Challenges and cherries

We arrived in our communities for Pre-Service Training on Sunday afternoon, and today is Thursday. We will be in these communities for 10 weeks. I have been working on integrating into my host family and community, but it has been challenging because I don’t understand the language very well yet, and am probably missing lots of cultural queues. Sometimes I feel like I blend in ok – like the time a truck driver pulled over to ask me for directions – and other times I feel like I am obviously an outsider. But so far, the people we have encountered have been willing to talk to us and help us get to know their community better. Yesterday was a tough day because my host dad was speaking to me a lot and I couldn’t understand anything he was saying. I was so frustrated because I really wanted to understand him. But I have to be patient and realize that I have only been learning this language for about a week! I have definitely learned a lot more Romanian in a week than I have ever learned of any other language in a week! The language training is really fantastic, and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to participate in such a great program. It was helpful to talk to my Peace Corps mentor, who reminded me that the language skills will come with time.

Today I felt better about my language skills. I was able to communicate more with my host family, and even understood a joke my host dad told! My PC colleagues and I also started working on a project to map our community. In small groups, we spent the afternoon walking around town, visiting offices and landmarks, and asking people about the town. Despite our very limited Romanian, we were able to talk to staff at the Mayor’s office, the city council, and the cultural center. We have also talked to staff at the library and at a few cafes. I was interested to learn about these places, and glad to have this assignment to give me a reason to go talk to people. I definitely feel like this helped me get to know the town better so I can feel more at home here.

Before I came here, I had no idea that Moldova is full of cherry trees! They are everywhere in town, and the cherries are delicious! There are gorgeous roses everywhere, too, and they smell amazing. I’m also very lucky to have a view of sunset from the window of my room. A few times this week, I have stood staring out the window for half an hour or so watching the sunset until there is just a faint pale pink glow in the distance. These are some of the things I already love about this country (at least this town!), and I am sure that there will be many more.

Almost home

Today, we spent more time learning language and learning what is expected of us as representatives of Peace Corps and the United States. I’m glad we have had this time at the hotel for the past few days to get accustomed to Moldova, learn useful information, and get to know each other better. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the nice weather. It has been a little too warm during the afternoon when I’m tired and trying to learn language, but fine otherwise. In fact, I was expecting hot and humid weather like the day we arrived and it has been much better than that. I’m over the jet lag enough that I’m sitting outside in the cool evening air as I write this, listening to birds and the sound of other trainees practicing their Romanian language. I can also hear music and smell barbecue coming from nearby. I’m honestly so happy to be back in Eastern Europe. I do feel at home here and I am glad to be back. Although I’ve never been to Moldova before, there are many things that are familiar to me here, from electrical outlets to food. Sometimes I have to remind myself I am in a new country. I’m excited to learn the things that are uniquely Moldovan.

Tomorrow, we will move to the communities where we will live for the next 10 weeks during Pre-Service Training (PST) and meet our host families. I feel like I know enough language to be able to communicate a little bit with my host family and I’m excited to be in an environment where I will have the opportunity to use the language I already know and learn more. We will be divided up in 6 communities by type of work: 2 communities each for Health Education, English Education, and Community and Organizational Development (COD). I’m in the COD group, and I’ll be living in a town that is a regional capital. The town I will be living in is also the place that the whole group will meet in once each week during PST for combined training. On a different day each week, the group of COD trainees in my town will travel to the town where the other COD trainees are living and participate in combined COD training. It will be different living with a family, and not seeing all the other M32s every day, but there will be about 10 of us in the same town and we will see each other nearly every day for language training.

Language, cherries, and dancing!

After a few nights of good sleep, I am getting over the cold I arrived in Moldova with. It has been challenging to stay awake during trainings while jet-lagged, and has also been difficult practicing language while stuffed up and blowing my nose. But I feel optimistic that things will be better now, as I get healthy and acclimate to the weather here. The days are full, but that’s how I like them.

And we are being well-nourished. The food. Seriously. The food has been wonderful! Fresh, ripe cherries and strawberries! And my new favorite food, Plăcintă.

Yesterday, we started learning language and did some other training and logistical things. Today, we learned more about the country and the language, and even got to hear a local band and join them for some dancing.

It was cooler today because of the rain clouds, which was nice. I got to walk down and look at the river after dinner. For a girl who comes from a place surrounded by water, there is something very grounding about seeing a body of water. It gives me peace. And to top it off, there was a stunning sunset this evening. I feel ready for tomorrow.

Hello, Moldova!

We made it to Moldova! It was a very long day of travel, carrying heavy bags, and wearing wool pants in hot weather (I could only pack a limited wardrobe…). But I am very happy to be here, and after a good night’s sleep tonight I think I will be able to discuss it more thoroughly.

my bags are packed, labeled, and ready to go

arriving at JFK airport

one last Starbucks before leaving the country

and we're aboard!

are we there yet??

layover in Vienna

hello, Moldova!

setting foot on Moldvan ground

Chisinau airport

we have arrived!

M31s at the airport to greet us

my PCV mentor, Shannon

Just the beginning

Yesterday, I said goodbye to the only hometown I've known for 34 years and hopped on a plane to Philadelphia to meet the other Peace Corps Trainees who will be headed to Moldova with me tomorrow. It was bittersweet to say goodbye to my dear friends and family, because I know that Peace Corps is going to be an amazing experience, but I will miss so many wonderful people while I am away. Fortunately, I have met some nice people in my Peace Corps group already, and I'm looking forward to meeting great new people in Moldova, too!

Today was mostly logistics and training, but I had a chance to get to know a few other M32s better, and walked around Philadelphia just a little bit. Foodwise, the day was definitely a win: Starbucks oatmeal and latte for breakfast, sushi for lunch, and Chinese dumplings for dinner. Hurray! Gotta stock up while I can!

I'll be honest; I am not looking forward to traveling all day tomorrow and an overnight flight, and then having to be dressed professionally while sleep-deprived when I step off the plane in 90 degree weather in Moldova. Eep! But we will manage! All of us are trying to make sure our bags aren't oversized or overweight. I hope mine aren't, but I guess there will be a moment of truth at the airport tomorrow...

Tomorrow!

OhmygoshIamleavingtomorrow!!!

Of course, things tend to take longer than anticipated and there have been a lot of loose ends to tie up this week. So, it's the morning before I move to another continent and I am still trying to figure out how to get my bags packed. I am sure I will need a lot less stuff than I think, but "what if" I don't pack something and then wish I had? I think this is where my previous discussion comes in to play. Trying to remember that what I need will find me. I am sure I will look back at this post in the future and laugh at myself for spending so much time deciding what to pack. But for now, back to packing!