What were you grateful for this week?That I made it safely to Milan!

What was the most challenging part of this week?I don’t know very much Italian and it’s been difficult communicating outside my family. I need practice!

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week.

[My host brother] was practicing some words on my personal time. He wanted help from me specifically and I was glad to be there for him.

Tell us about your week! This week in Milan has been just getting to know the city, as it’s my first week here. I went to the major sightseeing locations in town: Il Duomo, the fantastic cathedral at the center of town; Galleria Emmanuele, a shopping district which is cool to walk around in even if I can’t afford to look at anything in the shops; there’s the historic Sforza Castle, the cosmopolitan Porta Nuova which has the tallest building in Italy, and enough churches to make your head spin. It feels like everywhere you turn, there’s more history, more beauty, more life. There was a climate rally at Il Duomo on Friday which was very exciting. There were so many different kinds of people out and about in support of the rally. I’ve experienced and seen so much, and I’ve only been a week here in Italy. I haven’t even seen everything here in Milan yet! This is such a lovely place and I’m excited to explore every nook and cranny.

I’ve also loved getting to know my host family so far. [M], the child I am with, is so full of energy and life. Whether it’s drawing Pokemon or playing with his knights he never wants to stop having fun and we’re bonded already. [My host family’s] apartment is right downtown in the middle of all the action, so it always feels like something’s going on here. It’s amazing to look out the window and see so much gorgeous architecture anywhere you look, and what amazed me even more is how casual this all is to the Milanese. I’m amazed by the people here, so full of humor and heart. Milan, despite becoming more metropolitan, is still the same warm Italy we all know. This is such a thrilling experience, and I’ve loved every second so far.