What were you grateful for this week?I was grateful for the opportunity I had to travel with my friends I made in Rome and to see some amazing views!

What was the most difficult or challenging part of this week?Craving food from back home that is not available here.

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week.My family has always cooked all of the meals. So one day while they were running late getting home I made lunch.

Tell us about your week! Every day this week was a great one! I got to spend time with my host child at home and we had a lot of fun together. In the afternoons and evenings I went out with my friends and explored more of the city or we just would hang out and play music and sing or play card games. 

On Tuesday my friend showed me a little American market that sells some American food. I thought it was funny because they were selling cheap things from America for a lot of money. 

This friend has been living in Rome for almost 13 years but when we went out walking, there were cool buildings and other things that even my friend was like wow I’ve never seen that before. I love that every day in Rome you can find something new. 

On Thursday I had stayed home with [my host family’s daughter] for most of the day and I was just wanting to stay home and relax, but I had another friend that asked if I wanted to go out to a late dinner. I was hesitant at first, but I reminded myself that I am in Rome and should get every experience possible so I went out with my friend. We ate and wandered around and Rome is just as amazing at night as it is during the day time. I was so grateful that my friend got me out of the house and exploring. 

Friday night I found a really cute and cheap gelato shop close to home and I was a little disappointed that I had not found it earlier, because it was delicious! 

Saturday was a big day for me. My group of friends and I rented a car and we drove from Rome to Naples. We got some amazing pizza there and explored the city. The next morning we drove to Sorrento and then the Amalfi Coast. We stopped and went to the beach and got to swim and admire the gorgeous views. We even brought our leftover pizza and ate it at the beach. I found myself saying over and over how happy I was. I truly was just so excited to be living in that moment it was amazing. 

On our way back home we randomly decided to stop and tour a palace called Reggina di Casserta. We just went to the garden but it was amazing. We could have spent an entire day just exploring it. It was massive and full of beautiful fountains, grass, plants, waterfalls, and statues. It easily became one of my favorite places I have visited. 

This week I really focused on going out and making experiences that I will remember forever. I never want to forget the feeling of pure joy as I looked at the Amalfi coast, or how alive I felt as I looked out at the sea in Naples next to a castle, and overall I never want to forget how amazing my friends all were this week.