Mcguire would be proud!