What were you grateful for this week?Sleep.

What was the most challenging part of this week?Jet lag.

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week.Took [my host family’s daughter] to the local club to play while the family got ready to move on Sunday.

Tell us about your week! I am so excited to finally be In Italy! My favorite thing this week, besides arriving and meeting my host family who has been so welcoming and fun to get to know, was going to the Wine Museum in Barolo! The museum is a beautiful castle on a hill, surrounded by gorgeous vineyards. It was very interesting to see the interactive and multimedia displays of not only how wine is made, including the importance of the moon, and sun, and chemical components in the soil, but how wine has and continues to affect western cultures. From ancient Mesopotamia rituals to the Christian religion and arts. Artists such as Monat, Van Gough, Da Vinci and so many more often used wine as inspiration or centerpieces for their work. The very present wine culture in music, literature, cinema and everyday life. The museum also featured displays about the Barolo family, of whom the town is named.

My host family has a country house where they live during the summer. Fortunately, I arrived in time to spend time there before they move back into the city. The house sits on top of a hill, with the most beautiful view of the vineyards and towns near and around.