First Days in Grado

When I arrived in Grado, I immediately fell in love with it. My experience started in Italy When my host mom, Fides, picked me up from the airport and took me to her home in Grado. I met her two daughters Giorgia (10) and Gloria (5) and communicating with them was pretty difficult. Fides and I spoke in Spanish with one another Because She Knew little Inglese and I Knew no Italian (yet). Once classes started, I eventually had to stop speaking Spanish with Fides know That I was not missing out on opportunities to learn Italian (or get confused with three languages). Their family is so sweet and welcoming and I can tell that we'll all get along great! Meal times are spent with the three of them, which is fun but challenging. Also trying to maintain conversation when I can not fully understand what's going on.
 
Walking to class the first day was fine because Fides walked with me, so I knew my way. I got lost quite a few times within the first day, which is completely normal for me. Even with getting lost, it is not possible to be stressed or worried in any way while in Grado. We are able to walk the boardwalk to class with the beach and ocean in sight. The first day of class we got gelato and walked the boardwalk to class and it was absolutely perfect. Everything is beautiful no matter where you look, and the people are beyond kind. The cafes are wonderful along with all of the food that I've had at restaurants or at home with my host family. We went to a great pizzeria with the class after a tour led by Michael through the streets of Grado. I learned more about Grado and got to see more of what was in store for us this summer.

The next day, we were exposed to the rich history of Aquileia as a class. We visited exquisite museums and historical structures and artifacts Throughout the day. One of the most fascinating things to me were the many different ancient mosaics That We got to see. A lot of them were surprisingly very preserved and incredible designs and patterns That I've only ever seen in pictures. The Basilica of Aquileia was especially loaded with extravagant mosaics That covered the entire floor of the basilica. Overall, the day was very enlightening and Contributed to learning a great deal about Italian culture. 

I hope to learn more Italian, enjoy my time in Grado, and visit more new and exciting places in Italy this summer!