After finding out the location of my site and meeting my counterparts, Carmen and Laura, I was excited to visit the town I’ll be living in for the next two years. The first day, we left early and visited Peles Castle. It was inhabited by King Carol and Queen Elizabeth early in the 20th century and it was a real treat to see the rooms inspired by different nations. My favorite room was the music room with Greek mythological characters painted on the walls followed closely by the library, complete with secret passage. On my site visit, I celebrated my 23rd birthday. I got to meet some British students who were on a summer trip here to work with Rroma and disabled youth. They do this every year, which I find admirable. I also got to see the city and had lunch at the deputy-director of the high school’s house. Everyone is so friendly and generous. Even though she had never met me, Doamna Stoica presented me with a wallet for my birthday. I look forward to working with her at the high school. I also got to visit a nearby resort town, Slanic Moldova, where it is said, if you drink from the (slightly sulfuric) water, your ills will be cured. It was a very quaint and picturesque site.
The two weeks back in our training city were quite hectic. We wanted to spend as much time with our American friends as possible before we all departed for our sites. One weekend there was a beer festival going on, complete with concerts and mici. Saturday we celebrated my birthday and that of another volunteer and one of my close friends, Annie. Sunday, some of my friends came over and we made some American comfort food: mac ‘n cheese. The next weekend we went camping again. This time 5 more volunteers joined us. I only went Saturday night because I was sick all day Friday (and had a practice speaking exam). It was fun, but since I was still sick, I didn’t have as much fun as I would have otherwise (especially when I was trying to sleep and people were singing at 4 in the morning).
The last week of training was extremely full of things to do. All we really wanted to do was study for our language exams but the professors tried to keep us entertained and engaged. Luckily, my exam was on Wednesday, so I was able to get it over with early, but on Tuesday my gazda invited some of my friends over for pizza, which put a dent in my study time. It didn’t affect my score though and it was fun. Thursday night, Katie slept over so we could get ready together to go to Bucuresti on Friday for swear-in. We were sworn-in at the Ambassador’s home, which was a very special experience. This was the first year that it took place there. The house and property are beautiful and the Ambassador and his wife are very gracious. The food was delicious and reminded us of the States! Friday night, one of the volunteers, Megan, had a party at her gazda. It was a wonderful last hoorah for all of us. We had a wonderful time celebrating.
Saturday and Sunday were spent packing and spending time with friends as people slowing trickled to their sites. We sent Katie and Ryan off Sunday evening and the rest of us left Monday. I took a maxi-taxi with Marta on Monday and Carmen picked me up from the station with all my bags. Since I’ve been at site, I’ve been settling in and meeting people. On Tuesday, I bought some kitchenware and made chicken ciorba (traditional sour soup) with Carmen. On Wednesday, I met Gabi and Marlena, some younger teachers at the high school. On Thursday, I went to the swimming pool with Gabi, Marlena and another teacher, Antonia. It was a lot of fun.
On Friday, Gabi and I hiked up into the hills surrounding the town. It is unbelievably gorgeous here! On Sunday, Carmen and I went to a barbecue with the director of School No. 7. He and his family are wonderful and his daughter is a senior at the high school and will probably become one of my good friends. I’ve already met some wonderful people and I’ve been here less than a week!
