What were you grateful for this week?
Being able to video-call my family at home and take them on a walk with me through Rome.

What was the most difficult or challenging part of this week?
Figuring out the buses and Metro system
 

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week. 
Before we left the house in Sabaudia I noticed the floor was pretty messy so I swept it and made sure it looked nice.
 

Tell us about your week! 
This was my first week actually staying in Rome so I got to do a lot of the fun Rome touristy opportunities. I had my first experience with riding the bus and the metro and it was terrifying at first. I was confused by all of the stops and which side I was supposed to get on. By the end of this week I have figured the system out and have even been able to take ways home quicker than what google maps suggests. That was a huge success for me! 

 

I quickly made friends with a group of youth from my church and this week we went out and did fun activities together. One night we went and watched the new Jurassic World movie in English, another night we had a game night. One of my friends spent a day with me and walked me around to many of the popular sites such as the Spanish steps, the Trevi fountain, Piazza del Poppolo, the Pantheon, a beautiful park full of statues, and a cathedral. My favorite was the Pantheon — it was gorgeous and surprisingly large. The opening in the ceiling let in light and it was absolutely stunning with all the artwork. There was a live orchestra playing soft music while we walked in and we stopped to listen and appreciate the music. 

I was able to visit the Sistine chapel as well as the Colosseum by myself. It was amazing to gaze at all of these wonders and imagine the chapel being painted and the Colosseum in its glory days. While walking through the Colosseum I listened to the free Rick Steve’s audio guide which made it even more special to me because it gave details about history of the Colosseum, how it was built, what it was like, and who had been there. Listening to this made being alone better and helped me to appreciate the magnificence of the Colosseum even more. This week was a great start to living in Rome!