The long bittersweet goodbye

While the title may have the word long in it, this is going to be a short post and my last post while living in Moldova.

I will be flying out of Moldova for Budapest at 5:45am on Wednesday, July 27. There are no words to accurately describe my feelings about this. The last 7 weeks since school finished has been a whirlwind of packing, cleaning, visiting as many people as possible, helping with the training of new volunteers, saying goodbye, repacking, getting rid of things, buying gifts, saying thank you, crying, smiling, laughing, drinking, eating great Moldovan food, and saying more goodbyes.

This morning at 6am, I got on a bus for the last time in Floresti and headed to Chisinau. I was proud that only one tear fell since I did not want to make a fool out of myself in a bus full of Moldovans. But I made sure to attentively watch out my window as we drove through my town for the last time. I just wanted to soak up as much as possible. Saying goodbye to other volunteers has been difficult, but at least I know I will be able to see them again back in the States. Saying goodbye to my partner, my town and friends, to Peace Corps staff and to Moldova has been heartbreaking. I know I will see them again, but I do not know when. Although according to my partner, I will be back to see her new house once it is finished being built. All I know is that I cannot imagine not coming back to this crazy wonderful country that has been my home for two years. I have never wished to have 2 lives more than I do right now.

Just typing this has made me a little emotional so I will wrap up with my favorite things...numbers and photos (in somewhat chronological order) of my favorite people and times: When I leave Moldova I will have been here for 776 days or 105.5 weeks. And it has been some of the hardest, funniest, heart warming, loving and wonderful 776 days of my life.