--breakthrough!

Well, I have been in my new home for almost a month now. I have settled into my routine. Gotten used to my new living space, my new work space and my new community. I live solely with my host mom, and so, this is an extremely important relationship to foster. As time has gone by we have slowly begun to feel normal and at ease around each other. This is a HUGE feat for me. I wasn't sure what I was going to do if we were unable to understand each other. Luckily, our living together has recently lead to a --breakthrough!  

Living with a host family is very unlike any sort of situation I have been put into before. Yes, I lived with my family, they had no choice but to love me. Yes, I lived with roommates but they were often friends and we stayed, for the most part, out of each others decisions. This situation is different. No, we aren't required to love each other or become best of friends (though I could always use another friend), but we are required to create a happy coexsistance where we can both live comfortably with one another. And so, we return to elementary school, and the golden rule to any relationship: communication.

Now, I'm no language pro, and I don't mean to sound boastful, but when it comes to speaking I consider myself above adequate. Articulation of what needs to be said comes naturally. I just say it. Since arrival in Moldova my world has been toppled on its head. My language is now the level of a slow 5 year old. This makes for a challenge when you are trying to seamlessly integrate into your 'new family' as a 22 year old who can't create simple sentences let alone complex ones. Yes, facial expressions help, and let me tell you I know how to make an expression BUT, at the end of the day a big smile or a look of confusion doesn't explain how I am truly feeling or what I would like to be saying. This has lead to much aggravation for me and the people surrounding me.

The breakthrough came yesterday. Host mom was getting sick of looking at my wrinkled clothes so she decided it was time to do a bit of ironing. After deeming my ironing less than adequate I found myself standing in the kitchen watching her ironing my pants. I won't lie, as a 22 year old woman I found it hard to watch someone else ironing my pants, when I am perfectly capable. Setting aside my pride, I decided to stick around and watch, who knows maybe I could learn a thing or two from Mama G.

After talking about the normal pleasantries, work, friends and the like, she began to tell me more about her family. There we were, swapping stories about our families. In the course of our conversation I was invited to both a wedding and a baptism. Who would have thought while ironing we would reach a --breakthrough!

I have even begun to throw in some of my own humor. Though my language isn't good enough to spurt off jokes quite yet, I can still get a giggle out of her from time to time. We were using a steam iron, one that you press a button for water. When she finally decided to give me another chance at the iron I used the opportunity to use the iron as a squirt gun and hit her with some of the water. Win, she laughed-- breakthrough!

Later we walked to the store to buy food for dinner...and sweets for desert. While we walked she told me she hoped I would have guests come to visit. I told her that my family might come during Christmas time. She looked at me entirely straight faced and said; "Yes, but how will we communicate?". I told her by Christmas time I would speak well enough to communicate. She laughed and said "Maybe, if the dictionary becomes your brother." She is funny too, this will work--breakthrough!

It was a good day. We covered a lot of ground. I felt more connected to her, and by default my community. I'm certainly not changing the world but this country is definitely changing mine. And you know what I call that, a --breakthrough!