So much has been going on in the world lately. With the Virginia Tech tragedy, the loss of a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines, and the recent shooting in Kansas City, one can’t help but think about safety. I want to assure all of you that I am as safe as can be and that the Peace Corps is taking very good care of me. Thank you to each and every one of you who have sent your thoughts and prayers my way. I can always use them!

With that said, I have been planning my vacation for this summer and have decided to go to Hungary, Czech Republic, and Poland. Along the way, I may make a stop in Slovakia or the Ukraine, but who knows! I am very excited about the upcoming journey. I will leave either on the 6th or 7th of June and get back around the 19th or 20th. I think two weeks of play in Eastern and Central Europe will be awesome. I not traveling alone (on request of my parents and yes, I completely agree with them) and will have a travel buddy during my time away from Moldova. Becca is another Peace Corps Moldova Volunteer. She works with the Community and Organizational Development Program and is originally from Virginia. She is awesome and we will have a great time. First, we will be making our way to Budapest in Hungary, maybe Bratislava in Slovakia (if there is time and, of course, money), Prague in Czech Republic, and finally to Krakow in Poland. It should be a great time. On the way back we will probably be coming through Ukraine so I will get to see some of that country as well. I absolutely love traveling and can’t wait to see more of this part of the world. I really enjoy history and this part of the world definitely has an interesting story. I was really too young to understand the Cold War when it was occurring, but now I am beginning to understand what life would have been like under Communism. I am so thankful for all the freedoms and liberties that we are given in America! I hope after this whole experience I will stop taking it all for granted too because I know I did in the past.

Overall, work is going well. GLOW Camp will be in just two months and things are coming together as they should. Work at my organization is coming along as well. I am working on a grant that will hopefully give me the funds necessary to host several seminars in the future about marketing and how to implement it into a business. I am really excited to get that ball rolling.

Basketball season is officially over. My girls went to the national tournament in Chişinau but unfortunately we lost our first game. The team we lost to ended up being the future champions so I don’t feel too bad. It was such a great experience for the girls and I hope that they make it there again next year. We had a really young team (most were in the 10th grade) and they can only get better I think!

Lastly, I would like to include a recipe for all of you to try at home. This is one of my favorite and easy Moldova recipes that I have learned and would like for all of you to try it.

COLŢUNAŞ

Ingredients:
1 Egg
Water
Milk
Flour
Filling (Cheese, Meat, Fruit, etc.)

All of this will have to be done by eye. Every time I see it done, the quantities are different. Put flour in a bowl and add one egg, and milk. Mix together and add a little bit of water until you have a soft dough (This is basically like making fresh pasta). Roll into a few logs and cut off pieces (large if you want large and small if you want small). Take flour and dust both sides of the pieces. Roll each piece flat into circles. At this point you can add whatever you want. If you choose cheese, make sure to mix an egg with the cheese so that it holds up when you boil it. Place the filling in the middle and pinch close the dough. You can put these in the freezer for later or boil them now. If you boil them fresh, place them into boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. If you boil them from frozen, it will take a little longer. Now, you are able to enjoy! Eat them alone or with your favorite sauces! (We add a little bit of Smîntîna which is like a mix between heavy cream and sour cream…delicious)