What were you grateful for this week?I was grateful that I made it to Milan safely and to and from Venice as well. I was grateful to have Melanie (the family’s last au pair) overlap with me for a few days so she could show me around Milan and show me how the au pair worked in the family. I was also grateful to meet some new friends from Rome Abroad while in Venice. The family got me a SIM card and I am so grateful for that; traveling feels much less stressful when I have data to use if I get lost! Most of all I am just grateful to be here! 

What was the most challenging part of this week? It is so challenging to not know the language of the country you live in! I can’t speak to the father of the family because he doesn’t know much English, and I can’t speak to the grandparents, either. I am learning to talk more slowly and enunciate because apparently I talk very fast! I am also constantly exhausted because I keep hitting 20 thousand steps per day, when I was doing more like 5 thousand at home.

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week. I think the kids really enjoyed the gifts I got them, especially the little boy. I got him a Pokemon activity book, and we’ve been reading from it and doing the activities together. He loves Pokemon, and I do too!

Tell us about your week! 

Oh my word! It is so unreal to be here! Melanie (the old au pair) picked me up from the train station and walked me to the apartment — it is seriously so close to everything here, I can walk almost anywhere! I learned how to use the Metro and the trams. I had some delicious gelato! 

On my first real day here, Melanie and I took three hours and did a quick introduction to Milan — the Duomo, Szforsesco Castle, the canal, and places to shop. On my second day, we spent a lot of time with the kids and it made me so happy. They are very sweet and inquisitive. I was feeling very overwhelmed at first, wondering how on earth I got myself into this, but being with the kids reminded me that I’m here to learn and to have new experiences, not just to get through the days or get everything right. 

On Friday night, I went to a theatre show, which made me so happy because it’s what I love doing abroad! It was all in Italian, but it was “The Tempest” by Shakespeare, so I was able to at least know what the plot was going in to it. 

Over the weekend, I met up with some fellow Rome Abroad Travelers in Venice! It is only a three-hour train ride from Milan. I loved going on a gondola ride, touring Doge’s Palace, visiting the cemetery island, and walking around Murano. The water was so beautiful there. My room is located on the other side of the house from the family’s rooms, so I am able to talk to family and friends over video calls late at night without bothering them, and that has been a great comfort to me while I’m here. I can’t believe I’ve been in Milan a whole week already! I can’t wait for the next adventures!