I will miss you Romania...

Hi everybody,

Its been in the back of my mind for a while to write a final post in my blog now that I am home, alas, procrastination and my parents super slow dial-up Internet have prohibited me to do so. For everyone who doesn't know, I am home, safe and sound in the states. I am living with my parents, working temporary at an outdoor store, and applying for more permanent positions for the spring. The possibility of going back to Romania is still in the back of my head, but I feel the need to give myself some time and room to really think and pray about whats next, before rushing to commitments.

The following is a entry from my journal, I wrote it while on the plane ride home over the Atlantic. In my first months in Romania I wrote similar journal entries about home, America, about missing coffee shops, and friends and things feeling familiar; I think this journal entry is symbolic to how much Romania become a new home to me over my 8 months.

I will miss the fresh bread, the ladies at the veggie stand and laugh at the kitchen table of Apartment George to the point of tears about cabbage. I will miss Laura's smile, Andreas cute, playfulness, and Davia's friendship. I will miss the little kids from downstairs, Andrea, Benu, Uccri, and their smiles.

I will miss dinners at Daneil and Jannelle's and how their apartments felt like a sanctuary where we could get away if we needed to. I will miss good conversations and laughter over maybe one too many glasses of wine :). And of course, becoming addicted to Arrested Development.

I will miss the mountains and straja. And the way the clouds looked over the valley in the morning waking up in FNO Cabana. I will miss Ilie's friendship and steadiness, and I will miss Vali's passions and crazy hugs. I will miss the way Alin made Davia and I laugh with OH MY GOD! and De Ce?! I will miss being at camp with the kids, hanging out at the ropes course, the discos and dressing up as an 80's skier.

I will miss screaming in our pillows and laughing ourselves to sleep. I will miss the walk to work and second hand shopping. The experience of maxi taxis and running into IMPACT kids around town. And Alex coming into the kitchen at 11 pm "I am hungry, food, food, need food" .

I will miss Pizza Planets with Beers that are SOO BIG! I will miss Brandi's gentle and warm presence and how she always seemed happy to see me, whether i was showing up for dinner or in tears in need of a friend. I will miss Briana's silliness and being such a joyful child!I will miss Moni's warm smile and watching Bobo running ramp around the office :).

I will miss Diane, for being Mother Goose and always looking out for me. I will miss Dana for how he always makes life interesting with awkwardness, but also for his passion in his life's work and following God.

I will miss homemade cartof prajittis (french fries) and Laura's amazing cooking. And sheep everywhere! I will miss Hallmark movies on lazy days. And many other little things.

Most of all, I will miss feeling like I am challenged everyday to be a better person... I will miss you Romania....

Thank you to family and friends who have been reading this for the past 8 months, and for all your e-mails, letters, thoughts and prayers. Love you all!!

Katie

Its always an adventure...

this is story worth telling that happen two weeks ago...

I am on my way to the office walking with my friend Laura. We split up to do some errands before meeting back up. I head to bank machine outside our favorite bread store. I walk up and about 5 people are standing around the ATM , but the ATM is not being used. I wait a few moments trying to figure out the scene, before turning to the grandma on the my right and say " "de ce?" (=why? ) shes spurts out something quickly in Romanian that i don't understand. Okay....so I look up thought the window of the store and inside the door is a policeman peering outside apparently looking for something/one. ( A note on Romanian policeman I am scared of them and their post communist legacy) So has the place been robbed, whats going on? Than the man in blue opens the door, points to me and says (in Romanian) "Miss, come here" i try to play it cool, he can't be pointing to me. But he points again "Come, come" Quite clearly he is referring to me. I apprehensively walk to the door "De ce?" I ask him with a puzzling look on my face (why the heck would you want me to come into the store) "Come, come miss" he says, as he opens the door I see the Bracu lady who works in the store, which eases my mind, she is a sweet and trustworthy women. So i walk in and the back of the bank machine is open. A man is stand over the machine with an open tool box at his feet. He says something in Romanian, I understand something about "small fingers" The Bracu lady repeats the same thing, something about "small hands, and "money" and points to me and then the machine. Okay, so I look into the machine and see 50 lei logged up inside it. I stick my hand into the machine "Like this" I say, you want me to try to free the money from the machine because I have small hands? "Yes, yes, yes" they all nod. I reach in a fiddle out the bill, they all clap in thanks. "Bravo, thank you miss" Fixing a bank machine, all in a days work in Romania :)


Soo....wow, I am leaving Romania in less than a month. 8 months passed so quickly. My last major project with the foundation was a 7 day backpacking trip with students in the abroad program. We traveled in Retezat National Park in the Carpathian Mts. The mountains here are more craggy and rugged looking than those in the east, the landscape was beautiful. The trip was going great, until four days in two of the girls started pucking their guts out (we think food poisoning or bad water) it was a long night and a very exhausting next two days, waiting for them to get healthy enough to hike out. As I leader it was one of the most stressful trips I have experienced. I am glad to be back to civilization. Another volunteer here was having a rough day yesterday, one 'those' days that we have all had here, she said 'its not easy living here, sometimes I forget that, its not suppose to be easy' Its true. Romania, the valley, Lupeni are not easy places to live. But when I think about leaving my heart is sadden. Romania has taught me and changed me. Many things I will miss; the community I built here (both Romanian and N American), the purpose i feel in my work, the simplicity of life, the random craziness that always happens upon us in Lupeni (for example like fixing an bank machine), and more. In Romania, I struggle with things, in my young and idealistic mind, that I want to struggle with. "its always an adventure" is Davia and I's saying for living in Romania. I am not sure what waits for me back in the states. And that almost seems more scary than staying here. Yet there are somethings I am so ready to be home for to see friends and family and indulge in a few N. American treats...maple syrup, coffee shops, Mexican food, soy ice cream...yumm.

Romania and the EU

A cool article about Romania agrarian lifestyle and the changes that might come with the entrance to the EU
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6977597.stm.

First, I want to apologize for not blogging all summer. Tabara Viata is over, and it was full of challenges, surprises, inspiring moments and lots of laughs, I will miss being up in the mountains. As Viata just ended, another exciting time for the FNO just began. On Monday August 27, 7 students from Northwestern University (in Iowa, not Chicago) arrived for a 3 month study aboard program. This is the first (of hopefully many) fall study aboard programs the foundation hopes to host. Alot of ground work has gone into this fall, but lots more is still need so my last months with the FNO will be busy. Luckily we have a great staff, I especially appreciate the three other N. American volunteers-Davia, Janelle and Daniel, we all compliment each other well with our skills. The students all seem great, flexible and eager to learn! So I have a feeling these last months will busy, but fun! My main contribution to the fall will be with the experiential education class, we are in the midst of finishing plans for a 7 day backpack in Retezat National Park! I feel so torn about leaving in October, I am so happy to be able to go home for to see family and I have some close friends getting married around that time. But I will be leaving half way through the semester, which makes it hard for me to really try and invest in the students. Leaving Romania will be so bittersweet. I struggled alot here, but through all the struggling I have found a community, a "Ro-family" as Davia and I call it, that I deeply appreciate. Romania has taught be so much. I hope that I will be able to come back someday.

I almost hyperventilated in a bread store today

Today, the capacity of my little town of Lupeni just exploded in my mind. I saw a sight I never thought I see. It happen this afternoon as all the leaders were walking home from a week in Viata. A bread store on the corner across from the office has been under renovations for the past few weeks. It was open as we walk by so we stopped in to check it out. The store was very cute on the inside a bakery counter, yellow flowers on the wall and filled with lots specialty items- also free samples of pastries! (which is a step in itself b/c Romania is not know for its customer service) But as I turned the corner the real surprise came, upon the shelf to my amazement was....one 11 lei, blue-liddet, brown jar of Cinderella PEANUT BUTTER!!! Now to some of you this may seem like nothing to get excited about none the less hyperventilate over. But to those of you who have been overseas and love peanut butter know my plight. And the sudden sunshine that has come into my life.

(This is an especially great thing for the summer time as most of lunches in Viata consist of mystery meat and Paeta- a meat like substances that looks and smells similar to cat food, yet Romanian's love it- peanut butter is my one escape from such a lunch)

Viata is in full swing....

I feel there is so much I can write about that has happen over the last three weeks since I came back from vacationing with my family in the states. One of which I will leave you to read on Davia's , my roommate, blog, at http://www.daviainromania.blogspot.com/ , I think she adequately describes how we were all feeling when the cultural differences between America and Romania were thrown into our face.

But on to better topics...Viata began, and I am still trying to find my place among the staff. I have been mainly at the rope course the last three weeks and that's were I will remain for the rest of the summer. It will be in more of a support positions than other lie a group leaders, but I feel this is were I will be most useful. I was thinking last night I been planning to come to Viata for more than a year, almost a year and a half, and now here I am in the midst of it. When I realize what Viata is trying to accomplish with these kids, it gives me chills. Viata's goal is to change the attitude of nation through the youth. It is trying to rebuild trust, motivation, and integrity in an cultural that lost all these values due to the harsh realities of communism. The youth who come are so cute and so excited to be at camp. They lack the sense of privilege many American kids carry and I find that quite refreshing. These kids might not have much but they have a free spirit- which I wonder for Romania to become more developed do the youth have to lose that spirit? Time will tell.

One short story before I have to sign off...this past week at Viata we had an blond hair and blue eye 8 year old named Maria. Maria wanted so badly to do ballet performance for everyone in camp. So on disco night-every Thursday night we have a dance party in camp, everyone dresses up and dances like crazy (so fun!)- we made it happen. Maria walks in with a pink shirt and a tutu made of white trash bags and ribbon. Despite her make shift attire she was the picture of dignity as she took her position in the center of the circle. The music starts...a instrumental versions of Hotel California.. and Maria begins her dance, you can tell by the look on her face the she is in her own world were she is the most beautiful and graceful ballerina. The whole camp is circle around her cheering and yelling... its like from a movie, but a really good movie. It was one of the most magical moments since I been to Romania. I not sure if my words properly capture it. This little girl had so much courage and dignity despite any circumstance...I think I could learn something from her. I will always remember Maria, the ballerina.

Stewardship

Family and Friends-
Wow, its been a crazy past few days. On Saturday I left for Straja Mountain to help lead a Viata Corporate weekend. The Viata team runs Corporate team buildings to raise funds for the FNO and Viata camp. For this weekend we stay in a mountain cabana, which is like a ski lodge and lead the Corporate group on ropes course and rock climbing. So at the end of the weekend on Monday afternoon, we- Ilie, Alex and I - came back to Lupeni for an hour before heading to the Retezet National Park for a national IMPACT youth camping event. In this hour we also grabbed most of the gear and bags of the youth, who had left for the park earlier that morning. We overloaded the FNO mini-truck aka "the popuci" with a huge mound of gear, as we drove the 2-3 hours to the park partial on mountain road we got many stares from peasants working in their field. The next 2 1/2 days we spent in beautiful Retezat wilderness. In all of this I was the only American among many Romanians-a new experience since I got here for most of the events other American volunteers would be with me. Although it was hard at times to be 'the foreigner' it forces me to use my Romanian-and to my surprise I know more than I think (although still I have much more to learn)! It was also a great opportunity to get to know the kids better- most of which I had seem in the valley or at other national IMPACT events. I especially connected with the older high school girls who came. Its exciting to hear them thinking about post-high school plans to go on to further studies. A few youth from the middle school club in Lupeni, which I been getting involved with, also came. It was great to have more interaction with them, since I been missing club lately because of my busy schedule.

In reflection on these past few days one word sticks out- stewardship. Christian living has a lot to do with stewardship. We are stewards of the gifts God gave us to us them in positive ways on this earth for His kingdom, we are stewards of the people around us as they are for us to see them not as we would see them but as God would, we are stewards of the earth (..which the modern church neglects to recognize in my opinion) As a leader I want to be stewards of the physical and emotional safety of the group. Viata will be starting soon, and I will be running the ropes course for the first few weeks. I have the training and feel capable of doing this, but it will be a big responsibility. The safety of the kids at the course will be in my -and the other Viata leaders- hands. How do I approach this responsibility with the stewardship that God demands of us?

Pose dim Budapest

(Top) Davia and me with the city behind us

(Left) Biking in Hero Square

(Bottom) Statue on a hill over looking the city-Buda side

People warned me that cultural shock comes in waves, 2 weeks; 1 1/2 months, 3 months etc. Three months I have been in Romania and the glitter has faded. But in the past few weeks I realize the sparkles cover not just the bad and at some point they had to go, so better now. While it is hard not to be as romanced with the newness of everything, I feel it is good to begin to process the reality that is here. Last weekend I travel to Budapest, it is the most beautiful city- art sprinkle throughout the city, Danube dividing the two cities- Buda and Pest, classy little cafe with amazing cappuccino, and a very chill night life (if you know were to go). It was an Eastern Europe I haven't experience in the Jui Valley and the distance in both atmosphere and geography helped me process the past three months. My friend Matt lives and works in Budapest and was gracious enough to put us (Davia and me) up for the extended weekend. I realized how much I miss grabbing coffee at a cute cafe with a good friend, or going out for a night on the town, or even for my surroundings to be 'nice'. I live in a communist bloc apartment building with an abandon factory across the street. My town is all concrete, no beautiful architecture, no feeling of creativity or humanity behind it. Communism was all about conformity, function, and the collectivism. The legacy is felt both in structures and people left behind. Because of the mountains and natural surrounds I find truth in two contrasting statements: this is the most beautiful place I ever lived and this is the most dismal place I ever lived. But it the natural scenery that gets me by, going for walks everyday help and spending time with the local kids. Viata, the summer camp will start soon, for this I am very excited. It will get me out of the town and up into the mountains.

Esti Spectator? ia aRtitude!

Family and friends! I have not written in a while and its been a reflection on my work at the foundation has picked up considerable and I have been traveling.

Two weeks ago I went to the Black Sea! It was beautiful- less salty and less surf compared to the Atlantic, but still wonderful. A National Impact theater forum on issue of discrimination was held there. We spent the weekend at the conference plus took a few days off to enjoy the beach. IMPACT youth from around Romania attended. During the conference we were known (4 American volunteers plus Diane a Romanian and director of the Foundation) as club Mother Goose. (Mother Goose is our nickname for Diane because she is always worrying about us and mothering us.) We even got diplomas in the end to prove it, marking our participation in the launching of Esti Spectator? Take aRtitude! (Are you a spectator? Take an aRtitude)- a national campaign lead by IMPACT in partnership with other NGO and the mass media to raise awareness on issue of discrimination in Romania.

More Pictures

Hi Everyone! I added more pictures to my flicker badge, so check it out! Enjoy!

"Katie- WE' RE THE AWKWARD FOREIGN KIDS"

This past weekend I attended a national IMPACT leaders' retreat. About 40 leaders from all over Romania and 18 different clubs meet up in Straja Mt for the retreat. Each area gave a presentation on their club and what their kids were doing. It was a great time, an inspirational weekend. It is exciting to be part of community development on a grassroots level. Also it was just great fun to hang out with leaders from all over the country!

On Saturday night we had free time. I was trying to teach Charity how to play backgammon, which is a board game popular in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. We were sitting in the main room off to one corner playing when a few Romanians put on some music and started to dance in the center of the room. Two things about Romanians, they are REALLY good dancers and they love parties. So soon more and more people joined the dance floor, and it becomes an all out dance party. Charity and I are still playing backgammon, but are more becoming more amused by the spectacle of all the Romanians dancing and singing. They seem to be doing some traditional dances and having a blast. And I say to Charity.

"Charity, I feel like the nerds at the party. Everyone is dancing and we are playing backgammon- in the corner."

"Reality check, we ARE nerds. Number ONE we are playing backgammon. Number TWO we don't know what’s going on. Number THREE we don't understand the language. Katie- WE'RE THE AWKWARD FOREIGN KIDS."

I just about lost it laughing at Charity's comment. She was right. My experience in Romania has taught me being a foreign is being most of the time confused and a lot of the time put in awkward situations. So much communication and understanding is handicapped, but you realize you have to roll with the punches and jump into things any way. So after our game, our roommate Diane, dragged us onto the dance floor. It ended up being such a fun night! Romanians know how to have fun! They also loved that the American girls were joining the party!

Things that are hard to confront in Romania: the diabolic nature of communism and its affect on the Romanian culture resulting in apathy and corruption, not having water some days, and the reality that I am relatively rich compared to the rest of the world.

Things I love about Romania: buying fresh fruit and veggies on the corner, the bread, Romanian humor, the mountains all around me, beautiful hikes right at my doorstep, mountain flowers, a simpler way of life, sheep everywhere, my co-workers, and people's patiences with me trying to speak the language.

Paste Fericit!

Paste Fericit, Romanian for Happy Easter!

During this Easter week people in the valley greet each other, "He has risen" "He has risen, indeed". They play this egg-taping game with colorful Easter eggs when they meet. Another tradtion of the Jui Valley is for young men to perfume ladies, in exchange we are suppose to give the men a cookie or an easter egg. Right now, I smell like really bad perfume...I feel like the men have the better end of this deal:)!

Today, a club in the valley had an Easter feast for a local orphange. They invited us to come too. It was great, including some pizza, some games and skits, and some awkard middle dancing!! Yesterday (Easter day) we went to a co-workers for a late lunch of lamb, salad, mash potatoes and fried pork and I decided I am not a big fan of lamb or lamb liver for that matter. For Good Friday, the community has a percession up the mountain road carrying a HUGE cross. Most of town comes out and walks up the mountain, too. They start at an orthodox church in the valley and end at a church on the mountain. The stations of the cross are on the way up the mountain, the procession stops at each one. Here we are men, women, kids of all ages, old grandmas, orthodox priest- everyone in the community hiking up to Straja Mt (8 miles one way), it was quite an event.... Alex, one of our co-worker's little brothers, met up with us and translated for us :) (Hope to post pictures)

Although I missed being home for holidays, my Easter was good and kept me busy :).

Pictures!

Hey! Check out pictures from my first month in Romania. Click on the 'flicker badge' on the right of screen. Enjoy :) Happy Easter Love Katie

More thoughts on faith

I feel like these thoughts continue some of my early posts....

I am reading this book right now called Silence. Its about a missionaries journey and stay in Japan during the period when Christianity was illegel in the country. In the end the priest apostates his faith by stepping on an image of Jesus, b/c they government will continue to torture and kill Japanese Christains until he does. He is in btwn a rock and hard place. If he steps on the image he gives up his priesthood and everything his life is built around, if he does not many people will suffer terrible deaths. The priest struggles with what would Jesus do in this situation? What do you think He would do? What would you do? The book is intenese- they are themes of what does it mean to have faith, especailly faith when God is silent? (if you ever get a chance read it)

It makes me think that Christianity, althoguh a very simple faith in heart, is a very complex in action- sometimes it is easy for me to caught up in the 'theory of Christiainity' and my 'big' questions( ie what is more applicable evangelical or orthodox views?) But I realize that it does no good to get frozen by the question. My responsbility for being here is to be with God and to act His love and to be praying for Romania and the people here.

Thank you for reading, I know its deep, Just some food for thought over your day :)! Love you all!

Eating on the Danube

Hey everyone, just got back from traveling around Southeastern Romanian, seeing some sites.


This is everyone I live with. We are on a resturant boat on the Danube River. The Danube forms Romanians boarder with Serbia and Yugoslavia TOP PICTURE: Charity, Andreea, and me BOTTOM PICTURE: Charity (my roomate), Diane (shes assistant director of the foundation) Me, and Andrew.

They call something a hamburger that is not a hamburger.

I wrote this recently to a friend in an e-mail. I think it sums up best my time here...

"I wish i have more to say about my time here so far. I feel I havn't got to process all the changes yet. The people I work with are great, so I am excited to build stronger relationships with them. Sometime I miss home alot, when I realize that I won't sleep in my bed again for 8 months or little things like a really good hamburger will be hard to find around here. They call something a hamburger that is not hamburger.

But God is opening my eyes- in many ways I realize already that my life will be forever changed by this experience. In ways like- how much we have in American compared to the rest of the world- in materail possession, money and in power within our own government, to other view points of Christain (most of Romania is orthodox vs American evangelist protestant), how Christain are to interact with the world, to my own thoughts on what does it mean to follow Christ? What do you think about all this? "

I told you in my last post about what I was doing, but I feel like this sums up more how I am feeling.

Soccer, language, domestic violence campaign...

Yesterday I played soccer with some coworkers and a bunch of local kids. It was the first time playing since my injury. It felt really good! NuNu (excuse me I don't know how to spell Romanian names, so it will be my best guess) one little boy who we played with was so cute. He kept saying "its a goal" and "Katie" over and over and over again, because thats all the English he knew. I think he was alos suprised to see a girl playing that was half decent.

Its interesting with the language barrier, actions become so much more proment. A smile means, a high five, a hug so much more than it may otherwise. Most of the kids are just excited if you want to interact with them and be a friend, even if you do not have a fullly perspective on what is going on. Its suprised me how you can find other ways to communicate- Most of the older kids know at least conversational english which help alot too :) Some are eager to practice, others are a bit more shy about it. And slowly, I am picking up Romania here and there.

This weekend I attended a theater performance put on my a few of the IMPACT clubs for the local community. We took the maxi taxi ( a local public transportation system) to Utacon, a mining town further down in the valley. The performace was part of a campign agianst domestic violence. About 100 people mostly kids from the community. This is a really big deal for Romania, espeicialy the Jui Valley area. Nothing like this has been done, especailly by youth. And domestic violence is high in the valley, since it is a mining area and miners are known for being 'very tough'

Tomorrow I going to be diong some traveling to Southwestern Romania. This trip is mainly for pleasure just to see more of Romania, one of the supevisors, Diana has some business down in the local area, so she is bring me and the two other Americans here, Charity and Andrew with her. Charity is doing her socail work internship for Gordon College with the Foundation. Shes my roomate, she is cool! Andrew is doing a International Development internship for Calvin College.

I promise pictures are coming soon. I am having some technical difficults with the software for my computer.Thanks for reading- Love you all and miss you!

Addresses and info...

Okay so I wrote down the address a premature. Its a more complicated than I thought.

If you want to send letters or small flat envelopes:

Katie Van Gilder
Fundatia Noi Orizonturi
O.P. 1 C.P. 12
Lupeni 335600
Hunedoara, Romania

The best bet for packages is to Fed Ex or DSL them (local mail is not super secure, plus it involves a two hour maxi taxi ride for me pick up the package). The address would be

Katie Van Gilder
Foundatia Noi Orizonturi
B_Dul Pacii BO5 Et 3
Ap. 9, Lupeni, Hunedoara
Romania

Phone# 0721413609
Include my mobile phone number on the package so that they can reach me if I am not in the office.

If you want to contact me by phone the number from the states would be 01140721413609.

In Romania!

Hello everyone! I have arrived safe and sound in Lupeni, Romania. I have been here almost a week. Everything is new and still very exhilerating in an sense. I bought fresh fruit from phesants in the market for the first time. (Trei mere va rogue- three apples please) she responded by weighing the apples and saying some monetary amount at first I thought she was charge me too much by saying "sapte lei" (7 lei which is a little more than 3 dollars) the acutally price was 1 lei 70 bena (sp?) which is about a dollar. I held out 5 lei and she gave me change. Thankful she was an honest marketer (Some people will over charge me knowing I am a foreigner!). Money, langauge, culture...its all been a bite daunting but also exciting.

I just got back from Straja, that is the mountain I will be working at once summer comes. Straja towers over Lupeni as the second largest mountain in Romania. The views put a smile on my facce, Lupeni is a concrete city- not super scenic. But once up in the mountains it is so beautiful. I cannot wait until summer and spring for things to turn green, it will be that much better! The director of Viata Illea had to go up there to let some men install an alarm system into the Cabana (base area for Viata, ski hut in winter time). A few weeks back a theif broke in and stole a computer and skis! I decided to join Illea to see the mountains. We took a chair lift up the mountain.

Hopefully once I get my camera working I will be able to post more pictures!

Some more thoughts on the brink of departure....

And I am still counting the days...just 9 left. My feelings on the brink of departure are a mixture. I told a friend the other day, I am not sure if I will be estatic with excitment when I get off the plane or crying. I know that this journey will change me and my perspectives on much of my life, culture and faith. Last week my pastor preached on Jesus walkin on water and Peter, one of his disciple steps out of the boat with him and for a few faithful steps walks on water with Jesus. Then as fear arises, Peter begins to sink and Jesus grabs him to keep him from drowning. I feel like this is my chance to step out of the boat...the next 8 months are so unknown. Although there is so much to be anxious about, I know God is going to faithful and substain me through good and bad.

13 days and counting...

I have only 13 days before I leave for Romania! I am mostly excited, somewhat anixous and a little bit freaking out : ) How do you pack for 8 months? Its been almost a year I have been planning this trip, about this time last year that the seed was planned for me to do my internship in Romania...but than a knee injury came along...and here I am 1 year later, finally going!

i dream....

This trip is all about livin up my dreams. Its been a life goal of mine to live in another culture for at least 6 months so here is my oppurtunities! I never been overseas so this is going to be a true adventure!!

Many people have ask me why Romania? Why go? The best answer I have is a simple peom I wrote a few years ago i dream

i dream

i dream of all i can become

of the places i can go

of the people i can meet

i dream of the potential

i have deep down inside

i dream of the change i can be,

but if sit here and do nothing

am i just wasted potentail

am i just a dream?

And SO.... March 5, 2007 I am leaving for Romania for most of next year. This blog is to keep in touch with all you friends and family back in the states. Today marks t-2months until the trip! Yikees!