Adventures from Moldova

This is my blog containing all of my adventures as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Moldova.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007


Well, it’s almost the end of March and it seems unreal that I have been in Moldova almost 6 ½ months. Some days it feels like I have been here my whole life and other days it seems as though I just arrived yesterday. I think the reason that everything seems great right now is the fact that I now have the most amazing host family. They are so giving and keep on surprising me with their generosity. Just last night I was eating dinner with them and they told me they had a surprise for me. They had just hooked up DSL Internet in the house and downloaded a program that would allow me to call anywhere I wanted to for free. They wanted me to have the first call, so I called home to the States. It was such a good feeling because I know how expensive it is to call from America. When I asked them how much I owed them, they told me not to worry about it and to use it whenever I want to. Did I get a great family or what? My host grandma thinks that it was my destiny to live there with them and I am inclined to agree.

I just sent out a mass email to everyone that I could find email addresses for, so if you did not get it, then send me an email and let me know. It was my first mass email since arriving in Moldova almost 7 months ago. I have been very busy lately which has helped make the time pass by really fast. We have a basketball tournament on Saturday, which if we win will allow us to go on to the National Championship in Chişinau. I guess you could call it our very own “March Madness in Moldova.” They kids are really great but sometimes have trouble showing up for practice. Scott and I (Scott is another Volunteer who works at my site) always joke around about how if the kids would only attend a basketball practice in the States, then they wouldn’t ever complain about what they have to do in practice. But, they work hard and have good attitudes, so that makes us pretty lucky! After Scott leaves, I have to make the decision on whether or not I keep the team going. It will be a tough decision to make and will all depend on how busy I am next year.

My birthday was March 19 and it was great. I was a little indifferent about turning 23 because it is just one of those times in your life that nothing really exciting happen. What I mean by that is that when you turn 16 you can drive, when you turn 18 you can vote, and when you turn 21 you can drink. But, when you turn 23, all that means is that you are another year older. Well, I guess it makes me another year closer to 25 and lower car insurance! (We should always look at the positive!). Anyway, for my birthday I had a great time. My host family picked me up from basketball on the 17th to go visit their relatives in Ungheni. It is a city that borders Romania and is absolutely beautiful from what I could tell. I got to see my host uncle, aunt, and cousin again, and met my other cousin as well. We ate BBQ and drank some amazing house wine. They even gave me a gift of perfume for my birthday which I did not expect at all. Moldovans are so hospitable and make you feel very welcome in their houses. On my birthday, we had another party for me at my home here in my town. It was just my host family and me, but was really great. They gave me a new purse which is really awesome, and we ate until none of us could move. Overall, it was a birthday that I won’t forget. Furthermore, if my birthday was any indication to how my 23rd year will go, then 23 will be a fantastic time in my life.

I posted a picture of the Stephan Cel Mare Monument in Chisinau. Hope you enjoy it! Well, that's all for now. Until next time!