What were you grateful for this week?This week I’m grateful for my host family and the efforts that they have made to make me feel welcome.

What was the most difficult or challenging part of this week?The most challenging part of this week has been the travel. I took 3 planes from Arizona to Italy and it was all very hard and confusing for me. 

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week. So far I feel like my host family has been going the extra mile for me instead of the other way around, but I did bring them some English books from America to read with them.

Tell us about your week!I arrived in Italy on Saturday morning in Venice, my host mom and her boyfriend were at the airport to pick me up and take me home to Lignano (which was about an hour drive). My host mom is the only one that speaks any English and I don’t speak any Italian, so communication has been a little rough but I find ways to communicate. The past couple of days have been like one big game of charades! 

My host family has a 5 year old boy and a 2 year old girl. They are both very cute and were very excited to show me the English that they knew when I first arrived. They counted on their fingers and pointed to and identified colors around the house. I can already tell they are going to be so much fun!

The house I’m staying at is in a small town and all of the nearby neighbors are farmers. My host family has 4 big dogs, 2 sheep, 1goat, and a couple of turtles. The dogs are very loving and very playful, they are always either trying to play fetch or cuddle in my lap even though they are huge! It’s a good thing I’ve always liked dogs because they are a huge presence at the house.

I’ve been here for 3 days and so far I have been to the beach everyday! My host mom gave me a bicycle to use and I can ride it to the beach and wherever else I need to go, which I plan on taking full advantage of. I already feel so welcomed and I can’t wait to see what is in store for me here in Lignano!