What were you grateful for this week?This week I am extra grateful for the people who go out of their way to help another. This weekend Celeste & I made quite the journey to Venice. Venice was beautiful, but it was also very easy to get lost. We would constantly ask people for directions and no one would really give us a direction, they would just say “straight”. However, after hours of being lost and going “straight”, I decided to ask one last time for help, and it turned out to be quite the blessing. The women’s name was Jessica, and it so just so happened that she was going to the same place we were! She lead us all the way back, and held a conversation with us the entire walk. C & I thanked her many times, but I don’t think she realized just how much she helped us out and made our trip go so much better. THEN on my journey home, I missed my train stop to my home…I didn’t panic because I knew the train would be going back to Caronno, but it just so happened that there was a train strike and none of the trains would be running again until 6 a.m…I then begin to panic. I kindly asked the police officers how far of walk it was to Caronno from the station I was at currently, and they were anything but helpful. They told me it wasn’t safe for a young girl like me to be walking that far in the middle of the night, but yet they didn’t help me find a way back! I was scared and frustrated. HOWEVER, there were two, kind men who were very willing to help, and even though I couldn’t get a train back to Caronno they kept me company and made me feel safe while I waited for my host family to pick me up. I am so grateful that my host parents were kind, and not angry for me missing my stop. They willingly picked me up, and it saved me a lot of walking and being scared the entire time. It’s the simplest moments of someone being kind and willing to help me, that I will remember years from now. I couldn’t be more grateful for those kind of people, and it makes me want to strive to be that kind, and helpful person to someone else.
What was the most difficult or challenging part of this week? The most difficult, and challenging part of this week has been trying to build a relationship with the kids, I am an Au Pair for. They seem the least bit interested to learn English from me, which is tough. I don’t try to be a “teacher”, it’s more of me trying to learn from them, to teach them, so we can have a conversation and speak to one another. This is difficult for me, because I want so badly to be close with these kids and make a difference in their life, but I know it is just something that will take time and practice.
Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week.A “wow” moment… This week was tough, since I wasn’t around the family much. I guess a “wow” this week wasn’t nessarily something I went the extra mile to do, but it was definitely a good thing! So, the kids leave for their grandparents for a night, once a week. Since that night was a Tuesday this week, I was home with just the parents. They asked if I wanted to have dinner with them, and I was actually thinking of going out for dinner, but I decided to stay in and eat with them. I’m so glad I did because we were able to have an actual conversation at the dinner table and enjoy each other’s company. I got to learn a lot more about their personal travels, and it was very interesting to me! So, I guess the “wow” moment, is that even though it was my time off, I decided to stay in and work on my relationship with my host parents.
Tell us about your week! This week has been one of my favorites so far! Due to the family’s schedule, I didn’t have to work many days this week. Therefore, that gave me more opportunities to explore! My host family was so kind, and bought me tickets to see the “Last Supper” on Wednesday! So, I went and it was INCREDIBLE! I have taken a lot of art history classes, so to be able to see this historical piece of art, was a dream come true. After the Last Supper, I decided to make a day out of being in Milan! However, I got tired and my feet began to hurt because I was very lost and had been walking for 4 miles!! So, I eventually gave up after learning that google maps, when you are walking, is nearly impossible to figure out. I sat next to a tree and what do you know, I met a boy! After talking for a bit, we went and explored more of the city and a part of Milan I hadn’t seen before. It was so much fun!! I loved having a local friend show me around, and it was very exciting that he was italian because I learned a lot about the city that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise. Then this weekend, as mentioned before, I made a trip to Venice! I was able to meet up with C, another girl in the Rome Abroad Program and we were able to explore the city together. We endured many experiences this weekend, and learned a lot. I learned how to take a million different trains, order food in all italian, and how to trust strangers. I went through many ups & downs this week, and even though I am so grateful for those “ups”, I’m a little more grateful for the “downs”. The downs were tough, but they gave me an experience to learn from and I now I feel more confident and knowledgeable. As much as I love learning, I’d be okay to not have any more downs for awhile! Crossing my fingers!!
0 Comments