Last week my Moldova M26 group had our close of service (COS) conference. It was a chance for us to all get together as a group one final time before we close our service and return to our own separate lives back in the US and abroad. It's hard to believe that we all have been at this for nearly two years now. Living and working hard in our respective communities.
The conference covered the administrative steps we need to follow in order to close our service, and we all took advantage of the opporutnity to enjoy each others company by BBQ-ing and hanging-out riverside.
During the conference we were asked to look back over our service and pick out some of the moments that stand out in our mind. So many moments over the past two years stand out in mind. This post will serve as a chance to mention a few of the moments that have stood out in the last two years. A short reflection as I begin the process of closing my service.
I remember...
Our first day and night at staging in Philadelphia. Everyone was so excited and nervous about what we were to expect in Moldova. I remember sitting on the bus headed to JFK airport filled with so many emotions, knowing I wasn't going to be back for two years and not knowing what was to come. I remember getting on the airplane shuttle when arriving in Moldova and speaking with some other travels asking them how to pronounce the name of the capital, Chisinau.
I remember everyone moving the luggage around and spotting a really cute boy (who later turned into my now boyfriend). I remember being dropped at my pre-service training host family and forgetting the one simple expression I was taught on the way there. I remember standing confused in the outdoor shower wondering where the hole was to pee...and causing my host sisters to just about die with laughter when they realized what I was doing. I remember my utter exhaustion from 6-day a week language lessons. I remember the first walk I took around the capital city and the insecurity that comes with being shuffled into a new crowd in a new place.
I remember moving to my first site in Falesti and how nervous I was to make a good impression. I remember my walks to work through the woods and over a old concrete bridge. I remember getting locked out of my house and feeling alone. I remember going to a house christening and the priest losing has temper at me for taking pictures. I remember the moment I realized I needed to change sites. And, I remember how scary it was to finally make that call to peace corps telling them I needed to move.
I remember my first drive through Nisporeni, knowing this was my new home in Moldova, and feeling immediately at ease. I remember meeting host mom for the first time and being so nervous I could barely get the words together to ask her if I could live with her. I remember thinking how it was going to be a beast to climb up and down the hill that my town is centered on, from my house to the center of town, everyday. I remember knowing I was going to be able to truly accomplish something in my new home.
I remember long weekends in the north of Moldova hanging out with 'the guys', watching football and making all kinds of unhealthy food. I remember attending Christmas morning catholic mass (I am not catholic) at a Russian church with the sermon given in a mix of Russian and Ukrainian. I remember the moment when I was walking around in Chisinau fully confident and no longer uneasy about where I was going or who I came across. I also remember when I finally was able to differentiate between Romanian and Russian in conversations. I remember spring finally arriving after the first winter and enjoying our first beer outside so 'the guys' could enjoy the 'sundress weather'. I remember seeing all of my Moldova M25 friends leaving and wondering how I was going to get on without them.
I remember my family's visit and the shock on their face when they heard me speak Romanian for the first time. I remember the sense of relief I felt when we finally returned back to Moldova after two days in the Russian speaking city of Odessa, Ukraine. And, I remember being so fed up with my brother and his complaining about things that don't even hit my spectrum of irritants anymore.
I remember helping make the house wine my second September in Moldova. I also remember the horrified look on host moms face when I asked her if I could stomp on the grapes with my feet. I remember the sense of pride I felt finally seeing my first big project coming to fruition. I remember weekends spent in Ialoveni with friends making countless batches of brushetta, drinking wine, and watching trashy reality television.
I also remember...
Going to the store and asking if I could buy a rat, because I was making pancakes and need some rat to put in the mixture. Oh wait, not rat, cinnamon. Those words are awfully close. I remember getting on public transport sometimes and thinking to myself *only in Moldova* whether I was standing next to a full size Christmas tree, an open flame, or a box of full grown chickens. I remember calling the mayor 'fat John' because I couldn't think of a better way of identifying which 'John' I was looking for. I remember my creepy old neighbor telling me that my legs weren't open to him... and him later getting yelled at by my host mom telling him she would call the police and that there would be an international conflict if he spoke to me again (haven't heard from him since). I remember host mom coming home one day in the dead of winter to me upset about everything, so she took care of it by making me dinner, taking a mandatory cognac shot, buying me a present and telling me it would be better in the morning. I remember going home over Christmas and thinking that I wasn't in any form of culture shock/ cultural adjustment...until I realized the day before I left that in the US we throw our toilet paper into the toilet and not into the basket next to the toilet (sorry to family and friends who had a special treat from me in their waste bin). I remember getting a stomach virus on my return from a trip to Morocco and spending several days in the bathroom...and once not making it.
I will remember...
Having a skype schedule with my long distance love back in the US. The sense of relief that flooded my system when the spring sunshine finally came to stay after the second winter. I will remember all the time I spent working on getting computers, getting said computers fixed, and training computer beneficiaries. I will remember host mom telling me that when I go away for weekends that she misses me. I will remember those moments when I was away from site and all I wanted was 'home', but home was no longer America but rather, Nisporeni.
... I am excited to take the next couple of months to continue to reflect on my time here in Moldova, and if I think of any other moments I would like to remember after I return to the US I will post them here.
But, for now...
Peace.
The conference covered the administrative steps we need to follow in order to close our service, and we all took advantage of the opporutnity to enjoy each others company by BBQ-ing and hanging-out riverside.
During the conference we were asked to look back over our service and pick out some of the moments that stand out in our mind. So many moments over the past two years stand out in mind. This post will serve as a chance to mention a few of the moments that have stood out in the last two years. A short reflection as I begin the process of closing my service.
I remember...
Our first day and night at staging in Philadelphia. Everyone was so excited and nervous about what we were to expect in Moldova. I remember sitting on the bus headed to JFK airport filled with so many emotions, knowing I wasn't going to be back for two years and not knowing what was to come. I remember getting on the airplane shuttle when arriving in Moldova and speaking with some other travels asking them how to pronounce the name of the capital, Chisinau.
I remember everyone moving the luggage around and spotting a really cute boy (who later turned into my now boyfriend). I remember being dropped at my pre-service training host family and forgetting the one simple expression I was taught on the way there. I remember standing confused in the outdoor shower wondering where the hole was to pee...and causing my host sisters to just about die with laughter when they realized what I was doing. I remember my utter exhaustion from 6-day a week language lessons. I remember the first walk I took around the capital city and the insecurity that comes with being shuffled into a new crowd in a new place.
I remember moving to my first site in Falesti and how nervous I was to make a good impression. I remember my walks to work through the woods and over a old concrete bridge. I remember getting locked out of my house and feeling alone. I remember going to a house christening and the priest losing has temper at me for taking pictures. I remember the moment I realized I needed to change sites. And, I remember how scary it was to finally make that call to peace corps telling them I needed to move.
I remember my first drive through Nisporeni, knowing this was my new home in Moldova, and feeling immediately at ease. I remember meeting host mom for the first time and being so nervous I could barely get the words together to ask her if I could live with her. I remember thinking how it was going to be a beast to climb up and down the hill that my town is centered on, from my house to the center of town, everyday. I remember knowing I was going to be able to truly accomplish something in my new home.
I remember long weekends in the north of Moldova hanging out with 'the guys', watching football and making all kinds of unhealthy food. I remember attending Christmas morning catholic mass (I am not catholic) at a Russian church with the sermon given in a mix of Russian and Ukrainian. I remember the moment when I was walking around in Chisinau fully confident and no longer uneasy about where I was going or who I came across. I also remember when I finally was able to differentiate between Romanian and Russian in conversations. I remember spring finally arriving after the first winter and enjoying our first beer outside so 'the guys' could enjoy the 'sundress weather'. I remember seeing all of my Moldova M25 friends leaving and wondering how I was going to get on without them.
I remember my family's visit and the shock on their face when they heard me speak Romanian for the first time. I remember the sense of relief I felt when we finally returned back to Moldova after two days in the Russian speaking city of Odessa, Ukraine. And, I remember being so fed up with my brother and his complaining about things that don't even hit my spectrum of irritants anymore.
I remember helping make the house wine my second September in Moldova. I also remember the horrified look on host moms face when I asked her if I could stomp on the grapes with my feet. I remember the sense of pride I felt finally seeing my first big project coming to fruition. I remember weekends spent in Ialoveni with friends making countless batches of brushetta, drinking wine, and watching trashy reality television.
I also remember...
Going to the store and asking if I could buy a rat, because I was making pancakes and need some rat to put in the mixture. Oh wait, not rat, cinnamon. Those words are awfully close. I remember getting on public transport sometimes and thinking to myself *only in Moldova* whether I was standing next to a full size Christmas tree, an open flame, or a box of full grown chickens. I remember calling the mayor 'fat John' because I couldn't think of a better way of identifying which 'John' I was looking for. I remember my creepy old neighbor telling me that my legs weren't open to him... and him later getting yelled at by my host mom telling him she would call the police and that there would be an international conflict if he spoke to me again (haven't heard from him since). I remember host mom coming home one day in the dead of winter to me upset about everything, so she took care of it by making me dinner, taking a mandatory cognac shot, buying me a present and telling me it would be better in the morning. I remember going home over Christmas and thinking that I wasn't in any form of culture shock/ cultural adjustment...until I realized the day before I left that in the US we throw our toilet paper into the toilet and not into the basket next to the toilet (sorry to family and friends who had a special treat from me in their waste bin). I remember getting a stomach virus on my return from a trip to Morocco and spending several days in the bathroom...and once not making it.
I will remember...
Having a skype schedule with my long distance love back in the US. The sense of relief that flooded my system when the spring sunshine finally came to stay after the second winter. I will remember all the time I spent working on getting computers, getting said computers fixed, and training computer beneficiaries. I will remember host mom telling me that when I go away for weekends that she misses me. I will remember those moments when I was away from site and all I wanted was 'home', but home was no longer America but rather, Nisporeni.
... I am excited to take the next couple of months to continue to reflect on my time here in Moldova, and if I think of any other moments I would like to remember after I return to the US I will post them here.
But, for now...
Peace.
I will remember the many Skype dates Sunday after Church and the relief just seeing your face would bring!
ReplyDeleteVery Very Proud of you!
Love you!
Dad