Arad

Good News Everyone! I finally have my new site placement and will be moving to Arad on February 6th after I return from Paris. Arad is a metropolis of 200,000 residents and is the country seat for judetul Arad therefore no more traveling eight hours roundtrip to pick up packages! The town borders Hungary and is located in the Transylvanian region of Romania. It has a theatre, two malls,a trolley system, an airport and half a dozen major grocery stores. It will be quite a change from my small town of 4,500 and I'm a little nervous about moving and getting lost in the shuffle of a major city but i was fortunate enough to be able to visit this past weekend.

Within the city are two other volunteers from my group, Tom and Shaneka, about an hour outside of town are Justin also from my group and Jimmy from group 25. Jimmy is very familiar with Arad and has many influential, English speaking friends there and so was nice enough to organize a gathering so that he could introduce the newest volunteer to them.

So after one of the most awkward afternoons in my office while I worked up the courage to tell my counterpart Diana that I was being moved, and then going on to disappoint my Environmental Class by telling them that Peace Corps decided I was needed somewhere else and wouldn't be able to teach them anyore, I went home and started packing. Saying good bye to my kids was...uncomfortable, they were the one thing I had going that I would have wanted to stay for but there is just too much else that isn't working here. I did nominate their school to have a TEFL (English Teacher) PCV from the group that is arriving in May and I really hope that they are happy there.

Friday night I packed up everything I wasn't taking to Paris, left enough socks and undies for a few days for when I return and stuffed two HUGE suitcases and another two canvas bags full of things to take with me and leave at Tom's. Hauling around all that stuff I really wished it hadn't been winter and I had to deal with icy sidewalks and freezing toesy on top of it. But I arrived in Arad and was met at the station by Jimmy and Justin who gallantly helped me carry everything to Tom's apartment. We headed out to try and find a pizza place they knew about, but it was closed, as was the second option, and we finally stumbled upon a third restaurant called Pizza OK!

After dinner the group all went out to a lounge that is a favorite of the Romanians we were meeting up with and they were all thrilled to have another volunteer among them. (There have been a few volunteers placed in and around Arad for the past ten years and they had befriended them all.) What better way to bond with a new group of people than by singing kareoke? Well I had to swallow my pride and pick a song from the fishbowl and make a fool of myself singing "UnBreak My Heart" by Toni Braxton. First time I had ever been tricked into actually singing kareoke but it was actually quote enjoyable and Cosmin and I went on to sing "Like a Virgin" and then "Boom" by the Vengaboys.

I think I can be happy there. The new park that I will be working with has had experience with PCVs before and already have a few things they would like me to work on, and I've been introduced into a group of really great people. So a new Beginning is just around the corner.

Next stop. PARIS,FRANCE!!! for five nights and six days all for under $400.