What were you grateful for this week?
My friends in Rome. 

What was the most challenging part of this week?
Dealing with cultural differences and misunderstandings.

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week.
Their housekeeper left, so I’ve started doing the dishes in the morning and at nights to help out around the apartment.

Tell us about your week! 
This week has been pretty low-key, still trying to get over my cough and rest a bit from my trip last week. But every time I’ve gotten out and about I’ve been reminded how grateful I am for the chance to be here, even on days when I don’t do anything super exciting.

 

I got to meet up with some other Rome Abroad travelers here in Rome a few times this week and that was so good. We found an awesome smoothie place one day, went out to late-night pizza another, and it’s been nice to walk around on some sunnier days we’ve had. 

 

Saturday was so nice, I spent most of it reading on the Spanish steps, and also saw some amazing Caravaggio paintings in the San Luigi de’ Francesi church.

Sunday I went with a couple other girls up to Tivoli for a day trip and that was super fun. I’d gone a couple weeks ago by myself, but the Villa Gregoriana park was closed, so I was excited to hike around that and get a breath of fresh air, literally. The park is a fascinating mix of natural topography and man-made landscaping, making for a lovely hike with beautiful waterfalls and caves. It was nice to get away from the city for a while, and really nice to have a day with friends.