27 Luni

After a whirlwind of activity, the first few days are coming to a close. Based on what I can tell, the weeks to come could prove just as intense.

Tuesday basically consisted of an all day orientation, with lots of activities geared towards introducing us to each other and to what we can expect as volunteers. We performed skits demonstrating the core values of the Peace Corps, drew diagrams outlining Peace Corps’ three goals and participated in various ice breakers. All and all the day was a success; many of the group’s concerns, fears, and apprehensions were addressed in a serious but fun environment.

Wednesday and Thursday were largely travel days. Take approximately 20 hours in transit door to door, add a seven hour time difference and you end up with one seriously jet lagged group. All and all the traveling was smooth, though there were a few small snafus. The following are among my favorite. One volunteer lost her brand new Peace Corps passport at the airport, miraculously recovering it from a competing airline’s front desk, another volunteer realized after boarding our MUC to OPT flight that he left his laptop at security, and topping the list, was our JFK flight being delayed by almost an hour because Air Force One needed to come in for a landing. Perhaps most ominous of all was the fact that our flight departure from New York and arrival to Munich were shrouded in super dense fog. This is the type of fog I wouldn’t want to drive in let alone fly.

After arriving at Henri Coanda Airport in Bucharest, and quickly getting through customs, a large contingent of current Peace Corps staff and volunteers greeted us, including the Country Director for the program. She had memorized each of our names based on the passport photos we submitted months ago. The rest of the staff was very warm and welcoming as well, offering us bottled water and fresh made pretzels for the trip to our training post in Targoviste. We loaded our luggage, close to 160 bags in total, on to the bus (outfitted with a trailer) and honked our way through traffic to the hotel. This trip afforded us the opportunity to get our first glimpses of the Romanian country side, dotted with farms, derelict houses, and cinderblock electric pools.

Once at the hotel, we were given some time to roam around, and then reconvened for a group meal. Four courses, including fish, salad, beef and a desert bread roll. A few new friends and I sat with the Director of Program Training and Development, successfully picking his brain on the many questions we had come up with during our travels. The Hotel Valahia is reminiscent of a typical Hostel, low on amenities, unresponsive staff, stiff towels and an old, dingy decor, but for tonight and tomorrow night it’s home.

Off for one more errand before bed, vaccinations…