What were you grateful for this week?This week I was grateful for how understanding and kind my host family has been while I have been sick. They are always asking if I am okay and if I need to rest. My host mom has offered three different medicines for me to try. She has been so thoughtful and helpful. 

What was the most difficult or challenging part of this week?The most challenging part has been being sick, but luckily I have still been able to do a lot. 

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

This isn’t anything huge, but I have been setting the table for lunch and dinner everyday and helping clean up after every meal. I have also made an effort to clean up after my kid and I play games. I try to leave places better than I found it. 

Tell us about your week! This week was great! I always feel recharged after traveling on the weekend. During the week we spent most of our time at my host family’s house, so I was ready to go somewhere. 

On Thursday my host family took me to the Olympic Park in Rome which was really cool! I was able to see where my kid competes in diving competitions. 

Then on the weekend I traveled to Siena. I loved Siena. Last week was the big horse race and there were still many celebrations in the city. I saw parades and banner across the streets. I loved that the buildings in Siena are lined with the flags of each district. I learned a lot about Siena’s history and I learned that there are 17 districts that have been competing with each other for over 400 years in the horse races. I also learned that the districts are super competitive with each other. 

While in Siena, I also visited Monteriggioni and San Gimignano. The buildings and streets look like they where built in medieval times, and I think a lot of it was! My favorite part about Siena was learning about the history and seeing the rich culture there. I also enjoyed visiting the cathedral! I learned that Siena and Florence have been rivals for centuries.