Today is Groundhog's Day.
It's also a snow day because my Midwestern home just got blasted by Snowmageddon 2011.
When I find myself with a few free moments, I sometimes find my mind drifting back to Romania. I think back to last winter at this time when I was hiking across Bucharest with a sprained ankle looking for the bus to Istanbul. I reminisce of the Transylvanian winter thawing into
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So here it is...my last day in Tarnaveni. I left myself some cleaning to do in my apartment to distract myself from my sadness. It's been a great two years, and I've integrated into my community better than I ever thought I would. I love that my friends and neighbors have seen this change in me...and they are sure that I'll return. I will come back, but I've learned over the years that you
Is there anything harder than goodbyes?
Now that I'm staring the end of Peace Corps in the face, the gravity of saying goodbye to the people I've grown to love is starting to weigh me down a bit.
The finality of this goodbye is heavier somehow than any other I've ever known. I had a dream the other day that resembled the Six Feet Under finale(if you haven't seen it you need to!) with Sia's "
I'm a crier...anyone that knows me knows I have, at times, an overly sentimental heart. I've lost track of the number of blurry-eyed walks home from school as I fought back tears. Naturally, I thought that I'd be in tears as I said goodbye to students and colleagues...I wasn't. It's not that I won't miss them dearly...I certainly will! But like so many parts of my Peace Corps journey...what
At my COS (Close of Service) Conference, my Country Director shared a story with my group and I to help us put our past two years into perspective. The story she shared was about the life of a BLUE MAN and because it was so great I decided to use it to share my feelings about my time in Romania with my students and colleagues.
It goes like this,
Mr. Blue lived in a Blue land, in a blue house,
I LOVE BEING A TEACHER!! Here is a reason why...
6C, after making me sign a contract promising I'll visit them in 2 years, reminded me today of how this amazing journey began. Today, they each shared a memory from the beginning of our class...they all shared so many wonderful things, and I found out just how observant they are. They know exactly what I do on days when I'm sick, angry,
With my time in Romania coming to a close, I've been reflecting on the things I'll miss most. Eurovision is definitely something I'll miss, but it's impossible to forget the awesomeness that was Eurovision 2010.
Back in the States we have parties for all kinds of sporting events, tv shows, and awards ceremonies...but none of those quite compare to the Eurovision parties I've experienced here in
Something occurred to me on my walk today; 2 years ago, today, I was scared out of my mind and couldn't even enjoy a Philly cheesesteak during Peace Corps staging (few days of preparation before departure). I'm not exaggerating about this! I broke down crying while talking to my best friend when I was standing across from Independence Hall. That moment has stuck with me. I can still feel the
I couldn't spend the day with my own mom this Mother's Day so I spent the day cooking for one of my Romanian "mothers". Explaining what we typically do for Mother's Day in America, or at least in my family, and sharing stories about my mom got me thinking. In the past few weeks 3 of my best friends have either had a baby or announced that they're preggers. They'll make great mothers...I know
A few of my high school friends invited me out to the forest in a neighboring village for the weekend. May 1st is a big deal in Romania. It's officially recognized as International Worker's Day here (Ziua Muncii), and it is what we know as May Day.
After school on Friday we gathered the necessities for our weekend and hopped the bus to take us near Dâmbău. After getting off the bus we had a
PRAGUE
Prague has been on my MUST SEE list since I read that, of all European cities, Prague's damage was exponentially less compared to other cities When I began to dabble in the works on Franz Kafka I became even more interested in the city. Then I discovered that I liked beer, and I knew one day a visit to the Czech Republic would be in my future.
I found Prague to be fantastic. I'm
Easter has been my favorite holiday for as long as I can remember...so much so that I was ticked when I had to miss Easter service for a golf tournament during college; and my student teaching supervisor would tease me because I talked about Easter too much. I thought I took Easter seriously...and then I came to Romania.
**I should make it clear that my experiences are of Easter in Transylvania
First I need to make a comment...the Peace Corps is a secular organization so I try to keep my personal spiritual beliefs to myself unless presented with an opportunity to share my faith. I heard someone say recently something that rang true for me as well..."My organization isn't faith-based, but I am!" I joined the Peace Corps because I wanted to let my little light shine and let my mind and
8 Martie (March 8th) is International Women's Day. It is celebrated around the world and was first observed as a holiday in the United States, but I had never celebrated it until coming to Romania. It's a cool day because everywhere I go people are kissing me on the cheeks, wishing me love and health in the coming year, and giving me flowers and gifts. What's not to like??!
Here, in Romania,
I gave Istanbul a glance and was so astounded by what I saw that I let the sounds and soul of the city seep into my spirit. It's been a week since I departed from the city once called Constantinople, but the hum of the city and the subtle whispers of its history continue to resonate within me.
ISTANBUL PICTURES
Istanbul is the one place that nearly all Peace Corps Romania volunteers label as
It may be my birthday, but my ankles don't seem to care.
After baking a bunch of goodies to take to school to celebrate with my colleagues (in Romania you treat your friends rather than the other way around), I was walking over to Dana & Relu's to hang out for a bit. My neighborhood isn't well lit and there was a hole in the asphalt. In an instant I was on the ground after rolling my ankle
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you say, "Joy is greater than sorrow," and others say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."
But I say unto you, they are
People ask me a lot about how I've changed throughout my Peace Corps experience. I always tell them it's not over yet, and also that I think it'll take being back home for a little while to fully grasp all the ways I've grown over the past two years.
That being said, I have recognized a few qualities in myself I hope I can hang onto: Patience, Optimism, and Perseverance. I like to think that I
This is an interesting and informative article about life in Romania today, 20 years after the end of communism.
Twenty Years Later
Give it a click if you are interested or have a minute.
I was still jet-lagged and in English speaking mode when I got back to Romania and took a train ride from Bucharest to Medias. My friends Dana and Relu met me at the train station at 12:30 am and dropped me off at my apartment to get a few hours of sleep before I had to head out again in the morning. I left the packing for the morning and crashed on my bed fully clothed. My alarm went off, in
The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.
--Maya Angelou
I was certainly aching for a little time at home this Christmas. Last Christmas I was psyched about experiencing the holidays in Romania, but this year I felt differently. It was a
Do you like my song choices for the title of this blog? I sure do! I'm off to London and Cambridge for Ioana's interview, and then as the Jackson 5 sang, I'm going back to Indiana. That's right folks. I'll be home for Christmas and this year it isn't in my dreams!! I've had a sing-songy kind of day...it's been nice!
Anyway, the reason for this post is to tell you all that I'll be gone until
This was my second Thanksgiving in Romania. The first one was delightful, but I think I spent too much time thinking about what I was missing back home rather than what I was grateful for right where I was. This year I was determined to be present and grateful in the moment.
Thanksgiving #1
As a PCV community, we were all honored with an invite to the Ambassador's residence in Bucharest for
I'm pretty sure I wrote about this last year, but after living here for over a year I've learned a few things.
December 1st is a holiday representing the unification of Transylvania, Banat, Bessarabia, and Bucovina into Romania in 1918 following WWI. (Google it if you feel the need).
After 1989, December 1 became Romania's national holiday, but don't expect something similar to our 4th of
I've spent a significant amount of time being angry over the current situation in the Romanian education system, but I've given myself some time to process and calm down a bit before writing this post. Due to the current economic crisis, the Romanian gov't decided to reduce teachers' salaries by 30% this year in order cut back the budget. The result was that this semester is shortened by 10
Do all the good you can, and make as little fuss about it as possible. -Charles DickensFriday night I had just laid down to go to sleep at around 11:45. I had a headache, and I thought that I just needed a bit of sleep. Not long after I laid down, my gas alarm in the kitchen began to sound. I hopped out of bed to discover that my headache was worse, I was a bit dizzy, and I was also slightly
It's little things like this that remind me why I joined the Peace Corps, and why I love being a teacher.Two nights a week I sign onto Yahoo Messenger to speak with my students in English. I correct them and I will only speak with them if they try to write in English. Here is one of my most recent conversations that filled my heart with joy.alex: yeeeeeeeeeeeeealex: you are so good with us!!Me:
As I walked to school on Wednesday, I ran into two people I knew on the street. Nothing was particularly special about the day or the conversations that were had except for one thing...each of them commented on how well I fit in here. I said "Pa"(goodbye) to each of them and then continued along the path to school. Once I arrived, my counterpart also commented on my integration into our little
I was attempting to read the 8th grade Civics textbook this morning; I say attempting because of course it is in Romanian. I was pleasantly surprised to find a familiar poem when I cracked the binding to the old, dusty manual.In it I found the following which I hadn't read in quite awhile...If by Rudyard KiplingIf you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
I like rainy days. They give me a chance to catch up on the things I put off when it is sunny and beautiful outdoors. Today I have 3 hours at school with a fereastra (window) at 11. The mechanic at school cancelled his hour because he is very busy preparing the school for winter so I'm currently sitting in the cancelaria (teacher's lounge) writing a message to you all. I feel good about
Disclaimer about the title: I mean nothing by the "dirty." I found it adequately clean.I had a dentist and a doctor appt. down in Bucuresti on Thursday and Friday so I decided to make a weekend out of my trip to the south in Romania. A few other volunteers and I visited Katherine in her town along the Danube River for a TexMex dinner night and a paper mache activity with kids near her town. Eu
Over the past few weeks, I've been exhausted and felt like hiding from the world. I'm sure almost all of you can identify with that in one way or another.I could have easily locked myself in my apartment and ignored all the screaming children below my balcony and all the knocking on my door, although then I'd really have no excuse for all the cleaning and laundry I've been putting off. Believe
Sometimes things come out of nowhere to restore your faith in humanity. The people that live in my bloc neighborhood are generally thought to be some of the poorest people in Tarnaveni. There are exceptions, Dana and Relu being one, and the situation has improved in recent years, but the majority of my neighbors do not have a lot of money. That being said, I just saw people throwing money off
First, I'd like to say that I hope everyone has taken a moment to remember what happened on this day 8 years ago. I think it's appropriate that it has now been made a "National Day of Service" because it is the collective actions of our entire nation and the rest of the world that will help rid the world of hate.There are significant moments that define generations. When I was a little kid, I
I am often asked, by people at home and people here in Romania, what it is that I miss the most from home. I usually come up with some goofy thing to say to make people laugh. School started back up for teachers on Sept. 1, and I've been answering lots of questions and dealing with the amazement from my colleagues that I didn't go back to America for the summer. After having a long
Some of you might have picked up on the fact that I've been struggling lately. I've been stressed and frustrated with current projects, planning, relationships, loneliness, etc. Today blew all those worries out of the water and helped me refocus on the positives.Sept. 1st is the first day of school for teachers here in Romania. I vividly remember this day last year, and I can still picture the
Sometimes things keep me up at night. I'm one of those people that can't really turn off the brain when head meets pillow. I've never minded this much. More often than not it has been a sign that I need some one-on-one time with God. I don't make time for meditation and prayer as I should...sometimes it takes my spirit stirring at 2 in the morning to get me back on track. God meets me right
I heard this the other day, and I wanted to share it with you to give you a tiny idea of the size of Transylvania. Transylvania is a geographic region of Romania, east of Hungary, approximately the size of the state of Indiana. That's right! Go Hoosiers!It's been a great summer for me here in Romania. I've lived the village life, hiked in the untouched landscape of Transylvania, working a
As the last day of July is quietly put to bed I figured I better write about the past month. It began with relaxation after a fantastic vacation in Greece with my family and ended with more relaxing, but in between was craziness! I spent a week working at a camp up in the northern portion of Romania, near a city called Satu Mare. (Google it if you are curious) At the camp were 90+ kids, many
I've been living in my humble, little bloc apartment for nearly 12 months...and yesterday was the first time I'd seen the lady that lives across the hall from me. We passed in the hall, and the sweet woman told me she is my next door neighbor! I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 12 MONTHS!! How did I not know the person that lives just across the hall from me?! Crazy. I immediately felt bad...I'm naturally
I just got back from a great vacation with the family in Greece!! The trip is nearly ineffable, but I'll do my best to give you some little snippets. Arriving in Athens was an emotional moment for me because I knew my family would be waiting for me there. Thinking that it would be a big deal, I tried to plan out exactly how I would act; but the reality was that it just felt normal for my
Hey everyone!My first school year in Romania has come to an end. I made it, and now I don't have to see the dreadful Catalog again until Fall!! The past week was full of parties, ceremonies, and a few tearful goodbyes. We sent the 8th graders off in style, and I will certainly miss them. The students all have my messenger account so they'll promised they'd contact me to hang out. We'll see
I'm emotionally and physically exhausted. I feel like I haven't slept in a week!It all started with an amazing trip to Petrila for Joel's birthday! We all had a nice time hiking in the mountains and meeting Joel's friends/colleagues, but it had to come to an end so I hopped a train back to Tarnaveni. I got back just in time for one day of classes and volunteering at the Roma school, and the
Last night, our friend Gheza invited Relu, Dana and myself to head out to the village he grew up in. All I knew was that there would be drinking and jazz...so naturally I was up for it!So we hopped in the caddy, which no longer has Michigan license plates I might add, and headed off into the countryside. Relu kept asking me why I was so quiet; I was taking in the scenery of all the little, old
I do not always feel this way, but this week brought back all the reasons why I love it. I had an open lesson for all English teachers in the area. When all was said and done around 20 teachers were sitting in the back of the classroom watching my every move like hawks! It was nerve-racking, but it brought back the excitement I had lost sight of over the past few weeks. I'd forgotten how good
Hello readers! It's May 18th, 2009 and it has been one year since I hugged my family and said goodbye in Fort Wayne International Airport...and then I got frisked by airport security. It was 5:30 am, and I was saying goodbye for 2 years! Is it a surprise I forgot the change in my pockets or that I had my watch on?? The person that left that day and cried all those tears is a distant memory at
A fellow Peace Corps volunteer reminded me of a Romanian poem one of our language teachers introduced us to during training. I love it! I hope you do as well!Tell me, if I caught you one dayand kissed the sole of your foot,wouldn't you limp a little then,afraid to crush my kiss?...-Nichita Stanescu
Chalk up another missed class due to a lack of communication. I had read all the announcements in the cancelaria and prepared lessons to cover for my counterpart, but no one told me that they had moved the Teza exams to Thursday. They were supposed to be on Tuesday, but because of the Strike (or the strike that was supposed to happen) things have gotten crazier than usual. No harm done!
While living in Eastern Europe I've been gradually making a list of all the places I must go to because of the sheer proximity to my current home. Vienna and Budapest were near the top of the list, so I packed up my backpack and headed to Oradea, Romania to meet up with another volunteer, Kate, and then embark on an Easter adventure. [Disclaimer: I'm keeping this relatively short...someday I'm
Walking around town lately since Easter everyone has been greeting me with a "Hristos a inviat" to remember the Resurrection. When there are hard-boiled eggs about people will also hit the top of another's egg with their own egg and say "Hristos a inviat!" I like this! It's kind of fun!After 6 weeks, I'm told then I say "Hristos sa inaltat" signifying that Christ has risen.It makes me think of
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