What were you grateful for this week?
I am most grateful for getting lost.

What was the most difficult or challenging part of this week?
The most challenging part of the week was still the language barrier, it takes time.

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week.
My wow moment was when I did the dishes while my host family was preparing for bed so they wouldn’t have to worry about them. Also bought my host mom and the house nanny a sunflower.

Tell us about your week!
This week has been amazing and hard and a million more things. I’m still trying to get to know the boys better and to understand the best way to help them learn English. I’m getting better and being more creative to help with the language block. Today, I put post it notes on objects with the written English word on them to help.

This week I visited the Colosseum twice, and everytime I visit I am in awe. You walk right out of the metro station and BOOM there it is in all its glory. Standing tall and emmaculately preserved.

I also visited Campo Dei Fiori, where I stopped to get some gnocchi for lunch. Gnocchi is a cheesy pasta, almost like dumplings. It was covered in a mushroom cream sauce, topped with fresh parmesan, clams, and shrimp. It was a delicious dish!

My current favorite place: Piazza Navona. A large rectangular plaza, surrounded by tall, beautiful buildings and restaurants, filled with busy people, 3 gorgeous fountains, roasted chestnuts, and street entertainment. I also came around sunset where the sky was pink and everything seemed surreal.

The Vatican City was gorgeous, with tall, delicately hand-carved, detailed statues. The museums stretched for what seemed like forever with tapestries, sculptures, fountains, and mosaics. The Sistine Chapel was breathtaking as I walked through taking in the years of work and back pain from Michelangelo. I would love to go back and just sit in silence for a couple hours to absorb his work. St. Peter’s Basilica was profound with Michelangelo’s The Pietà, encased and surrounded by tourists. We climbed to the top of the dome, a couple hundred steps I regret wearing high heel booties for, and the top was unlike any other view I have EVER seen. I will go back in the spring for the springtime colors and to see the greenery be even more vibrant.
Oh, and PS. I had my very first gelato:’)