on my way home...

I am going to be on my way home to America soon. My flight leaves early Saturday morning and since getting to Bucharest is a days bus or train ride I will start my traveling tomorrow to spend two days in Bucharest hanging out with friends before I leave Romania. I think only if you had the experience before, its hard to know whats its like to say goodbye to good friends, alike to family, that you know you may never see again. I hope that one day I will come back, but it does not seem possible, at least in the near future.

Despite the regrets of farewells, I feel, more than last year when I was leaving, ready to be home. Ready to be in my own culture and to be around in my friends and family. Also ready to start my studies this fall at Eastern University. Traveling around the world can give you a very disjointed feeling of community, and I am happy at the prospect of being in one place for more than 6 months.

My last weeks in Romania were good ones. Viata ended very well for me. I will miss the mountains, the leaders and the kids so much. My last night in Viata included a dance party and being giving a present of a three-kilo (approx. 7 lbs) :0) On Saturday a group of leaders went caving in a nearby town. A little scary, but lots of fun! That night, there was a little surprise going away cookout for me. Yesterday I went to visit a friend and old roommate. The trip was thwarted somewhat by me becoming ill on the train ride to visit her (I threw up in a supermarket bathroom 20 minutes after arriving in her town), but I am soo very glad to see her and her 8 month old son again before I left. Today is filled with tying up loose ends, packing and goodbyes.

Thank you again, for all your encouragement and support.

Much Love,
Katie

sleet in july and other Viata pictures!

vaita, viata, viata!! team belay at the fly squirrel

a group at the low ropes

This is at the ropes course this past week, first time I ever saw it sleet in July!!! Thirty of us packed into a little cabin waiting out the storm of thunder and lightning and sleet!

Tying in a participant at the ropes course

my favorite picture of the summer...Claudius, a fellow leader; Bo-bo, daughter of a co-worker, ; & me playing it cool at the ropes course cabin

Viata, viata, viata...

So I am back in town for 36 hours after my second week at Viata camp. Every weekend from Friday late afternoon til Sunday morning we have off and we come down the mountain. We eat, we sleep, we go to the lake and relax, we have dinners and we catch on e-mailing!! I realized I have somewhat neglected this blog lately, my apologies, but its only because in the last three weeks I have less than 3 full days off in town.

I am enjoying my time at Viata. Training week went really well, I lead trainings on debriefing, leadership and some technicals skills. The group of leaders this year, although young, are very inspiring overall. They have either been involved with IMPACT or Viata in the past, and most have caught on to the vision of Viata and New Horizon Foundation. The Viata vision is a Romania without corruption or apathy. At the end of each week campers make a voluntary commitment (or engagement as the Romanian word literally translates) to 'do unto others as you would have done onto you', to be active citizens, to not participate in corruption, to be not apathic towards others and their community. They all get a bracelet to remind them of their commitment. It is a very climatic moment for the kids at the end of the week, one that we hope they stay true to.

My role is very similar last year, as 'ropes course girl'. Most days I am at the ropes course, helping set up the high elements and making sure everything is running safely and smoothly. I also help with the ecology lesson on Thursdays and sometimes lead the hiking excursion. The first week we had a social-service organization come with about 50 kids from the sea side of Romania. These kids were all either street kids or had bad family situations. So we started off the summer with some tough kids! But it is always rewarding to see, even with kids like these, the change over the week. In the beginning they are complete disengaged and apathetic towards being at the camp, but by the end they have formed a real sense of community within their group and are stepping out of their 'comfort zones'. Seeing this transformation confirms for me my decision to come back to Romania for the summer.

Thanks again for all your encouragement and support!

Katie

Pictures from when my dear friend Andrea came to visit with her 6-month old Stephan. Stephan was born shortly after I left last year, so it is such a joy to meet him!

(Above: Andrea and Stephan, Left: Janelle, Andrea, Stephan & me)

preparing for viata

My work these first few weeks has revolved around preparing for Viata, the summer program. Training starts in a week! This has included organizing the gear room, washing sleeping bags in my bathtub, sorting through lots of equipment, editing translations for an English version of our journal, writing e-mails to State-side and European challenge course inspection agencies, hoping to find a good price on an inspection for our course (and someone willing to come to Romania), and lots of other little things. It has been nice to jump right into things with the Foundation and feel immediately helpful.

All this prep work is important, but I am excited for the kids to come, and to be in the mountains with them and out of the office!

Last week a good friend and former roommate came to visit-Andrea. I got to meet her new 6-month old son, Stephan! It was so wonderful to see them! During the time I was living with Andrea she was pregnant with Stephan. I realized how tight of bounds I made with my Romanian friends here. They are all in little ways my hero. If I get pictures of her visit I will post them soon!

One week

Its been a week since I arrived in Romania.  Life in Lupeni is much the same as I remember it.  After the first few days of culture shock, I seemed to settle into the familiar rhythm of life here.  There is not much to do in the valley pre-Camp Viata.  Life is simple.  Its nice.     

.

Thankfully,  I have a few other volunteers to experience life with- Jelena, a German volunteer and my apartment-mate and Daniel and Janelle, a North American couple living above us, who I know from last year.   Sadly, my three closest Romanian friends- Diane, Laura and Andrea- have all moved out of the valley since I was last here.  It makes me feel a little less connected to the people and the culture here.  Also, it will be different not living with any Romanians.  Last year, my apartment was a mixture of Romanians and Americans living together, and I think our experiences were richer for it.  

.

But all that will change in a few weeks when Viata starts.  I am enjoying the pace of life in the valley for now.  

.

In our apartment above the sink hangs this quote.  Being back in Romania, I think this rings truer for my life.  

.

"You will never be completely at home again because part of your heart will always be elsewhere.  That is the price you pay for the richness of living and knowing people in more than one place."  - Miriam Adeny 

address

Mail is greatly appreciated, just remember I am not able to receive anything larger than a manila envelope 

Katie Van Gilder 

Fundatia Noi Orizonturi 

O.P. 1 C.P. 12 

Lupeni 335600 

Hunedoara, Romania