One year.

I've been wanting to fire the blog back up. I got super busy over the summer and got lazy about writing. Also my computer has been overheating, and I'm not sure if that's because it's 6 years old now or because the weather is hot or what, but in any case I have been trying to use it sparingly, which is kind of getting in the way of work and of writing.

But today is August 15, 2018. One year ago I finished PST and packed all my bags to get ready for Swearing In and moving to my new home in Cahul. It's hard to believe that a year has already passed. In a fun turn of events, today turned out to be the day that I finally bought an ie ("ee-ay") - a traditional Moldovan shirt - and I think it's fitting that it marks one year spent in Cahul. I plan to wear it for Ziua Independenței (Independence Day) later this month.

I'm excited that the M33 Volunteers will be swearing in tomorrow. It has made me reflect on my own PST and the past year at site. What a year it has been. There were definitely many challenges, but there were also great experiences and beautiful sights. It's also interesting to see how I have changed, how my language skills have improved (and how they haven't - haha!), and how I've integrated into my Moldovan community over the past year.

I'm sure I will have more reflections tomorrow, the anniversary of our Swearing In and arrival at site, but I was thinking today about how from here on out everything will be a "last" instead of a "first." Probably I will not still be in Moldova by this time next year, which is strange to think about. I look forward to what this year will hold, and I plan to savor all the moments.