What were you grateful for this week?

P had a triathlon event in Sant’Elpidio this weekend and my host family invited me. I had a blast exploring a new town and cheering on P!

What was the most difficult or challenging part of this week?
The most challenging part of this week would have to be adjusting to the new time zone and climate. 

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week.
I brought my host family a book with pictures of the Northwest. I enjoyed being able to tell them about where I come from.
 

Tell us about your week! 
This was my first week here in Rome with my host family. P is still in school so I have been able to explore the city and get my bearings. I checked out Vatican City and spent a lot of time in St. Peter’s basilica. I also found this nice little park that’s great for eating lunch and people watching.

My host family has been incredibly welcoming and hospitable. They have gone above and beyond all expectations and I feel lucky to have been paired with them! Every night we sit down for family dinner and speak almost entirely in English. P is very curious about life in America and I’ve enjoyed answering all her questions. My host mom is a wonderful cook and she has agreed to teach me some of her recipes!

This weekend the whole family traveled to Porto Sant’Elpidio for P’s triathlon. Even though it was brutally hot and we were all exhausted by the end of the weekend, we still had a fun time and P did a great job.
This was a huge event, people from all over Italy came to compete. It was crazy being surrounded by people and not hearing a single English word spoken, definitely not what I’m used to. 

One great week down, many more to come.