What were you grateful for this week?My amazing host family for taking care of me while I was sick!

What was the most challenging part of this week?It is my first full week with my host family in Italy and I have missed home so much!

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week. My wow moment was being able to spend time with each boy one on one to get to know them more. I taught [my host family’s son] some songs and handshakes from my elementary school days.

Tell us about your week!

This week has been so full of ups and downs but I made it through and am better for it! I spent my first week with my host family who makes the best food and is so accommodating. On Tuesday, it was my birthday! I spent my time off in Alba shopping and eating birthday gelato. That night I fell ill and spent that evening in my bed stressed out from the move to a foreign country and missing home. The next day I felt much better and I will miss home the whole time I am here but I am able to have experiences here that I definitely can not at home. Because I wasn’t present at dinner the night before, my host family surprised me with a birthday cookie cake and a present which was so sweet. They have really felt like my family away from my actual family.

Friday I met P in Gallarate then Saturday we headed into Milan. Most of the day we spent at the Il Centro shopping mall which was amazingly huge! We had KFC and even though Italian food is so good, having American food was so comforting. 

Sunday we attended church then went to Sforza castle when a street seller started hustling us. Keep your eyes open and alert because they are everywhere shoving things in your face. After a metro ride, we ended up in the piazza by the duomo and we were speechless! It was so big and so intricate I had to wait a minute to take it all in. After a bunch of pictures we ate at the cute little Princi Café and were able to rest in Air Conditioning.