What were you grateful for this week?
Friends. 

 

What was the most difficult or challenging part of this week? 
The Italian train system. 

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week.
Friday night I stayed home with the kids while my host parents went out for a date! I got to spend more time with one of the kids and I helped him with his English homework and we talked about sports and he showed me some of his favorite music and he even tried to help me learn some Italian. 

Tell us about your week!
This week I got even more adjusted to living in Italy and now feel so comfortable here! I met up with K and M who are also living in Gallarate and it felt so nice to speak English and have some friends close by. I forced myself out of the house and to just wander the streets of Gallarate this week so I could become more familiar with the town and how to get places, which really helped when walking to the train station Saturday morning!

Me, K, and M went to Venice this weekend. It was the most unreal place I have ever been to. I had seen pictures of Venice and even scenes in movies of Venice, but nothing is like seeing it in person. Around every corner is another canal with another bridge with amazing buildings in cool colors. The shock and amazement of the place never wore off.

While in Venice the first day we took a boat ride to an island off Venice called Burano. I had heard of it being the most colorful city in Italy, and it did not disappoint. Every building was a bright color and it was impossible not to have a smile on your face while being there.

The second day in Venice we explored more and got lost more. We walked around for hours with no where to be, just enjoying the uniqueness of every street we walked down. We hit a lot of dead ends and ended up in places where we were all alone. We also ate a lot of good food, gelato, and pastries and became so full we found a sweet dock that opened up to a large canal and just laid down to enjoy and digest. It only took us 6 hours and a little confusion to get home but we’re now one step closer to becoming pros with Italian trains. It was definitely a weekend I will never forget.