What were you grateful for this week?

Pepper spray 🙂

 

What was the most difficult or challenging part of this week?

Miscommunications between my host mom and me. It’s different here in Italy in the way that they’re very honest and straightforward with you, especially when you make a mistake, and bless my little American heart, I’m just not very accustomed to that:) But I’m also coming to LOVE this about the Italian culture.

 

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week.

I was planning to go out on Thursday night, but [my host mom] also wanted to go out with her friends so I stayed behind to watch the kids.

Tell us about your week!

Earlier this week, K and I discovered an adorable little paper shop near my house with handmade notebooks and stationary. I fell in love the moment I stepped inside. We also found a small little Pasticerria, (pastry shop) near Ponte Sisto, which had the best apple tarts and Nutella croissants I’ve tasted since I’ve been here! And that’s saying a lot, because I frequent all the pastry shops within a 1 mile radius of my house:)

 

I got to spend a little more time with the kids this week which was really fun. After school, I took them out to the piazza to roller blade and we drew chalk on the cobblestones. I’ve been missing Fall a lot lately, and wishing I could be in the mountains to see all the changing colors, but I got a little piece of Fall when we had pumpkin soup for dinner. It was so, so, so good and it made me so, so, so, happy!! 🙂

 

K and I also traveled to Napoli (Naples), this weekend. Naples is completely different than any of the other Italian cities I’ve visited, as in its much dirtier and more run down, but it’s beautiful in its own way. Also, it has the BEST PIZZA EVER! Probably because that’s where it was invented, but definitely the best I’ve ever tasted.

 

On Saturday we traveled by bus to Salerno, and from there to Amalfi. And let me tell you. The Amalfi Coast is so incredibly gorgeous!!!!! Our bus drove right along the edge of a cliff for about an hour and it was the most beautiful, exciting bus ride of my whole life! 🙂 I found so many cool ceramic shops and I even bought some cotton paper made right in Amalfi! It’s amazing! The end of the day brought a stunning sunset and K and I walked to the edge of the pier to watch it. It was an incredible feeling. This week was the best!!