6/07/11-6/08/11: Staging Through Arrival in Moldova
After I arrived in Philadelphia, I attended staging. Staging is a short orientation that takes place in the US before Peace Corps volunteers travel to the country they are volunteering in. It took place at a Sheraton. We also spent the night there. Staging was interesting enough. We basically talked about what was in the literature they gave us in a more interactive way. We also went over our fears and aspirations regarding Peace Corps service. After staging ended, I went out for a Philly cheese steak with a large group of my fellow trainees. I was tired, so after the meal I went back to my hotel room that I was sharing with another trainee. I repacked some of my belongings, and then went to bed.
The next day I woke up around 7:30. I packed up the items I had used at the hotel, and proceeded to the hotel lobby to check out. I waited around for a while and chatted with some of the other trainees. At about 8:45 the buses arrived and all of us got on to our assigned bus. We were split up based on the village we would be going to when we got to Moldova. I suppose it made the boarding process easier and decreased the chances that someone would be left behind. Everybody knew who should be on each bus, so no one could be left behind because both buses thought they were on the other one. At around 9:15 the busses left and drove up to New York City. We flew out of JFK international airport.
When we arrived, we carried our baggage to the check-in line. We all had so much stuff. It makes sense given that we are going to be out of the US for two and a quarter years. We got to the airport super early and had about five hours to sit around. The food at the airport was super expensive. Luckily, the Peace Corps provided us with some money to use.
After waiting around for a while, it finally came time to board the plane. Everyone got on board with minimal problems. The flight was long, but enjoyable. I was able to watch a couple of movies I hadn’t had a chance to see before I left. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much sleep.
6/08/11
We landed in Munich at about 8 in the morning, and then made a dash to our gate for our flight to Chisinau (Kishinev). It took off a little late. Some luggage got left behind though because the plane wasn’t big enough to fit it in. We had been on a different flight before, but the plane got changed at the last minute. In fact, the seat I had initially been assigned didn’t even exist on the new, but smaller plane. The flight to Chisinau was only about 2 hours and I was able to nap a little bit.
When we arrived in Chisinau we picked up our luggage and made our way through customs and out to some busses that were waiting for us. The busses drove us to a school in Chisinau where we could go whenever we had large group sessions. When we got there we were given some food and drink. Afterwards, we had some more orientation-type talks and picked up some medical and safety supplies. When that was over, we loaded into mini-busses and made our way to our training villages.
My host family is great. They were all really welcoming when I first arrived. The mother, daughter, and son all seem to speak a little bit of English. My host sister is studying English in school. When I got there they gave me some snacks of cheese and meat to eat. After I was sort of full, dinner was served. I had chicken with potatoes, pizza, a salad (made of cucumbers, dill, onions, and tomatoes, but not lettuce), bread, and some sort of mushroom dish. I am sleeping in a room that kind of seems like a living room converted to a bed room. My bed is a fold-out couch. I have a table and an armoire to work on and put my clothing in. The house is two stories. The toilet is outside. There is a bathroom indoors along with a washing machine. There is a shower both indoors and out. I spent some time unpacking and then went to bed around 10. I was super tired from not getting much sleep.
