I realize 9 months is an odd anniversary. But I celebrate each month here knowing that I am doing something I love (most days) and something I have wanted to do for several years. I know its a little odd to already be calculating how long I have until I complete my service. But as each day passes and I get closer to the end (which I do know is still very far away) I know I am fulfilling a dream and being part of an experience that is huge!
(Yes, this post is a little more sentimental than others-just wait 'til I hit the 1 year mark!!!)
Now for an update about a few things happening or that have happened this year:
1 - I was accepted as one of 5 co-directors for a teen girls leadership camp that will be held here in Moldova in August. I am super excited about this and am looking forward to seeing how things go. The organization is called the GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) Initiative. It used to be Camp GLOW, which the camp itself will retain this name, but we wanted to expand our mission so the name was changed. Now we are not only doing the camp for girls 15-17 years old, but we will travel around Moldova to various towns, villages and universities conducting seminars for adults and college students about creating GLOW programs in their own communities. We are hoping that by doing this, we will be able to reach out to more girls year round versus just the camp in the summer.
2 - I just found out today that I have also become one of the event coordinators for the volunteer run Peer Support Network. This is a group for volunteers and is exactly what it sounds like-its a forum for volunteers to reach out to others when they need. Last year the group hosted the Thanksgiving gathering, a Halloween party, a 5k run/walk and we have many more in store for this year!
3 - I booked my vacation for the Spring Break in April. I am heading to Vienna for 6 days with two other volunteers, Tom and MacKenzie. Also, Emily (the girl I met in Spain) will be joining us there for a few days at the beginning of the trip.
4 - This semester is going much smoother than the last. My Romanian is getting better (I still have plenty of days where I just don't understand anything). But my relationship with my students is getting stronger each day and I am starting to get a small feeling of actually doing something positive for them and making improvements to their education and of course English.
5 - At the beginning of April I will be moving out of my host family's house and into an apartment in the center of town. While I will be sad to leave my family (I'll be back to visit all the time), I am excited to be closer to the center and my school while having some independence. At times it has been difficult to go back to living with a family when I have lived on my own for the last 12 years. I'm also excited about the chance to be closer to the center because it will make working in the community (other than in my school) easier!
6 - The M25 volunteers (the newbies) are already starting to get their invitations and we are meeting them via Facebook! Its so exciting to see their reactions and read their questions. In someways it feels like a lifetime ago since I received my invitation to Moldova although its only been a little over a year since that day! I know that while we are sad that some of our new friends and mentors (the M22s and M23s) will be leaving us, it is fun to know that we will have some new faces this summer and that we'll be the Seniors rather than the Freshmen!!
7 - My Dad called me the other day to tell me that I am official...they received in the mail, my degree from Sac State!! While I already knew it was official awhile ago when it posted to my transcripts, it is nice to know that I have a physical piece of paper proving it as well!!
8 - In January my host sister-in-law gave birth to her second child, a daughter Anastacia (Ana-sta-ci-a). Almost a month later (February 7) was her baptism and I was asked to be one of the secondary godmothers. In the Orthodox church they have multiple godparents. I was really touched that they asked. Below is a picture of me with my new fina (fee-na) or in English-god daughter.
I have also included a video of when she was actually being baptized-boy does the girl have some lungs on her. But it was not a surprise, the church was cold and she was naked!!
