What were you grateful for this week?This week I am very grateful for communication. I feel like this past week was very up in the air and the only thing that tied me back down was being able to communicate honestly and clearly with the people around me. This had made me feel so heard and cared for while being abroad.

What was the most difficult or challenging part of this week?The most challenging part of this week was having to say goodbye to my host family. They have been a dream to live with and the tearful parting is the most difficult part of not just my week but my whole trip.

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week. There is no wow moment that shines bright enough to be mentioned above my host family’s surprise wow for me this week; a family dinner with all of their family members I have gotten to meet while here for a goodbye. No amount of extra helping hand moments I could give deserves more recognition than that sentimental dinner.

Tell us about your week! This week was an absolute whirlwind and flew by very quickly. Unfortunately, this was my last week in Italy and I tried to spend it soaking up as much time with my host family while I could during the afternoons, as well as spending my mornings weaving through the streets of my city to see every last bit I could. Thankfully, the time with my host sister this week was dotted with many card games, stories before bed, and dinners together that I will cherish well after I leave. 

For this weekend, I had a trip to London in the works from when I first got here that I finally got to go on. The biggest adjustment in going to London wasn’t the rain, but being in an English speaking country again! It was so strange to go back to hearing English all around me. I caught myself on the underground trying to respond to other people in Italian, or preparing how to order dinner in Italian. It was so crazy to see how subconsciously Italian has weaved itself in me. 

London, of course, is a fairytale to all of the Harry Potter nerds like myself. So, adding stops from the movies and locations that inspired the books to the list of sights was a must! Even with all of the fantastical fun of those places, M, K, and I also needed to soak in the varying markets. It was so wonderful to see everything in London as it gets closer to Christmas. This is my favorite part of the year and getting to see it from the life of people all around Europe over the past few weeks, has been incredible.

Lastly, historical London and Westminster is absolutely captivating. From the stories on the royal family and the palaces, to Westminster Abbey, to London Bridge it was hard to tear myself away from each stop to the next. 

I feel so undeniably fortunate to have had the experience with my blessing of a family and the trips that I’ve gone on over the course of my time here with travelers I met through the program.