I can now speak another language, Romanian and when I was in Milan last month, it made all the difference for I can now understand Italian. Learning Italian is going to be so much easier now.
I can live in another culture and different language, on my own and be perfectly comfortable doing so.
I have met some amazing Moldovans, especially my host family in Vasieni. I absolutely love them and the feeling is entirely mutual.
I have met some amazing Americans in the persons of my fellow PCVs and our amazing staff at Peace Corps.
Moldova has some of the cutest dogs and cats I have ever met. They are stray for the most part but they still are very friendly.
Since moving to Moldova I have started running and can now run for more than an hour. I never put much energy into trying before and now am registered to run my first official race, a 10k in Athens, Greece in October.
I have had the opportunity to indulge in one of my favorite things to do - travel. It is so much less expensive to travel within Europe from here.
I have everything I need to live comfortably here in Moldova including my own apartment.
Peace Corps takes really good care of us and provides even the littlest things e.g. dental floss.
I have learned not to sweat the small stuff.
Moldova has some beautiful countryside and I have learned to appreciate it.

These are just what I can think of now. I will be sure to add to the list.

I had the honor to co-MC the Swearing In Ceremony (in Romanian) for some new PCVs last week. It was amazing as I watched the new PCVs and remembered my own Swearing In last year. I remembered the goals I had for my service here, the reasons why I signed up for PC. Our Ambassador to Moldova Asif Chaudry addressed the gathering and talked about when President Kennedy made that speech in Michigan in 1961 and how those students followed up with him and PC was born. It renewed in me the hope and optimism I had when I answered the call to service and made me realize that I still had some work to do here and not much time. Our Country Director, in his address also made me realize why I stay here in Moldova. He spoke about his own service and I realized that each one of us go through the same emotional roller coaster that is Peace Corps. It is an amazing ride and I believe that my service here will make a difference. Even if it is a small one, I would have been successful. So, as I go through the next 11 months, these are the things I keep in mind.

Stay tuned.....

Over the last twelve months I have learned a new language to the point where I can function in my community and the country. I have met new people, my Vasieni host family in particular with whom I have made a strong connection and have a strong bond. I have eaten different food, some of which I absolutely love, others, not so much. I have drunk house wine, which I had never done before. I have helped with grape harvesting to make said house wine. I attended an Orthodox Christian Easter Service, much different from what I am used to.

I have had lots of highs and some lows here in Moldova. It is truly a sacrifice that we make to enter Peace Corps. It is also an enormous learning opportunity. I have learned to relax more. To be more easygoing. To stress less. To let the small stuff go. To choose my battles. Along the way, I hope I have taught some things too.

I still struggle with being here and away from family and friends and the conveniences of America. I am still not as busy with work as I would like to be and that sometimes makes me question whether I am doing any good at all. I take it one day at a time though and try to look for the positives for being here. Deep inside I am also committed to serving out my time here. I am committed to being present and in the moment throughout the remainder of my service here.

So, here is to me and my colleagues who persevere here in Moldova. Here is to our second year. To the new Trainees and eventual Volunteers who have arrived today, it will be okay!!!!

The countryside is beautiful and colorful and resplendent with all the fields overgrown with flowers of every shade and type, meadows, sheep with their new lambs, goats with their new kids, cows with their new calves, horses with their new foals, hens with their new chicks, duck with their new ducklings, geese with their new nurselings . There is life everywhere you look in Moldova. People are outdoors more and everyone is happy and enjoying Spring and the promise of the warmth of Summer. Moldova is transformed and winter is a distant memory with the arrival of all the new life.

I love to go on walks and see all the trees beginning to get their fruit. Fresh fruit and vegetables will abound now. Something awesome to look forward to. Everyday the trees hold a new surprise that was not there the day before. I already had fresh strawberries from the garden and look forward to cherries. Moldova has the best cherries!!

The new group of trainee volunteers also arrive next month. We are really looking forward to their arrival since we will no longer be the new kids in town!! Summer brings all kinds of things to look forward to and this is one of them. June will also be a year that I arrived in Moldova. Wow, time does fly. It's been a year of ups and downs and I am happy to report that with the arrival of Spring, I have also had a renewal. I look forward to the rest of my time here in Moldova. I really do.

Here is an account of how it is done here in Moldova:

Easter is celebrated at churches in traditional, all-night services with the congregation standing the entire time. There are no seats or benches in Orthodox churches. In the early morning, people exit the church and form circles surrounding the building. Each family prepares a display on the ground or in a basket which includes special sweet bread (pasca), red colored eggs, wine, sausage, and a burning candle. It is quite an impressive sight as the many people stand behind their candle-lit arrangements expectantly waiting as church bells peal in the near-dawn darkness. The priests and attendants file out of the church chanting and they begin the walk of many circles. The priest dips a branch of basil into a large bucket of water carried by a young attendant, and splashes generous droplets of holy water over the people and their food in a traditional blessing. Everybody is supposed to eat the blessed food first thing in the morning for three consecutive days. Easter Monday is celebrated as an official holiday. Adults exchange presents of eggs and pasca and visit their parents and grandparents saying, ”Hristos a înviat”(Christ is risen). Children visit relatives and are given colored eggs, cookies, candies and money.
For forty days after Easter, the greeting is “Hristos a înviat”/”Христос воскрес” with the response “Adevărat a îviat”/”Воистину воскрес”. On the 40th day, people say “Hristos s-a înălţat”, with the response “Cu adevărat s-a înălţat”.

Memorial Easter (Paştele Blajinilor)
A week after Orthodox Easter, there is “Memorial Easter”, when people go to the cemetery with food and wine to visit with family and friends and remember those who have died. If flowers are taken, there should be an even number of blossoms. To decorate, towels are spread on the graves and individual arrangements are placed on the towels. Each arrangement includes colac (special braided bread), a red colored egg, a bit of candy or mini bagel, and a slender church candle. These special arrangements are called pomană, and they are given as a gift to other people to remember the dead person with the words “de sufletul lui…” (for the soul of…). The remaining of this saying is that the people believe that the soul of the dead will rest in peace, having all that he needs in the other world. Many graves have a small bench and table for food and wine. After decorating, a small can of incense is lit, and the priest and attendants come to give a blessing. As the priest chants the blessing, he pours a dash of wine alongside the grave. The family gives him money and one of the “bread arrangements” which is placed into a large basket carried by young boys. The priest and his entourage then move on the next grave and until all have been visited. There is much visiting as people go from one grave to another with an exchange of the “arrangements” which are presented with prosop (a towel), and the sharing of wine. There are no toasts, and a person will often dribble a bit of wine alongside the grave with the words “de sufletul lui” and “să-i fie ţărîna uşoară”. The exchanges may also include a cup or mug filled with candies or sweets and perhaps even a bit of sugar rice. Afterwards they eat and drink and the celebration is continued at home.

The Monday after the Easter of the Dead is an official holiday.

For Easter we say:
Sărbători fericite!
Un paşte fericit!
Happy Holiday
Happy Easter.

It somehow does not feel much like Christmas though. I miss home. I miss friends and family. I miss the stores and houses all decorated and light up with beautiful lights and decorations. I miss live Christmas trees, the smell and just the warm feelings I usually get at Christmas time. I play Christmas music but it is not the same. There truly is no place like home during the holidays.

I will be making the most of it until I am home again at Christmas. In the meantime, have a great holiday season. Be safe and healthy and good. Santa is on his way.

My pad is located on the fourth floor of an apartment building and my neighbors are great. I have already been invited over to a few of their places for tea, or just to chat, one lady told me just to come over whenever so that I would not be alone too much. It still amazes me sometimes how awesome some Moldovans are, it really takes the edge off living along here. I have a bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom. It is a nice place. It been two weeks since I moved in and last weekend my awesome site mate and my running buddy from training were over for dinner. I plan to have as many of my peers come visit as possible.

In other big news, I have planned my first getaway. It's a short jaunt to Brasov, Romania. Brasov is located in the Transylvania region of Romanian. Jenell, my running buddy and I are going at Christmas time and look forward to visiting Bran Castel, Dracula's hideout and other sites. We might even try our hand at skiing at Poiana Brasov, the Ski Resort there. This is our first trip out of Moldova and I am so excited. I will write a detailed Trip Report when we return. First stop, the Irish Pub for Guiness. I have not had decent beer in six months!

This is just another random act of kindness by shown to me by Moldovans over the last two weeks since I last posted. These acts sparked off a string of "good" days that I have been having here lately. I say that because it is not uncommon for us volunteers to experience several "bad" days in a row. Now is an especially bad time since Thanksgiving is just around the corner.

The first act that sparked my run of good days that I will share was when I went into my usual magazin - store. I greeted Valentina, the clerk and a lady who was there came over and told me how she wanted to meet me ever since she heard that there was a person "of color" and an American in the town. She went on to tell me that she has a daughter who has been living in America for thirty years now married to an American. She was so happy to talk to me and tell me all about her daughter. She kept touching me and my hair with the biggest smile on her face. (This is not to be taken offense at as most Moldovans have never seen a black person in person, also my hair style is quite different to them). She asked me where I was from in America, if I liked Moldova and told me that I spoke Romanian really well. She then asked me what I wanted. I declined anything, because most Moldovans don't have much and I feel bad when they just want to give me things. She insisted and Valentina told me it was okay. So she bought me a yogurt. I thanked her profusely and left. I did not want her to pay for whatever I wanted. I went around the corner and as I was heading back home, she saw me, pointed out her house and invited me over and gave me the biggest hug, all this with the biggest smile on her face.

Her smile was infectious and these acts of kindness to me reminded me of some of the good things about this country. Amid the frustrations, there are reasons to stay. Reasons to give it another day. So, let's hope my string of good days is a long one and even if it isn't I can reflect on them and give it one more day.

Thanksgiving is hard this year. I, along with all the other volunteers out there all over the world miss home like crazy. That's why we have our own version here. On Saturday I will go to Cahul to celebrate with my some of my fellow volunteers, we are a little family and every time we get together we have a great time. I am thankful for them.

Happy Thanksgiving all.

Here in Moldova, that is sometimes an option - somewhat - as there are some limitations. However, it is not an option at all when you live in a village. Now, granted, I do live in the main town of my Raoin, and there are a few places to go here but, there is no place like home!!!

So, I just try and fill the days as best I can. Now that we can move about, I will be going to visit friends at their sites. This also helps me with familiarizing myself with Moldova and seeing as much of it as possible. Next weekend, I am going to Strachen, a town north of the capital Chisinau. A bunch of us are going to celebrate another PCV's birthday. Until then, I have tutoring tomorrow and that will be the end of this weekend.

Have a great weekend yourself.

Training was great, it was also very good to see all my program colleagues and the AGs as well. We always have fun when we get together. It was even greater for me since I was with the family that I consider to be my family here in Moldova. I was super spoilt for the last two weeks and miss them like crazy already! I absolutely love them all, each member, and will be visiting even when I am done with my assignment here in Moldova. They feel so honored to have hosted an American in their home and are genuinely very good people to the core.

Another milestone that we are approaching is our three month mark!!! November 8th to be exact! This may not seem like a big deal but it really is. PC has a policy that volunteers are to remain at site during the first three months of service. This is meant to help us with our integration into our new communities and to bond with new host family. Now that our three months are up we are free to leave our communities without asking permission; to sleep away from site and.... to leave the country on vacation. We are now free to move about the country and the world!!!! So, of course being a traveler, I will definitely be booking planes, trains and automobiles every opportunity I get, starting with a day trip to Romania in the very near future. Stay tuned!!!

At intervals, boiling hot water is mixed in with the juice to help the process along. Meanwhile the "must" the first settling of the juice is siphoned off and placed run through a hose into the barrels in the basement which is the final resting place of the juice where it will become wine. After a week, it is time for the final part of the process to wring every drop of juice from those grapes. This "machine" is another wooden piece of apparatus and is very interesting to behold. It is hand cranked in circles to extract all the juice and can be quite tiring. All the juice joins the rest in barrels in the basement where it will ferment. Home made wine is a extensive, long and much involved process and gives me a new appreciation for the labor that goes into it.

I shall let you all know how it turns out.

My host family has about a half a hectare of land "indeal" or in the hills and it is planted with grapes. This morning we set out early at 9 am. with buckets and enthusiasm for a day of picking grapes. Last night the huge barrels were put in the garage and prepared for the harvest.

Surprisingly, it was easy to pick the grapes, but they were so many that our fingers are now stained and sore from picking so many. I will try to upload pics. The grapes are "frumos" or beautiful. They are also very sweet "dulce", just right for wine. The experience was great and I bonded more with most favorite host sister.

We brought the grapes back, transferred them to the barrels where they were crushed and will now be left to ferment for three or four days. The fermented juice will then be placed in the basement. More on the process later. I still have to learn more and want to chronicle each step.

In addition to each Moldovan household boasting about their wine. Moldova as a country boast of their famous wineries at Milestii Mici and Cricova. I plan to visit Milestii Mici next month and will blog about that. Basically it is a huge underground winery with thousands of bottles of wine ranging in prices up to $3,000.00. It is expensive for Moldovans to visit as the cost of tours start at 250 Moldovan Lei. Cricova is way more expensive and the majority of Moldovans can only dream touring this winery. I will visit Cricova next spring and blog about it so look out for it.