Moldova!
**As I do not have an internet connection with my host family, I am dating each entry when I write it, regardless of when I post it to my blog. Sorry if they all end up being posted at once, I will post as soon as I get the chance, but our days are long and busy!**
9/13/06 – After many many hours and many many miles we eventually arrived in Moldova! Our plane left JFK and then there was a 13 hour flight (overnight) to Istanbul. In Istanbul we were able to check into a day room for 4 hours or so to take a nap, and then we boarded a smaller plane that took us to Chisinau, the capital of Moldova.
The plane flights really were not that bad, all things considered. We first took a bus from Philly to JFK—a long ride indeed, but everyone was in good spirits and carrying high energy for the first part of our trip. Also, the bus ride served as a good time to get to know people a little better.
The night before we left from Philly the whole group went out for Mexican food and drink—Apparently it is very hard to find tacos in Moldova! The hardest part of the physical trip overseas was lugging all of our baggage (Picture 37 people trying to unload a bus at JFK curbside that is full of all of their luggage for 2 years… what a mess) to the counter to check in. While I was worried before about the weight of my bags, the people were very understanding of why we were a few pounds over. Security was definitely tight on all the flights, and I have to say, luckily, the only problem I had was being stopped to have someone check my lap top to see if it turned on.
When we arrived in Moldova current PC volunteers met us at the airport, clapping, yelling, being enthusiastic, helping us with our baggage and generally welcoming us to Moldova. They all seemed very outgoing and friendly—definitely a contrast to our overtired, hesitant, and smelly (after all that travel) group at the time. It was also good to get to talk to these current volunteers because they were in our shoes only one year ago.
The Americans who will be serving with me in the Peace Corps are a very diverse bunch. Think about your stereotype for peace corps volunteers and then throw it out the window. They range in age from 21 – 50, with the median age being around 25. I was definitely surprised that I was one of the youngest—many people joined the Peace Corps around the age 24-25, not fresh out of college. Many have a lot of life/work experience and I will definitely have a lot to live up to.
The night we arrived in Moldova, we had a grand welcoming ceremony at our hotel. During our welcome ceremony we met the director of the Peace Corps in Moldova, and were welcomed to the hotel where we were staying in Chisinau by a traditional Moldovan meal of bread, salt and wine! Yummy. We are all excited to explore the city, but it is very hard because we now speak NO Romanian and many people do not speak English in Moldova. It is a good thing we have the current PCV’s with us to help sort things out (ie ordering food). Tonight was just a taste of the excitement to come! It is invigorating to think that now that the traveling part is done, we can really begin the Peace Corps part!
9/13/06 – After many many hours and many many miles we eventually arrived in Moldova! Our plane left JFK and then there was a 13 hour flight (overnight) to Istanbul. In Istanbul we were able to check into a day room for 4 hours or so to take a nap, and then we boarded a smaller plane that took us to Chisinau, the capital of Moldova.
The plane flights really were not that bad, all things considered. We first took a bus from Philly to JFK—a long ride indeed, but everyone was in good spirits and carrying high energy for the first part of our trip. Also, the bus ride served as a good time to get to know people a little better.
The night before we left from Philly the whole group went out for Mexican food and drink—Apparently it is very hard to find tacos in Moldova! The hardest part of the physical trip overseas was lugging all of our baggage (Picture 37 people trying to unload a bus at JFK curbside that is full of all of their luggage for 2 years… what a mess) to the counter to check in. While I was worried before about the weight of my bags, the people were very understanding of why we were a few pounds over. Security was definitely tight on all the flights, and I have to say, luckily, the only problem I had was being stopped to have someone check my lap top to see if it turned on.
When we arrived in Moldova current PC volunteers met us at the airport, clapping, yelling, being enthusiastic, helping us with our baggage and generally welcoming us to Moldova. They all seemed very outgoing and friendly—definitely a contrast to our overtired, hesitant, and smelly (after all that travel) group at the time. It was also good to get to talk to these current volunteers because they were in our shoes only one year ago.
The Americans who will be serving with me in the Peace Corps are a very diverse bunch. Think about your stereotype for peace corps volunteers and then throw it out the window. They range in age from 21 – 50, with the median age being around 25. I was definitely surprised that I was one of the youngest—many people joined the Peace Corps around the age 24-25, not fresh out of college. Many have a lot of life/work experience and I will definitely have a lot to live up to.
The night we arrived in Moldova, we had a grand welcoming ceremony at our hotel. During our welcome ceremony we met the director of the Peace Corps in Moldova, and were welcomed to the hotel where we were staying in Chisinau by a traditional Moldovan meal of bread, salt and wine! Yummy. We are all excited to explore the city, but it is very hard because we now speak NO Romanian and many people do not speak English in Moldova. It is a good thing we have the current PCV’s with us to help sort things out (ie ordering food). Tonight was just a taste of the excitement to come! It is invigorating to think that now that the traveling part is done, we can really begin the Peace Corps part!
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, September 19, 2006 at 2:32 PM.
