What were you grateful for this week?
Finding friends! I connected with other au pairs in Milan. And met up with H and K who are from Rome Abroad. 

 

What was the most difficult or challenging part of this week?
Figuring out first week things. For example, the metro, the streets, and my phone. Once I got all of those down, or at least enough that I felt comfortable, everything has gone a lot smoother and I feel a lot better about being here alone. 

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week.
Tonight, my host parents wanted to go out on a date so I stayed with the kids a lot longer than normal in order to put them to bed. It was difficult because the kids don’t really understand what I am saying to them, but we got it all taken care of and bedtime went semi-smoothly haha. 

Tell us about your week! 
This week was great! I figured out the basis of the metro system which is a huge help when I want to meet up with other people in Milan. I also figured out the various routes and street names to places that I have to go to on a daily or weekly basis. This has made my day to day a lot more enjoyable because I am not stressing about where to go. I also did not have a working phone without WiFi until Friday of last week! So I had to memorize routes and rely that everyone would be on time to where they said they were going to be. 

 

The most exciting part was visiting Lake Como with H and K! The scenery was absolutely beautiful! And it was interesting being in tiny villages compared to the busy city of Milan. We went to quaint cafes, took the ferry to Bellagio, and I got close with two awesome girls! I learned that the hot chocolate here is basically chocolate melted in a cup; I think I had two a day for a few days in a row. I have picked up a few Italian words, and mixed with my Spanish knowledge, it hasn’t been too difficult to communicate with people. The weekend definitely was a turning point for me, as I had gotten to know the family all week, went out with Americans, and went on a cool trip. Excited for what the rest will have in store.