I didn't even realize - it snuck up on me. I was counting in weeks and I still have approximately 5 weeks left of my Peace Corps service in Moldova. But today I was chatting with one of my M32 cohort buddies who already COSed, and she told me I have one month left.
One month. It sounds like so little after I have already been here for this long. I have grown accustomed to Moldova, and have learned to navigate it geographically, linguistically, and culturally well enough to get by. Things are just starting to get somewhat easy (at least easier...). And now I'm done. I submitted my DOS today, and I have my exit interview with the Country Director on Monday.
And coincidence of all coincidences?? Today I was offered (and accepted) a Peace Corps post in Albania beginning in January 2020! The next month will be an interesting mix of wrapping up my service in Moldova, preparing for my service in Albania, and finalizing travel plans for the time in between.
I'm realizing now how much I have grown to love Moldova. I will miss this place when I leave. I'm looking forward to some vacation time, and certainly I am already looking forward to my service in Albania. But for the next 31 days, I am going to appreciate Moldova and etch some good Moldovan memories into my mind.
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
2 years
Two years ago today, I first stepped foot in Moldova. Now it feels like home. Back then, I had no idea how I would learn a new language and be able to communicate with host families and counterparts who spoke no English, much less get work or projects accomplished. Today, I have (according to my last Language Proficiency Interview) achieved an Intermediate High level of Romanian - despite the huge amount of "Moldovanesc" and Russian language that infiltrate the Romanian I hear in Moldova - and can carry on conversations with people in my community. It was hard work to get to this point, but worth it.
Today also marks one year that the group after me - the M33s - arrived in Moldova. And tomorrow, the new group - M34s - will arrive. The days are long but the years are short, as they say. It feels like each month passes faster than the last, and as I sit tonight in my room in my host family's house in my town in Moldova, it is hard to imagine that pretty soon it won't be home anymore. I'm thankful for this comfy place I have called home, and I will miss it. Which is good, because one of my goals for my service in Moldova was to miss this place when I leave. Thanks to the amazing experiences I have had here and the wonderful people I have come to call friends, I can say: Goal met.
Today also marks one year that the group after me - the M33s - arrived in Moldova. And tomorrow, the new group - M34s - will arrive. The days are long but the years are short, as they say. It feels like each month passes faster than the last, and as I sit tonight in my room in my host family's house in my town in Moldova, it is hard to imagine that pretty soon it won't be home anymore. I'm thankful for this comfy place I have called home, and I will miss it. Which is good, because one of my goals for my service in Moldova was to miss this place when I leave. Thanks to the amazing experiences I have had here and the wonderful people I have come to call friends, I can say: Goal met.
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