I'm here!!!

I feel terrible for this short post, but I don't have internet for long and I just want to let everyone know that I am here in Moldova and have been for a couple of weeks now. I am living south of the capital with a host family and I love them so far!

I will update ASAP I promise. I'm going to start blogging on my computer without internet, then transferring them over to here when I have internet access so I'm not always pressed for time.

I miss everyone! Thanks to all who have been sending loving emails and messages here and on Facebook.

Michael

PS - Letters/Packages would be awesome! I'd love to hear from you all. See my address to the left!

Staging complete!

I have officially finished the first part of being a future Peace Corps Volunteer. Today was our last day of "staging" in Philadelphia, which is basically just an introductory period where we meet each other and learn about policies and practices of Peace Corps (all you Teach For America folks - think induction.) It was actually pretty nice. The hours were tame as compared to all of those TFA institute hours, but the time was well spent and were really given a great introduction to the program and country. 

Now that the first step is over, it's time to get to Moldova. My flight leaves tomorrow night at 9:35 pm and we fly through Frankfurt, Germany to Chisinau, Moldova (the capital city) and arrive at around 6:20pm (Moldova time) on Wednesday. It's going to be a full day of traveling and I have a feeling I'm going to be exhausted. However, our group was informed that we'll need to look our best when we get off the plane, because rumor has it that TV stations, radio stations and newspaper journalists will all be there representing the Moldovan media and reporting on our arrival. Apparently we're kind of a big deal in Moldova.

Again, I am unsure when you'll hear from me next. I'm still in America, so internet access is pretty easy to find. However, once I get to Moldova, things will likely become increasingly difficult when it comes to finding an internet cafe or something of the like. The next time I have internet though, I promise I'll update!

Until then... la revedere (la rev-uh-dare-ay)! 

That means "goodbye" in Romanian, by the way. :) 

See ya!

... and I'm off! I leave this morning for Philadelphia to begin my experience with the Peace Corps. I'm not sure the next time I will have internet will be, so please be patient with me. It could be tonight, it could be a few weeks from now. Thanks so much to all of you who are already reading this. Don't forget about me! :)

"Ohmigosh!"

My emotions have been pretty even-keeled lately. In my head, I know I'm leaving for a really poor, foreign country this weekend, but I have not felt nervous or extremely excited either. Sure, I've been telling everyone I'm excited, but what am I going to tell people? - "Actually, I'm pretty indifferent about this whole thing and it won't be until the day it happens that it all really hits me, but that's pretty typical with my personality so there's no need to worry. How are you doing?" Probably not the best answer.

Anyway, tonight I had a twinge of, let's call it "Ohmigosh!" I wasn't unbelievably nervous, nor was I really sad, freaked out or overjoyed - I was just: "Ohmigosh!"

I suppose "Ohmigosh!" could be described as follows: first, there's just a general pause in whatever it is you're doing, then there's almost a twitch of realization (eyes open wide, head cocks up, brain swishes around a bit), then a sort of half-open smile appears on your face (I would say more a smile for yourself when nobody is around as opposed to a "cheese" smile or a "Hey! I haven't seen you in so long. I love your new haircut!" kind of smile), then a self-affirming nod, and then within less than 5 seconds you're back to doing whatever you were doing in the first place.

So, picture this scene. I'm in my room packing and simultaneously watching a rerun of "Absolutely Fabulous" on BBC America (caveat: that show is hilarious!), when all of a sudden, after a brief thought of "do I really need to be packing so many pairs of black socks?" I suddenly had my "Ohmigosh!" moment. It was thrilling, truly. But, as you've read in the previous paragraph, being completely faithful to the definition of an "Ohmigosh!" moment, within just a few seconds I was back to folding shirts and talking to myself in a British accent.

And now, my "Ohmigosh!"* moment has led me to this post and the realization that I leave in just 4 days. It's becoming real and I am so happy about that.

*By the way, "Ohmigosh!" should be read quickly and slurred together as opposed to a typical, "Oh, my gosh!" It really adds to the intensity and momentary urgency of the feeling.

Charlie! That really hurt!

Ok, so I realize that my blog has recently become just a big advertisement for YouTube, but I can't resist one final video. This has to be the cutest kid I've ever seen. His reaction is priceless. Oh man, I love YouTube.

Sea Otters!

I am going to Sea World with my family this morning and I couldn't resist posting this video. Thanks to Bridget and Andrea in Phoenix for introducing me to this video. Too adorable.

Boyce Avenue

And one more video. A new discovery from YouTube/MySpace: boyceavenue. They do covers of pop songs. This is my fave.

Ken Lee...

Tulibu dibu douchoo.

Kevin, Jessica and I watched this video at least 10 times in Phoenix. I thought it only fair to share. While I'm not going to Bulgaria (this clip is from Bulgarian Idol), I can only pray that the talent in Moldova is half this good. :)



We also watched 'Benny Lava' quite a few times.

9 more days!

Well, I only have 9 more days before I depart for Philadelphia for Peace Corps staging. Then it's off to Moldova 2 days later. As I get closer to my departure date, I am getting more and more serious about this whole packing situation (in addition to making sure all financial ties over here are severed).

Packing is going okay. My goal is to get everything I need for 27 months into 1 large suitcase, 1 hiking backpack and my regular backpack. I keep doing these sort of "mock packs" to help estimate how much room I'll have before packing for real next week. Each time, something else gets the cut. I've already pared down the number of socks I'm taking, in addition to cutting a sweatshirt and a couple pairs of slacks out of the picture. One main concern I have is making sure I have gifts for my host family when I get to Moldova. The Peace Corps recommends postcards or books with images of America. I totally get that, but books weigh a lot and my packing space is already really limited! Any ideas?

In addition to packing, I've been slowly getting rid of things too. My apartment is finally rented by another tenant. I've cancelled Netflix, my gym membership, cable, energy bill, among other things. I still have to cancel my car insurance and cell phone. I also have to secure all the right paperwork regarding deferring my student loans (yet again) and paying my credit card debt while abroad. My car is turning out to be a nightmare too. I've learned one thing from my whole car situation - never lease again.

It's pretty incredible how attached (literally) you become to your life without actually realizing it. If it weren't for me leaving the country, I would have never known for instance that my cable company would try to get $200 out of me for getting out of my contract early; or that if it weren't for Verizon allowing me to put my number on hold for 2 years because I'm a Peace Corps volunteer, they would have made me pay hundreds of dollars to get out of that too. No wonder so many people go bankrupt. The minute you try to sever all ties for whatever reason, you're slammed with early termination fees, many of which are completely unjustified. I can't even imagine the nightmare I'd be going through right now if I owned a house.

In other news that is totally unrelated, I've seen 3 movies in the past few weeks with my family. The first one I saw was 'Ironman,' which I thought was pretty fantastic. Then we saw the new 'Narnia' movie, 'Prince Caspian.' It was good, but I liked the first one better. Last weekend we saw the new 'Indiana Jones' movie. I thought it was pretty awful. I just feel that the bar for action movies has been raised so much higher since the whole Indy franchise ('Bourne' movies, anyone?) that now this kind of movie is just kind of ludicrous. I will say, however, Cate Blanchett is probably the best actress of our time - I am convinced that she can do anything.

Well, that's enough rambling for now. Write soon. Leave comments! :)

Phoenix

I got into Phoenix last night and I am so excited to be here. It's been so great to see all of my friends from my two years here with Teach For America. I like Phoenix a lot, but it's really the people that make it for me. Kevin, Claire, Jessica, Andrea, Liana, Steve, Julia, Jason... and hopefully more to come! After this trip, I'm not sure if another will be happening anytime soon (even after Peace Corps). Almost everyone is leaving this year and they are off to do some pretty fantastic things. I'm so grateful to have made some amazing friends who are so intelligent, passionate and motivated. It's incredible to think about where we are all now and where we are going. 

Well, it's a jam packed week and I may not get a chance to post again until I return. In other news... only 17 days until I leave for Peace Corps staging in Philadelphia! 

Make some lists... check!

I went to the grocery store with my mom and sister yesterday and I couldn't help but look at different foods on the shelves and predict how in a matter of months I will likely be craving them and desperately missing them. So, I asked my mom for a pen and paper and as we continued the boring routine of gathering the week's necessities, I jotted down a few things that I would love to find in care packages. 

- Strawberry fruit leathers

- Nature Valley Oats 'N Honey granola bars

- Cheez-its

- Saltines

- Baked beans (I know it's weird)

- Seasonings (Taco seasoning, etc.)

- Lemonade mix

- Honey

- Gum

I'm sure I can find some of this stuff in Moldova, but I still couldn't help but think about it all. In a few weeks, I will be in a foreign country thousands of miles away, eating unknown delicacies and drinking homemade wine.

And now I've been making lists left and right. I made a list today in the bookstore of books that I want to make sure to bring with me. Then, I went home and wrote a bunch of tasks that need to be completed before leaving on the back of a napkin. There are also numerous index cards floating around the house outlining packing lists, things to buy, and music to upload. 

Preparing to leave the country for a couple of years seems like it would be a daunting task. However, I've found everything to be pretty simple so far. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm not scared or nervous yet at all about leaving. I'm excited, but I'm totally calm and collected about the whole thing. 

Who knows, maybe I'm just in some weird sort of denial. Whatever it is or isn't, I'll just keep making lists and checking them off as I prepare to start living my life how I want it to be lived. 

Yosemite!

Well, it's already been a while since I first posted. I need to get used to posting more often if this is going to be my primary form of communication. I promise, I'll get better. Anyhow, I'm now out of Seattle (I love that city and will really miss it) and I drove down to California where I'm living with my family for a couple of weeks.

On the drive down from Seattle, I ended up driving further east instead of venturing down the Pacific Coast as planned. It turns out that my sister was going to be at her timeshare in Las Vegas right around the same time, so I changed my trip to head that way with a quick trip to Yosemite on the way. Well, Yosemite turned out to be gorgeous! I really loved it there. Truly, if ever you are near it (and by near it, I mean within a few hundred miles) you should take the trip to see it. I did a lot of hiking, saw some beautiful waterfalls and spent the night in one of the tent-cabins that they have setup for visitors. I've posted some of the videos I took while I was there (note my attempt at being a Discovery Channel host).

I think the one below has to be my favorite video for two reasons. The first reason is because I call mountain lions, "lion mountains" showing how truly exhausted and out of it I was after the long drive and the strenuous hikes. And the second reason is...

... because this is the sign that I saw posted when I came back from my "off the beaten trail" hike. Uh, oops?

After Yosemite, my drive continued to Las Vegas where I met up with my mom, stepdad, sister, brother-in-law and my nephew, Tyler. Tyler is growing up so quickly. When I last saw him at Christmas, he could barely keep his head up and now he's crawling, standing up, clapping and feeding himself! Still adorable, though.

After Las Vegas, I drove to Murrieta to empty out my car, then left for DC the next day. In DC I visited Kathleen and Jacob and also took a trip up to New York to see Emily where I also saw Joanna and Christos. (Please note - do NOT see the movie, "Flight of the Red Balloon"). Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures during this trip, but I think Kathleen took some so if she ever uploads them, I'll put them up. After DC/NYC, I came back to California, celebrated Mother's Day with my mom and sister, then went up to Irvine the next day to meet my dad and stepmom before heading off on our cruise to Ensenada. Had a great time on the cruise - very relaxing and fun. I gambled a bit and had some pretty good luck. Plus, many of the casino dealers were from Romanian, so I got a few chances to practice my Romanian with them. Only downside of the cruise was I got terrible sunburn on my shins of all places.

I got back from the cruise yesterday and am now back at my mom's house in Murrieta trying to get everything ready before leaving for Philadelphia for Peace Corps staging. One other trip comes first though - I leave for Phoenix on Tuesday and I can't wait to see Kevin and all my friends before embarking on my adventure to Moldova!

(I'm posting a few more Yosemite pictures below)

Peace Corps Moldova!

Greetings friends, family and other people randomly reading. I am officially starting a blog to document my Peace Corps experience. For those of you who do not know, I left my job with Teach For America and am now focused on my impending departure to Moldova on June 8, 2008. For those of you who aren't familiar, Moldova is in Eastern Europe squished between Romania and Ukraine. I will be serving officially as a Primary Education volunteer. I have missed teaching this past year, so I am anxious to get back into it and be working with kids.

My official dates of service are June 2008 - August 2010, so it looks like I won't be back in the USA until the end of 2010 (which is weird to think about!) However, I will frequently update this blog so you can know exactly what is happening in my new Moldovan life. In the meantime, I've got plenty to do before June. At the end of April, I will be moving out of Seattle and driving down the Pacific Coast to see my family in California. I will then get on a plane, visit DC and NYC to say goodbye to close friends, followed by a Mexican cruise with my family and a final trip to Phoenix to say goodbye to my friends there. Then, I'm off to Philadelphia for Peace Corps staging, then to Moldova!