Welcome to Moldova

Today, as in the past 48 hours, has been exhausting. We started by packing up all out stuff at the hotel in Philly and lugging it onto two giant charter busses headed for JFK. Peace Corps gave us nine hours to get there, get checked in and find our gate. We had about 5 hours to spare when we got through security, but it’s better safe than sorry. I was able to check my carry on as a third piece of checked luggage for no fee and was relieved not to have to lug it around with me.

JFK time flew by with the only thing really making me bitter being the prices of food. Ten dollars for a tuna wrap and another ten for a Stella? Not on my dime.  New York to Munich was over in a flash. Sitting next to Liz (a health education volunteer) the whole way, I didn’t leave my seat once. I watched “Identity Thief” (loved it), listened to my iPhone music (that can either make me homesick or comforted), read Brothers Karamazov on my kindle (thanks Mom and Dad) and slept real hard. Other volunteers were impressed by my ability to just pass out… I told them it’s a blessing and a curse.  I woke up to breakfast in front of me and only an hour left in the flight. At Munich, we had just enough time to change, freshen up and stretch out before boarding our final flight to Chisinau. I sat next to Chanel and found my Peace Corps kindred spirit. We talked most the way about our shared anxieties of making our time worthwhile, justifying the sacrifice of leaving friends and family behind, worrying about career progress, and reminiscing about ended relationships (both coincidently five months in duration).

Upon landing in Chisinau, greetings and the beginnings of PST was a whirlwind. Current volunteers took such good care of us, hauling and packing and stacking our luggage into a transporting truck and getting us situated on the bus to our hub site. Pizza and soda for lunch, then a couple hours of country briefing and director/manager introductions. I don’t remember most of it as my  blessing/curse for sleeping overtook me and I submitted to head bobs and fluttering eyelids. Oops. After this exhausting “sit” time, we were shuffled about, given phones or sim cards (I kept my iPhones with the intention of maintaining my 3G network here) given “walk about money” (25 lei a day, or $2) and an envelope of cash to give to our host family. All the English Education volunteers were shuffled off to one village and given the luxury of a rutirea (generally a jam packed public transportation bus) all to ourselves. Five of us to one, our suitcases were stacked to the ceiling as we set off.

I was less anxious to meet my host family than I was to stay awake much longer. But upon arriving at my new home for the next ten weeks, I was encouraged and delighted to find that I would be living with a mother and daughter (Domnica and Cristina-16) who appeared to also be caregivers to their grandson/nephew of 15 months. This little guy was the icebreaker of any awkward language barrier tension as we were all happy to give him our attention and affection. Any wink or gesture I sent his way gave him the biggest smile and he couldn’t keep his eyes off this new guest in the house.

Cristina, who speaks more English than I speak Romanian, showed me to my room and around the house. I have definitely been given the largest and most private room of the house, which was humbling upon realization. My bed is larger than what I’ve been sleeping on the past 5 months and more comfortable than I could have hoped… though I will have to get used to the sticky starchiness of the sheets. The closest think I can relate their feel to is that of a hospital beds. But I am so happy for it! Domnica and Cristina made a mashed potato and meatball dish for dinner that was absolutely delicious but all I could say was “multumesc”, which means thank you, as the only two Romanian words I knew were that and buna (hello). We picked and ate cherries off their cherry tree outside and Domnica showed me the outhouse, apparently only necessary for dumps as there is a full bathroom inside (another first world problem relief). I soon released myself to my room to settle in and unpack, looking forward to a bit more language training starting tomorrow. Host families were all informed that we would be exhausted from travel and mine was so kind and accommodating in letting me have some personal time to debrief while still remaining available for any questions or help I needed. Once settled, I sat on the bed with my legs up the wall to help with the swollen ankles (first time kankles) I’d developed during flight and travel over the past few hours. They have since vanished and I am ready for some deep, horizontal slumber.