What were you grateful for this week?
My host family, they are so welcoming.

What was the most difficult or challenging part of this week?
The time difference and language barriers.
 

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

I am an expert haggler, so my host mom asked me to do some haggling for her while we were out.

Tell us about your week! 

This week I made the long trek from Los Angeles to Rome. As soon as I arrived, my resourceful skills kicked in and got me to my hostel where I stayed for the night. It was a great experience and I made friends immediately. We even went out that night to see the Colosseum at night! I have toured the Colosseum in the day time, but seeing it as night was a special treat. It was beautifully lit up, and we just sat there for hours talking to other travelers. 

 

The next day I hopped on a train to come to Santa Domenica, south of Rome, to meet my host family. They are extremely welcoming and I enjoy spending time with the children who help me more than they know with adjusting to the area and communicating with locals who mostly only speak Italian. Santa Domenica was also celebrating their patron saints this week, so there was a festival/carnival for four nights here. I got to meet the people in this town and was immersed in their culture. There was live music, carnival rides, and performances. Moreover, Santa Domenica is on the beach, so I literally am living in a swimsuit in a beautiful paradise. I am very blessed and excited for the upcoming days!