What were you grateful for this week?I am grateful for my host family for helping me get settled in to my new home and showing me around their beautiful city of Merano!

What was the most difficult or challenging part of this week?The most difficult part was definitely adjusting to the time change???????? but I am slowly getting adjusted!

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week. This week I was able to help my host mom around the house and take their cute dog on walks for them 🙂

Tell us about your week! This was my first week in Italy and it was definitely quite the adjustment. I had major jet lag and felt so lost in a new city, but now that I am sleeping somewhat normal and learning my way around the city, I am loving it! 

The city of Merano is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! It is in the middle of gorgeous green hills and mountains and is FULL of character. We walk everywhere so I have enjoyed seeing everything this place has to offer! 

I have had dinner with my host family and even some of their close friends every night and really enjoy their company! I’m having so much fun spending time with the young girl I care for, B, and her little dog, Artu. I’ve enjoyed walking around the city and trying new pastries or gelato flavors! I’ve also been obsessed with Italian pizza and know I’ll be eating tons of it while I’m here! 

I’ve definitely learned to push myself out of my comfort zone while being here. It’s definitely not easy being in a country where you don’t speak their language, but my experience so far has been so rewarding! Experiencing new cultures, people, languages and food is so so beneficial!