"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!