Site Placements!!!

So I have officially been in Romania for 6 weeks and last week we finally got our site placements! We have something to look forward to after these very difficult and challenging weeks learning the language and the culture! I am so excited!

So after that introduction I bet you all wonder where I am going to go...huh? Well I guess I can share that bit of information with you! I will be going to Trusesti, it is in northern Romania, about 30 Kilometers from the Moldovan border. It is a small town which consists of several small towns which makes up a comuna, in which there are around 5500 people but in my town there are only around 2000. So I got what I wanted a small town!

While I am in Trusesti, I will be teaching grades 5-8 and maybe 4th grade as well. I am so excited to start working, but nervous at the same time. I will be replacing a volunteer there, Tory, and she is absolutely amazing, so I do have some big shoes to fill. She keeps telling me that I will be great, but it is intimidating because I have seen how amazing she is! But Tory says I will fit perfectly in this site, and I trust her judgement as well as my program manager, they all really know what they are going to be doing!

So small town rural life in Romania awaits me. I don't know a lot about my city yet, but I do know that I will not have running water during the day....but Tory has told me how to get around this. I also know I will have access to the Internet in my apartment so it shows that technology rules here! I know that all of you love that! In case you didn't notice, I did say my apartment, I will be living alone! I do like living with a gazda family, but it will be nice to have a place to call my own! I can cook again and as we all know I love to do that, and I will be able to be in control of my own diet! I have not gained any weight, but I haven't lost it either, but at least I am at the maintenance point.

Let's see what else is new...I think that I am picking up on the Romanian language pretty quickly. I was very proud of myself I had a very long discussion with my gazda the other day. We talked about my family and her family, what my parents do, how old my nieces are, how old my brother is, my grandparents, I even was able to explain that my grandfathers died before I was born. This concept was difficult, but she understood, so I was excited for that!!!

Oh another interesting thing that has happened. I now understand the meaning of don't let the bed bugs bite. Yes I have had an encounter with bed bugs. My gazda did get rid of them, but my arms and legs are still feeling the brunt of the attack. They do not hurt at all, they are just a little annoying since they are everywhere and they itch. The PC and my gazda worked together however and as far as I can tell they are gone. I slept in my room for the first time again last night, so we will see if they are gone or not...let's hope they are gone. I was looking for them last night before I went to bed, but I did not see any, so that is good! Only time will tell!!

Other than that things are going great here. I am learning a ton, nervous about leaving my clan of Americans, but excited to start working in the Romanian school system and to experience small town life in Wisconsin. I miss and love you all!! Iubesc voi si te pup! (I love you all and kiss you)

La revedere (Goodbye!)
Until Later
~Sarah B.