Wednesday, December 28, 2011

I will not be home for Christmas....

Beloved Barcelona!!


Think about the most joyful times in your life.. Then think about who those joyful times were with.. For me  the best times of my life have either been traveling with my friend Amanda, Thanksgiving or Christmas with my family, and my birthday with all my closest friends...

Madrid!

Being away for the holidays was a different experience for me. Here are some details describing my trip. Christmas eve: spent the day walking around the beautiful city of Madrid, stuffing ourselves with chinese food and embracing every moment. On the way back from chinese we saw up an alley radiant blue lights. This immediately caught our attention and we had to check the place out. Well turns out it was a huka bar.... At first we weren't going to go in, then I convinced Michael it would be fun. He soon agreed.. We ordered up some apple huka, a beer and some green tea. Several hours had passed as we talked, laughed, and took in the experience of the Turkuito bar.



Trying to figure out how to do this right.. haha


December 25, 2011 is the year that I woke up in Madrid Spain on Christmas day. Waking up on with the excitement in my heart of not knowing what to expect. Back in the US I always knew a few things for sure. I would see family, get lots of hugs and kisses, and be smothered in amazingly good food..  Having to wake up in a hostel with out all of these things I can say was the weirdest feeling. In all honesty it didn't even feel like a holiday.. Rolling out of bed around 9am, heading down to the hostel kitchen for some cornflakes and toast was the start of my beloved holiday.  Admitting that I sat there eating my breakfast alone I begin to have some tears in my eyes.. but also much joy in my heart knowing that I would be skyping with my family later on in the day. I was so excited because alot of my family has went out of their way to get skype and it would be the first to see many of them in seven months.

After breakfast I went and took a hot shower, and man this was a great start to the day.. I will always and forever love my hot showers. This is one thing Moldova has made me appreciate, due to not having a bathroom in my village.  After the shower Michael and I headed to the market area to see what Christmas day had brought us in Madrid. We came across this Market of St. Miquel. Can I say I fell in LOVE... Surrounded me was mounds and mounds of seafood, and my mouth couldn't stop watering for all of it.
Enjoying our Christmas!! Cheers!

Crab with Fish Eggs!

Octopus and Tuna

Yummy!

The idea of this market was tapas style. Therefore almost everything in the place was 2 euro for a plate of your choice. Michael and I tried at least 10 different tapas for lunch, and we both enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, while accenting it with a glass of red wine.

After basking in amazingness, we continued our way down to Plaza Mayor which is a famous place in Madrid. Taking in each site, smell, smiles, and laughter, I began to think to myself- this Christmas day isn't so bad after all. I am a little ashamed to say that I ate a kebab for my Christmas dinner however, along with my Chinese for Christmas eve. Sometimes you have to take what you are given... :)


Merry Christmas!

Plaza Mayor





That evening we were heading back to the hotel and to my surprise all 8 computers didn't work, and I wasn't able to skype with my family. Man was this heart aching. It felt like someone had shoved a knife in my stomach and I wasn't able to breath. The excitement that I expressed in the morning was now gone, diminished and not even a trace could be found...

After dinner we decided to go back to the huka bar. That evening we sat and conversed with them and smoked a little more huka. It's always nice to get around a new culture, and see the differences in people, food, personalities and scenery. It's such a breath of fresh air to see everyone of all different statures, and even more for them to be accepted for the way that they are. Something personally it was nice to be noticed again as a woman. The men in Moldova tend to be more turned away from me because I am not a normal Moldovan 100 pound woman. However Spanish/Moroccan men complimented me quite often and it really helped bring my spirits up.



Turned out to be quite the Christmas eve/ Christmas extravaganza.

Personally I liked Barcelona better then Madrid. Due to the feeling I got when walking around. Barcelona was very comfortable to me and utterly beautiful. The people, bars, food joints, everything in between was so full of excitement, happiness and smiles. As Michael and I said it was so nice to see people happy again, and to hear someone whistle.


Paella with Seafood!! Amazing!

Gaudi's Cascada! 















Not knowing how much the depression of people can way on you until you are around people who are cheerful, excited and energetic about life in general. Spain has always been a dream of mine to visit, and just having the opportunity was truly a gift. Spain is a place I was able to feel myself and smile and most of all just take in the culture as a whole. Guadi's work all across Barcelona amazed me again and again. I was able to see the following of his work: Casa Batllo, Casa Mila, Parc Guell, Torres Mapfre, Sagrada Familia, Cascada and Palau Guell. Each one of these places literally took my breath away and I kept
wanting more. I saw some of them several times and for me it was exciting each time. Gaudi not only has a talent, but he allows human nature to come into his work and really allow the human mind to connect with him. Using animals, plants and gravity to all come together. Each one of his pieces you really need to look at to understand, its easy to miss some of what he has included if your not focusing. Something that is a trade mark of Gaudi's was his snail like stair case in several of his homes.. Just a unique touch that he also included in Casa Mila and Sagrada Familia.




On top of Casa Mila piece by Gaudi!

Highest point at Parc Guell-another piece by Gaudi.

Entrance to Parc Guell.
While in Barcelona we stayed at the Itaca hostel. This was a quiet and small place, but in the perfect location. We were in the heart of Barcelona and everything was available to us within 15-20 minutes. I enjoyed my time at this hostel, the people, the atmosphere and the amenities. Also during my stay we met Ben Kanner from New York. We were staying in a 8 person dorm, which allowed us to socialize with others. Therefore with Ben's company we were able to enjoy a great night out on the town for tapas, paella and sangria. After words Michael
went to bed, and Ben and I decided to hit up the Apolo night club. The club was at least 30-40 minutes walking distance, which seemed to take us an hour since we had no idea where we were going. That evening we enjoyed the 70 degree weather, walking on the beach and buying random beer form the sellers on bikes.. Was a very entertaining and amusing night. Ben was quite interesting to talk to, he had visited around 30 countries, and was currently at the beginning of his one month tour to Spain, Morocco and South Africa.

My new friend Ben!

Enjoying our Paella night! :)


As the time ended in Barcelona it really made me sad, but Madrid was truly amazing as well. Like I said prior I enjoyed the food I ate in Madrid. To enjoy all the seafood and atmosphere was great. My favorite part of Madrid was the different Plazas all over the city. Each one of them had there own look and feel. There wasn't anything extravagant to see in Madrid, however it is popular for its museums. I did visit a couple of them: Thyssen and and Regina Sofia. The others were closed due to the holidays.


Casa Mila- Guadi-Barcelona

La Sagrada Familia- Guadi- Barcelona

One of the two houses that were developed by Gaudi for his new city. However was unable to be completed due to his death. The city then turned it into a park.

View of Parc Guell and the two houses that were completed.

Inside La Sagrada Familia


Each country I visit I grow as a person in culture, awareness and spirit. Spain is a place I would love to return to some day. It's a place to feel like yourself, feel free, and enjoy the moment of life... Just remember to have your pocket book full because it is a spendy place!


Tapas! Barcelona

Over view on top of the Casa Mila :)

Royal Palace in Madrid!

A center in Madrid.

Getting attacked by a street performer!!



Streets in Madrid.




Monday, December 26, 2011

The middle of December....

Each day that I spend in Moldova my life has changed with each step I take. This month I have had many struggles within myself and with this country. Anyone that ever told you it was easy to pick your life up and place it in a third world country was easy... well they are wrong....

The first couple weeks of December I felt like Moldova was challenging me in every way possible. From getting harrassed by two men on the street of Iargara, having food poisoning, and having an attempted break in to my home. These three things brought so much emotions up in my mind I didn´t know what to do with myself.

Starting with the harrassment. I was walking home from my center on a Monday evening. I noticed that a car was broken down and another man was assisting him. These two men didn´t notice I was American at the time, due to no street lights. However, they did notice that I was carrying a flash light and wanted to use it to fix the car. When I begun to speak they noticed my accent in the romanian language. Right away they wanted to touch me, kiss me and wouldn´t let me go. The men just kept saying to stay with them and that they wanted to talk with me. I expressed continously that someone was waiting for me and that I needed to go.. Finally after twenty minutes the men decided to let go of me and let me walk away. This was a scary day for me, because I felt violated, and scared out of my mind of what would happen next. I am very lucky that these two men didn´t do anything further then put their hands on me and try to kiss me. But in reality, this should of never happened. I can say some days I hate living in Moldova due to these types of things. Getting noticed all the time is very difficult, more so because when people find out I or we are Americans they are 100 percent more interested and often do things that aren´t right...I´m not sure why this happened to me this evening, and not sure I will ever know. Sometimes people say things happen to make us stronger, well some shit should never happen!!

Food poisoning.... well this on the other hand was my own fault. One day at my center we were celebrating St. Andrei´s day. Specifically, because the cook that works there her sons name is Andrei. The ladies had brought several little items to eat on this day, one including raw fish. Peace Corps has warned us about not eating the fish due to high levels of bacteria. Yet that is mostly from the lake fish and not the ocean. I had asked this day where it was from. The ladies claimed to not know. That should of been my first clue.... I took 2 small bites of the fish for respect. Because in Moldova it is very rude to turn down food and people often get offended. I went forward and tried the fish... Was fine all that evening, but as I woke up the next morning with the worst gut ache I have ever had and was puking my guts out.... Never again... never again... never again will I eat village fish!!

The break in....
Thursday the 15th a person from the village of Iargara Moldova tried to break into my house. This instance was beyond startling for me. It awoke me from my sleep, an had me terrified for my life. I have no clue what the persons intention was that night.. Whether they wanted me, my stuff, money... No idea. The only thing I know is I must of scared them off when I turned the light on, called my friend Michael and began discussing with him what to do. He advised me to call my host mom. Therefore, are 4am I sat there talking with my host mom on the phone, trying to decipher which words to use in romanian so she could understand what I was trying to tell her. I can say when romanian is not my native languae it is very had to speak when you are terrified and crying... however, I was able to use the right words, and she was at my house in a instant. That evening we weren´t able to identify anything or anyone. Yet, in the morning we discovered the lock had been broken and would need replaced. We called the cops and they came to investigate. We would of call them when the instance happened, however in my village the police don´t work in the evening(big shocker). The police didn´t say much beyong there are alot of criminals in the village, and that it´s very dangerous... Didn´t make me feel much better. They did give me all there cell phone numbers so if anything happens in the future they would come help....  Overall it made me do alot of thinking about my safety, service, and life in Moldova. My instant thought was to pack my things and leave, and even more so as I was bawling my eyes out to my father and friends.... After this, I took some time to tihnk and decided my service isn´t over as of yet, and I need to stick it out even for a few months longer. I have no idea what I will feel when I return to my village and what will happen, but I need to try one more time. Recognizing how hard it would be to leave, or to move to another village and have to readjust to another partner, work place, and village as a whole. It´s one of the hardest things I have ever done, and don´t believe I have it within me at this point to try another village.

There are so many things that happen to people all over the world every day. Most days I think it will never happen to me, but this has proven to me that sometimes the odds are against me and I will have to fight back. Peace Corps Moldova has been a struggle, but when you overcome the challenges it makes you feel tens times better. I don´t believe there is a time limit that should be set on anyones service such as 1 month or 2 years. I feel it´s when you as a person have decided you have accomplished all that you can. As for me I havne´t done that yet, and need to stay.

Beyond these scary instances my life in Moldova has been quite boring, it´s the same routine every day. Get up, go to work, sports club, shower, go home.. Day after day. My vacations are what keep me sane. Germany in November, Spain in December. Also looking to go to Scotland, Ireland and England in April with my two great friends Kory and Jessie. Looking forward to such adventures keeps me going every day and allows me to get out of bed. Because working 4 hours a day in a center where we accomplish nothing besides drinking coffee and playing volleyball isn´t anyones or at least not my idea of success. I keep telling myself that success will come in time. Seven months is rapidly approaching and I am hoping to see if that happens...

I feel as if I am missing out on a bunch back home.. My friends engagements, pregnancies, life, adventures, fun and laughter.... This is difficult to see and hear about, but also makes me appreciate them more, while knowing when I do go home it will truly be wonderful.  In my life I always seek for adventure, sometimes I don´t think before I act.. which is quite stupid of me... However, I believe each adventure I take such in Peace Corps will make me a better and more knowledgeable person. A person with the integrity to do great things and to be able to say that I have seen the world and understand how to live and integrate into a different culture. I hope that these quailties will bring me great happiness in my future with life, family, a husband etc...

Take each moment for whats it´s worth. Never think to yourself that this day, this minute, this second that you´re not learning anything. Each day is special and worth something, be adventurous enough to go out and find what it is.. This is how I think daily, hard most, but fulfilling after....

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Everything I do, can be a teaching opportunity...

I remember my freshman year in college... Wanting to be a marine biologist... Struggling day to day with the chemistry aspect of this major.. Which soon the tables had taken a turn when I decided to ask my family for advice and ask the simple question on what they believed I would be best at in life. The answer was clean and clear... That answer was to help others. But more specifically help others with what I know best, alcohol and drugs.. 

When I decided to become a sociology and criminal justice major, a part of me had changed as well. Every class, every learning opportunity, every job I have ever had....I have always wanted to get the word out on how to help others in their times of need.

Since I have been in Moldova, my counseling abilities have been put to rest. Not by my own choice, but by the Peace Corps order in which states I am not allowed to counsel any one person directly. I can only provide advice to my colleagues and then they can provide information to the children or persons that want/need to be helped.

This is something I struggled with at first, because I am so passionate about what I do for living, and also very confident in my abilities to provide such information. 

In my mind I had to figure out what was the best way to provide information to people, while still following all the correct policies of Peace Corps. The way in which I did this was by asking the young women in my English Club on what they would like to learn about. These young women gave me a variety of topics: hair, sports, health, drugs/alcohol, USA, rights, self-esteem, etc.

With this information from the women, I took this opportunity as my way in with the community. My turn to provide these women with any knowledge I can that will help them practice their english, but more so talk about their feelings and daily life.

Today's topic in my English Club was "self-esteem." Honestly the feedback I got from the women on this topic blew me away. Each of them had their own opinions on self-esteem and where that comes from. Some of the women had been made fun of most of their life, others had a perfectly normal childhood. It really gave the women a chance to hear about others experiences and brain storm about their feelings, and how this has affected their daily lives. 

With this topic we talked about how self-esteem is developed. How parents, kids, men/women, television and magazines play a role in our thought process. Also the women discussed different things that had been said to them during their childhood or currently as a teenager. I took the opportunity to talk about America and my childhood. Simply, nothing is different between America and Moldova. Women struggle with themselves everywhere, whether if thats with fashion, weight, poverty, etc. Very powerful, and as we stand today I believe the women understand me on a different level as well.

I also included anorexia and bulimia in the conversation. The women expressed that these two things didn't exist in Moldova. With my viewpoint, I expressed that I think that it does exist, sometimes it's a little more hidden then other things. Learning about these two areas, really brought many questions from the ladies, and also a better understanding of health I believe. 

Day to day I hear of women "not eating," because they don't want to get fat or they are trying to maintain their perfect figure. This is something I feel that Moldova struggles with alot. The majority of the population you see walking down the streets are around 115 pounds, no more, no less. When coming to this country, this was one of the bigger shocks to me, since America has many people of all shapes and sizes. And as a whole we except each other for these things. However the most shocking instance of my day was when one of the girls asked, "how do you become this way." It was almost like she wanted to be anorexic. After explaining in depth about the consequences and the health problems that can occur, I believe she was a little more timid. However, that immediate response/mentality of looking for a way to be thinner was mind boggling. 

As I said there is such a demand to be skinny in the world today, and not only that but to be perfect. The one thing I want to bring to my club is not only the opportunity to learn, but the opportunity to advance within their minds, self-esteem, and knowledge about general health. I believe these things are neglected to much in today's society and the opportunity to learn about these areas is just not available in Moldova. I hope with all that I am, that I can make this happen while I am here. 

Life is about accepting oneself and being happy with who you are.. fat, skinny, tall, short, smart, challenged, or whatever comes your way... Take time to examine....

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

To spend half of a year in another country....

As I sit here today basking in the peer presence of the six months that has crept up on me... I begin to wonder, to recognize and to feel everything that has changed in my life. Some may think that six months isn't a long time, but in a new country and culture it's an eternity.

I have experienced so many things in the past six months, and have grown so much with in myself. Some of what I had recognized during the Thanksgiving party that was held in Cahul, Moldova. As I found myself introducing the idea of Thanksgiving to my friend Dana(Moldovan). I soon recognized how little I knew about other cultures, and how much more I wanted to know. Myself as an American I can say I have always felt "cultured," with having visited 21 countries. However, there is nothing like experiencing a culture and also living in it. It's a whole new adventure and challenge.

Looking back at the 21 countries I have been too, excluding Moldova. I have always felt proud, recognized, si foarte desept despre ei(smart about them). Acum eu am un noau experience care este se lociesc in Moldova, eu stiu este foarte different apoi alta tara si alta experience eu am avut in trecut. (Now, I have one new experience which is living in Moldova, I know it is very different then the other countries and other experiences I have had in the past.

The opportunity to live in another country, to immerse my whole body and self into the culture, learn another language and be understood in 6 months, and to gain new positive friendships along the way, I can truly say is an adventure of a lifetime.

As the days pass, some slower then others, I learn something new each day. Whether that is playing basketball with the girls in my sports club, teaching english to my 5th, 6th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th graders, or simply walking to the center every day. I look around me, see things I hate, things I love, things that are new to me, and something things I simply will never understand. With each of these experiences I try to grow from them, and to teach new ways as well.

Today on December 7, 2011, I had the opportunity to teach and share new knowledge. I was standing outside my center watching the kids play volleyball. A few young girls in the 5th grade came to join the volleyball game. Myself and my colleagues noticed something strange about these young women. That something strange was that they had been drinking at a local bar in town. Their cheeks were quite red, and they were being really loud. This hurt my heart to no end.  Dana (which is a girl who volunteers at my center) was telling me about the first time she ever had experience drinking, which was at the age of three. She expressed to me that she had drank so much wine at the age of three, that she ended up throwing up. This story really blew my mind and I felt was the best time to introduce some of my knowledge to her. I asked Dana to come to the computer with me. We sat there for the next 30 minutes looking at different brain scans of people whom have abused alcohol and drugs. Needless to say she was quite interested in learning this new information. It felt great to be able to provide something new to her life. I have never once been worried about Dana personally, but I felt with her being a volunteer at my center it would be good for her to know some new knowledge that she could pass onto the younger children. This is her culture, and she will have a better way at approaching this act and be able to carry this information on after I leave Moldova. It was one moment in my service that I truly felt proud of myself.

As I was saying, every day is a new day for me. Which this week has been quite difficult at my center due to everyone being worried about the future. Most recently we have found out that my center will not be receiving the money from our local Raion center, or from the mayor. This is quite discouraging and really leaves the center in a tough position. This simply means that we have three months to find 20,000 dollars. This may not sound like a lot of money for businesses back home, but for Moldova this is an extreme amount of money, that is almost impossible to find.  At this point, I have no idea where my service will go from here, but I have to be patient each day to figure out the next step.

However, I can say that my center has taught me many things in the past six months. Some from the children, but a lot is from the ladies that I work with on a daily basis. Someone I admire the most is the woman who works in the kitchen. Her name is Zina. She is in her late 50's, early 60's.  This woman always is in the best of spirits, and the most heartfelt person. Every day Zina will have a conversation with me and always make me feel good about myself. Simply she will either compliment me on the way I look, my romanian, or simply about what I am doing in the center or in the village.  She is very interesting to talk to and she also has a very energetic side to her. Today a ball was coming at her and she didn't even flinch, she just joined in with the kids in soccer. It was great to see and brought a huge smile to my face. Another thing I have am thankful about with Zina is every Mon-Wed-Fri I go to my center to take a shower after my sports club. Zina knows that I don't like to eat before going to sports club, so she will always save me a dish of food and a cup of tea and place it on the counter for me. As I come to the center each evening, the food and tea is waiting for me. The small things such as that mean the world to me. Zina is a very caring woman and the small efforts that she makes has really bettered my service and brought joy to my heart.

Another person that I need to thank is my friend Michael Houdyshell. This wonderful man is a current volunteer in Moldova in the M26 group. We have known each other since the first day of staging in Philly. We didn't get close that day, however with being in the same group in Philly, the same village in Stauceni, and making travel plans to Spain, him and I have become a lot closer. Michael is like a big brother to me and is always watching out for me. Sometimes I tell him to leave me alone and he doesn't need to watch over me. But in reality it's comforting and I always know that I have someone to turn to while I am here in Moldova, and for many years after my service. Just a nice shout out to him :)

Six months.. things in my life have changed.... my heart... my mind... my culture... Yet, there are things that will always stay the way they are... which are... my family... my friends... my passion... and my drive to always do bigger and better things in the future!

Thank you Moldova for the good, bad and ugly...

Thursday, December 1, 2011

The 1st of December...

Waking up this morning with one of the worst colds/flu I have had in a long time didn't bring much joy to my day. Unfortunately I  was unable to go to work due to my head feeling three times bigger then it is. In this case I spent my day in bed trying to rest up to feel better.

My host mom came to the house around 2pm in the afternoon, not knowing that I was home. She quickly questioned this and wanted to know what was wrong. She was a little upset with me that I didn't come tell her I was sick. She expressed she would of came and made a fire for me so I could of stayed warm and not of had to stay in a cold house all day. I tried to let her know that it wasn't a big deal to me, and I am used to be on my own when I am sick.. She didn't like that answer.. Can say she is quite the sweet lady.

Soon after I let my host mom know I was ill, I found her returning to my house about every 30 minutes to see if I was feeling any better. As well know "sicknesses," can't be cured that quick, but she was hoping mine would. She kept asking me to call Peace Corps to tell them I am ill, however I let her know that for a cold/flu it's not necessary. She once again returned to my house with strawberry jam and lemon tea. She expressed that I needed to drink this and she hopes that I feel better very soon.

Also, during this time my work partner stopped by with a bag of apples and a raspberry jam for tea as well. My partner asked me "how," I had gotten sick, and she believed, along with all my colleagues that it was from the "current." In Moldova there is a belief about the "current," which  is essentially wind and when someone has a window or a door open it allows this breeze or what they say "current," to come in.  I had expressed at one point I didn't believe in such a thing, and my partner continues to express that it's real and probably how I was sick. She also expressed that it may be because my "scarf," didn't cover my throat completely. At this point I was laughing to myself, and thinking these are stupid myths and this is not at all why I am ill. It's just the mere fact that winter is here, the weather is changing, and people get colds.  But like always I didn't say much, because it was very generous of her to bring me apples and jam.

I can say that being sick in Moldova is quite depressing none the less. At home I could get in my car and go to my families or grandparents and be taken care of, or I would have my roommate who was always there for me. It always just feels better when you have someone around that cares. As for Moldova I don't have anyone, and that really makes things a little harder. With feelings this way, I kept myself busy by watching movie series, and writing in this blog. It may suck, but este viata(it's life).

Every day I am here I experience a new emotion. Some better then others.

Monday, November 28, 2011

To be thankful....


There are so many things in life for each and everyone one of us to be thankful for. For me I am thankful everyday for the experiences I have had in my life, along with the love and support I get from my family and friends.

Being a Peace Corps Volunteer has put so many stresses on my heart and life, it has been a whirlwind to say the least. Yet, every time I am feeling down about my situation, life, or simply missing my life back home. My friends and family are always there, even when I least expect it.

This past weekend was Thanksgiving, and needless to say I was quite down about being away from my family for the first time in 24 years. As I woke up at 7:00 am Thanksgiving day, I had this urge to get on my computer to see if my family or friends had contacted me. Well that instinct was correct and my eyes instantly filled up with tears as I see on my facebook wall a picture of my face on a stick, and my best friends holding it by their side. Sarah, Ashton, Kim, Stephanie and Cassie made my day and I will never forget that morning and the love I felt. It was just the recognition from them, and how they made the effort to include Jessie Ryan and I at Scooters a local bar in New Sharon(hometown). It has been a tradition for several years for us girls(whom have all been friends since 2nd grade) to get together and enjoy each others company and to catch up the day before Thanksgiving. And once again I can truly say I am thankful that I have such wonderful friends, that I know they will be around for the rest of my life. I LOVE YOU GIRLS!!



The other thing to be thankful for is the love and support I am getting from my family and friends with my current JuneBug project here in Moldova. As we know my goal is to provide 200 children with new jackets, hats and gloves for this winter season. Currently we have raised over 1300.00 and I am more then happy with this amount! I really couldn't be successful in my community with out all the love and support I get from my loved ones. I cherish you guys so much. And to know that each person that helps out with this project will be more then acknowledged at my center. I will be printing off photos of each person who donated so the children can see the "Americans," who helped them out.  Love you guys!

Getting back to Thanksgiving and being away from family. This year was quite a different experience for me. As I woke up on the day of, I thought to myself, what feels weird about this day? I am used to going to Florida to spend Thanksgiving with the Francis's or waking up and heading to grandma's for an amazing Thanksgiving feast.

However, this year I woke up, finished packing, put on my clothes, locked my doors and rolled my suitcase up the road of Iargara, Moldova. I was off to Germany!! This was a very exciting day for me, however they day didn't start off all that great.  Every morning that I have went into the city of Chisinau I have taken a rutiera(bus). On this particular morning I recognized the bus was completely packed and there were no seats. This usually is the case and I don't think anything of it, due to the majority of people getting off at the next village and at that time I will have a seat for the remainder of the ride(which is 1h 30 min).  As you guessed, on this day I had no such luck. Found myself standing in the middle of this bus, hanging on for dear life as the rutiera driver takes off at about 80-90 miles an hour, on a bumpy road. Do I need to say more? My stomach was tossing and turning like no other, and I couldn't barely find my bearings. Not a great way to start my day.

When I did arrive at the bus stop, I met up with Alex and Tanya(friends from Chisinau). They picked me up and took me to the airport. Very thankful for their help! It is not the easiest thing to jump on another crowded bus with so much luggage, let alone be successful at it.
Tanya and I at Eli Pili Bar

Alex at the Sauna

As I arrived at the airport and was sitting around waiting for my departure to Germany I begun to think about my life... My life in Moldova and how awkward it felt to be leaving. To leave Moldova and experience another culture, and to be able to feel like my self again. At that point I wasn't sure what would happen when I arrived in Munich that day.

The plane lands, my heart rejoices!! I am in MUNICH and that's all my heart and mind kept saying over and over and over again. As I walk through customs, threw the gates, I see my cousin Dana! That was the most relieving feeling I have felt in 6 months. To see a familiar face, and not only that but family! She greeted me with a huge hug, and I can't tell you how much that made my day! Life in Moldova makes me appreciate the little things all the more.. Especially things such as hugs, because as I expressed this country is not very affectionate or loving to say the least.

As Dana and I headed out of the airport the first thing she said to me was "Guess what's over there?" STARBUCKS!!! I can't even express the joy I felt when I saw my beloved Starbucks!! I went straight there. They didn't have my normal cinnamon dulce latte, however they did have the holiday seasons out and in which I basked in a gingerbread latte! It was heaven on my lips.. The next stop from there was my second love Subway! And with this I have to share a little piece of information. The lady at the Subway counter was preparing my sandwich and she dropped my chicken into a pile of onions.. As we all know my hatred for onions and in the states I would of asked them to remake my sandwich, and she even offered too! However, I didn't even care, I told her it was fine and I would take the one she had already made. I am not sure if this has developed from Peace Corps, or overall just appreciating and indulging in the simple things. Hard to tell, but needless to say I surprised myself!
Enjoying my Starbucks in Nuremberg!

Starbucks in Munich!

Dana and I headed into Munich and started off our adventures at the Olympic Stadium. As we were walking around this park a little bit of our childhood came into play as both of our eyes centered on a huge leaf pile! We walked past the first one, however as we approached the second, the temptation set in and we had to partake in the jumping in and throwing the leaves! Felt great to be a kid again and what can I say Munich is such a beautiful place and got the best of me!
Never too old to play with leaves!
Hanging in the leaf pile!

From there we enjoyed the sites of the impressive BMW cars at their museum. I have never been to museum quite like this before. And I always amaze myself when I visit a new country and the little things that really impress me. The museum and its structure was definitely one of them.
Testing out the speed at BMW museum!


The best part of the day I would say would be the Hofbrauhaus. We walk into the crowded place and instantly I felt at home! People were enjoying themselves all over the place in about every language you could think of. And the best part was we could talk as loud as we wanted and people wouldn't think anything of it, because everyone was doing it! This night I enjoyed a "Radler" which is a white beer with lemonade, and I can say it was tasty!! Also that evening I ended up partaking in an amazing sausage dish served with some of the best sauerkraut. A perfect evening! I even got hit on by a man from Italy(he wasn't the best looking and didn't speak English that well). Yet, it was great to be recognized again!

Radler beer!! White beer with lemonade. Foarte delicious! 

2nd day(Nuremberg)
I woke up around 8:00 in the morning. Was feeling a little sluggish, but overall great. Most of all because I knew I was going to have an amazing breakfast and a hot shower, along with a Starbucks later on in the day! Like I said the small things in life that I now cherish and enjoy. Toliet, Shower, oh and a glass of milk!! As I told my father I was able to drink my first glass of milk in 6 months while I was visiting Dana!! WHAT GLORY!!

At around 9:30 am, we took off for Nuremberg to enjoy the Christmas Markets. Germany is known for really going all out during the Christmas Season. And I can speak clearly of that, they do more then go all out!! In all my travels I have never been able to experience Christmas decorations, ornaments, lights, trees, basically the whole works.. Well I can now check that off my list...





Yummy bratwurst!!

Aren't I adorable!


During this day we walked around enjoying all the little booths full of cute ornaments, delicious chocolates, hot wine, and the most amazing bratwurst sandwiches I have ever had in my life! I was in HEAVEN!! While that evening we went to one of the local restaurants and I was able to get a taste of wiener schnitzel.  As for the end of the evening, we decided to go to Dana's friends going away party at a place called Alex's cafe. This evening we really enjoyed conversation with her friends, and was able to sit back and relax.

3rd Day- Ansbach- Thanksgiving FEAST

Slept in until 10:00 am and headed straight to the kitchen to start making biscuits and gravy! If you don't know me this is by far my FAVORITE breakfast food. I can admit I ate ALOT this day... After we finished breakfast and showered, we took off for the Army base. This is where Dana is currently working as a biology teacher. Never in my life have I seen a base before, and just another thing I enjoyed fully and can check off my list. Dana also stopped by the commissary and I was able to pick out some American foods that I had been missing. My cousin was so great to me all weekend and paid for my goodies, along with several other things. I appreciate and am so thankful for this! I will enjoy my goodies to the fullest.

As we returned from the base we begun to make our Thanksgiving feast!! This was quite exciting for both of us, due to never doing this before. We decided to make Turkey, Sweet Potatoes Casserole, Mashed Potatoes, Scalloped Corn, Applesauce Jello, and had some Moldovan and Italian wine! It was wonderful!!

Sugar Cookies!

Our Feast!


Around 7:30pm we took off for Rothenberg for the Night Watchmen's Tour. We arrived a little late, but soon caught up with the group. The leader of this tour was quite the comedian and Lasco, Dana and I really got a good laugh! After the tour we headed to a local Irish bar where alot of the soldiers hung out at. To my surprise one of them decided to buy Dana and I a German Flag shot. Was quite tasty. Lasco ended up buying us a second round of the shot as well. And of course I enjoyed my last lemonade beer!
Castle in Rothenberg!

YAY!!


German Flag shot that a soldier bought for me!


All and all my trip to Germany was amazing!! When I woke up on the 4th day at 5:00 am and realized I had to go back to Moldova I was a little sad. Realizing I wouldn't be with my cousin anymore, wouldn't get to feel like myself anymore, and most of all just going back to my Moldovan reality. I can openly say that my life in Moldova is far different then I had ever expected and when I got a little taste of my life back home it made me long for it even more. But, reality is, I am in Moldova, this is my new life and home and will continue to do great things here, no matter how different it may be.