What were you grateful for this week?This week I am grateful for paper maps.

What was the most difficult or challenging part of this week?The snow was the most difficult part of this week, it was very unexpected and freezing.

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week. My family was gone all week for their vacation.

Tell us about your week! This week, my family was gone for vacation in the mountains of Northern Rome. They visited with some friends and took a week long ski trip with their children. The beginning of the week was bitterly cold and it ended up snowing, which has not happened in Rome for a long time and is EXTREMELY unusual.

I then left Rome for a couple days to visit Barcelona, Spain. I almost missed my flight as there were two flights for the same destination at the same time, at opposite ends of the airport. Rushing through the airport, I made it just in time for boarding, but fun fact: I was there two hours early. 

It was rainy when I arrived and I found the beach as soon as I decided to venture out, read my book for hours enjoying the view until I couldn’t feel my feet, and checked into my airbnb. I was greeted by two dogs, a friendly woman, cheek kisses, and a big bed. I was feeling like a princess! 

I tried Catalan food for the first time, and let’s just say it’s “subpar” to Italian food. Everything is greasy, fried, and topped with a fried egg. Thrift shopping here is a dream, and I found some great steals.

The next couple days, the weather was perfect! Not too hot, not too cold, a little bit windy at times. I saw the Sagrada Familia, Park Güell and all the views from above, the Cathedral, a different beach, a bunch of plazas, the Museu Eròtica, and some works of Gaudí. I also tried Spanish sangria, freshly made churros, and crepes.

To top off the trip, I lost a necklace, bracelet, and 40€. So it’s safe to say I’m loving being back in Rome and the first thing I did was get pizza.