Hiking in the mountains!

Today my host family took me hiking in Dolomiti mountains...we did a short little hike to Lake Nambino, one of the "Five Lakes" of the region. It was a short hike, but it was beautiful!

Next Stop: TRENTO!

This week, I am in Trento with an AMAZING host family! They have two daughters, 18 and 15, a beautiful house in the Dolomiti mountains, a dog and a cat, and wonderful parents! On Saturday, they're taking me to Venice! My summer in Italy is complete : )

San Mauro Pascoli Final Show!

Here are some photos from my first camp in San Mauro Pascoli and my first final show!

Goodbye San Mauro Pascoli, Hello Carisolo!

Today was my last day at my first camp! My kids were absolutely amazing--I was so lucky! Tonight is our final show and we're doing a sort of Alice in Wonderland idea...Alice is lost and runs into Shrek, Frankenstein, a vampire, and then finally Lilo (from Lilo & Stitch), who helps bring her back to her mother...meanwhile, Alice's mother is asking other girls (Jasmine, Hannah Montana, and a Princess if they are Alice)...dont worry, it has a happy ending! : )

Here are some photos from my first week! : ) ENJOY!

XOXOXO

My first day!

Today was my first day of teaching! I am on the eastern coast of Italy, between Cesena and Rimini, in a small town called San Mauro Pascoli. I am living with an AWESOME host family in a nearby town. They have two girls, Francesca (12) and Daniela (8). I think I am Daniela's new best friend! She hasn't left my side since I got here Saturday night! : ) She is so adorable!

My class this week is third grade (age 8-9) and they are so smart! Today it was raining outside all day, so we had to stay in the classroom, but we worked on the alphabet and drawing pictures for each letter; making introductions; and things that we like. We also started planning for our show at the end of the week! With 9 students, we have lots of imagination! And now I need to come up with a script for Alice (from Wonderland), Shrek, Hannah Montana, a vampire, Jasmine (from Aladdin), Lilo (from Lilo & Stitch), Frankenstein, and Princess (& the Frog)...wish me luck!!! : )

But I absolutely love my kids and teaching is a lot of fun! I am really glad I found this organization and would recommend it to anyone--education major or not! It's hard work, but it's very rewarding! (Plus, you get to travel Italy!!!) : )

I will keep you updated with how the rest of my week goes and where I'm headed next week!

BACI!! xxx

Ciao from Italy!

Last week I had tutor orientation in Sanremo, Italy...the days were long, but I learned a lot!

There were not enough camps this week for all the tutors, so a group of 40 tutors was put on "hold" in Bajardo, a small town in the mountains 23 kilometers from Sanremo. We are staying in houses that seem like they're from the middle ages...there is no internet access in the town...and we have killed a few scorpions...but the view (when it's not raining) is incredible! The weather has been cold and rainy this week, but we have had a few daytrips to escape the cold! Monday we went to a Bussana, a little mountain community of international artists; Wednesday we went to Cannes, France and Monaco; and today I came down the mountain into Sanremo to use the internet! Cannes and Monaco were absolutely beautiful and they made me want to learn French!!! The French people are so beautiful, the language is beautiful, and the food is delicious! In my two hours in France, I had fresh, melt-in-your-mouth strawberries; a nutella-filled crepe; and a ham and cheese quiche! Monaco was really beautiful too; we saw the palace in Old Monaco and also Monte Carlo, the famous casino!

Tonight I find out where I'll be for camp next week (my first camp!) and tomorrow I'm going to Sanremo to observe a camp and help out.

I also have an Italian phone now! +39 327-225-1875 : )

I will try to update again soon, depending on if I can get internet access! But until then, enjoy some photos from my time so far!