Busy

As I am winding down, ending this part of my life here in Moldova, I have found myself to be very busy this past week. Its not been anything major, just a lot of little details and long trips on the bus which have filled my days. Last Sunday I was in Chisinau, returning in the afternoon. Monday I was here in the village and updated this blog. Tuesday and Wednesday brought a trip back into Chisinau for medical appointments, and a last night with Macie and Craig. Wednesday afternoon it was back to the village, work on Thursday, return to Chisinau on Friday morning for the weekend, returning last night to have a pizza party with my co-worker at the Center, Nadea. Nothing major, but a lots of running around.

The events of this past weekend included a wine tour on Friday afternoon, a visit to my training village on Friday night with Toumil and Veronica, and a party with Teresa and about ten other volunteers on Saturday night. It was good to go back to my training village. Maria and her daughters, whom I lived with during my training time, have moved to Italy and were not around, so it was a little sad not to see them to say good-bye. Veronica's host family hosted the three of us for the night, and we had so much fun! We woke up to about 6" of wet, Spring snow on the ground. It was pretty, but I am ready for Spring! It has been cold since the weekend, so the warm weather of last week was a tease.

For those of you who remember the pre-service journey and time it took to get medically cleared for this service, it should come as no surprise that I am once again having some trouble with getting my medical stuff in-line to go home. As it was then, there is not a big problem, just lots of little things, and an ongoing requirement for more information before all the signatures will be given. This is not a huge thing, as I am healthy now as I was healthy then, but it does require more attention than I thought it would, and in this case, might require some follow-up once I am home. Just some details that need to be attended to when I thought an easy sign-off might be forthcoming. I'll still be home on Friday!

So now I am in the process of letting go, saying good-bye, moving on and back to my more familiar life and options. It is a contemplative process for me, as many things are. It is not as much about the packing, or the worry about what is next. I am mostly packed, and have been for a while. I don't worry too much about what is next. This experience has reinforced my existing values and taught me in new ways to be grateful for all that I have and not to worry about the details of my existence so much. I can't wait to be home with all of you, and I am trusting in my own self-perseverance that I will be happy and busy where I need to be. This has been a great experience, I am so fortunate to have been able to do this, meet the people that I have met, and pushed myself out of a comfort zone into a new experience. While I haven't loved every minute of it, that has had much more to do with missing people from home than not being useful and productive here. I am glad that I have done it, and I guess more importantly, I am proud of myself that I have stuck with the difficult things when I wanted to quit. I am leaving here with a sense of satisfaction. That feels good.

This week is shaping up to be busier than last week, and the next post here will be from home. I can't wait to see all of you! See you soon...FOUR DAYS!!!!!!!!! xoxo, Jami

The third Martişor

This week marks the beginning of the third year, or better stated, the anniversary of two full years here in Moldova. It has mostly been a good time, and now I am ready to come home. So ready. This past week I approached the Country Director, Jeffrey, about an earlier date to come home. There was a sense that the time that I have had here, while fulfilling and positive, will never replace my need to be with my family. It is the piece which has been hardest for me over the past two years, and the thing which was actually most surprising to me. I expected to miss my family, but not really as much as I have. There have been times, and events which have happened without my being home, without my supporting the people who mean the most in the world to me, and I have struggled with my absence from them.

Fortunately, my request was met with understanding and support. Yay! What that means, is that I will be coming home NEXT Friday evening, instead of the middle of April! Portland, Maine, here I come!!! I'm not sure exactly what is next for me after landing, but I will land on my feet somewhere. I will be home, closer to my family and loved ones, and that is what matters most.

That is the big news for the week. The past few days have been busy, busier than I have been in quite a while, as I pack, tie up loose ends, and prepare to finish all of the tasks that I thought I would have six weeks to do, and are now condensed into two weeks. Now, less than two weeks. I did a flurry of paperwork last week before even speaking with Jeffrey, so the majority of the paperwork is done, but there are still so many last minute bureaucratic things that must be put into place...t's crossed, i's dotted, all of it. It will get done, for sure, but it does involve regular trips between the village and the capital to see that it all falls into place. Which is time-consuming in its own way, given the buses here.

This past week-end I had a planned week-end visit to Jen, who lives in the village two villages away from me. She is my closest volunteer neighbor, and we had planned this weekend a while ago, long before I knew of my expedited trip home. It was a blast. First, it was really nice weather on Friday. It felt like Spring. I packed up my backpack and walked to her village, about seventeen kilometers. A nice walk. A nice day. Teresa and Sarah came down from Chisinau to join us. California rolls, tempura veggies and sweet and sour sauce. Yummy. Oh, and lots of house wine. Saturday was much colder, and another gray day. We mostly just sat around, talked, giggled, watched movies, and then a traditional Moldovan masa at the end of the day. Yesterday it was warmer than Saturday, but not nearly as nice as Friday, and I walked back to my village. A great diversion. A great time. I will miss the friends I have made here.

So that was the week that was. Big news, big plans to come home! Happy birthday tomorrow to my nephew, Nathaniel! Ten days!!!!!!!!!! Love and miss you all. xoxo, Jami