Catch up.

Has it been a hundred years? 

I know, it feels like it has. I've got some soul-searching posts coming up (obviously), but since it's been so long, I thought I'd tell you what's been going on in life since the year started. 

January: 

• Rang in the New Year with friends in the capital of Moldova.
  
  
  
  
• Had a food-filled, binge-watching stay-cation during the winter holidays with a friend in my village.
• Went on vacation to beautiful Romania with yet another friend and had potentially the most relaxing week of my recent memory.
  
  
  
  
• Enjoyed a few snow days in the village - because we literally couldn't get out of our house; there was too much!
• Found out my COS date - my last day as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Moldova is going to be July 7, 2016. Right now that's just three months away (cue panic attack).
  
  
  
   
• Helped out with the M30 Project Design and Management Conference, mentoring, answering questions, and occasionally translating (but jeez their language is good!). This was a lot of fun; the COD group gets some really stellar volunteers.
• Ran a 10K in the underground cellars of the Cricova Winery. I know, right?
  
  
  
  
   

February:

• Made 60+ Valentines to deliver to PCVs - if I could have thought of anything else clever to put on them, I would have made them for even the PCVs I don't know.
  
  
  
   
• Helped my village apply for a volunteer to take my place (IN THE VILLAGE BUT NOT IN THEIR HEARTS). 
• Spent a romantic Valentine's Day eating so much food and watching so much television with a friend in her village.
• Went on vacation to beautiful Poland, where I met my cousin and his girlfriend and had the best time! We did Krakow, Auschwitz, salt mines, and Warsaw. Spent a few days by myself (and with new friends) after they left, which was also spectacular.
  
  
  
  
• LEAP DAY IN MOLDOVA! This wasn't actually very special but I did spend the whole day doing only relaxing things that I wanted to do. 

March:

• Celebrated International Women's Day (a few times) with my village, including a super fancy banquet at the raion center that we packed 12 women into a van to attend. I'm getting hungry just thinking about all the delicious food we had there.
  
  
  
   
• Celebrated a friend's birthday with a weekend filled with fun and games. 
• Hosted half the raion PCVs at my house for another weekend of fun and games, including a hike to the lake, #buddyyoga, and a kick line or two.
   
  
  
• Filled up my third journal. 
• Helped teach a computer usage seminar in the raion center library. This involved planning and teaching about browsing the Internet and setting up an email account, and made us pretty pleased at our Romanian skills. It was oddly a lot of fun to teach middle-aged Moldovan women about how to use the computer.
• Met a friend's boyfriend and sister when they each came to visit, including a wonderful trip to the Mileștii Mici Winery, which holds the Guinness World Record for the largest wine cellar. (See, don't worry, I'm still "wining.")
  
  
  
  
• Attended and gave a presentation at the Regional Experience Exchange for libraries in our part of Moldova, where we learned about projects in other communities and talked together about advice and plans for the future in our libraries. 
• Did 30 days of yoga in a row (and still holding strong in April so far with the intention of doing 30 more!). 

I never think I'm that busy and then I look back and see all these things I've done in just the first three months of the year! Now I've got three months left to pack in as much (or more!). 

There's a lot in my plans for April (working on my final project, meetings with the health center and villagers to inform them about said project, a Bible Study retreat, another 10K, visitors to my village, our COS conference..) so it doesn't look like things are going to slow down anytime soon. I'll try to take a breath once in a while and pay attention to what's going on around me, and be thankful for the time I've got left. 

Good things about the last couple of days: • delicious weekend of shopping, sangria, and foooood • the weather has been LOVELY • my bike quit working on the way to work but before heading home, a guy outside the Primaria fixed it for me, no questions asked • coffee • new whiteboards to use during English club! • meeting fellow crybabies • productive meetings with the mayor • yummy colorful salads • Gilmore Girls • outdoor yoga • YOU, for reading all of this!

Happy New Year!

I like it when January 1st hits and we have a new year. I'm completely ready to start using my new planner, which I buy months in advance anticipating all the new artwork and blank pages to fill with plans and goals and hopes and dreams (no, seriously - my new planner is adorable and feeling neglected - thankfully it's time to use it). Is it a little silly that we wait until the 1st to start resolutions and vow to complete our bucket list and chop all our hair off and move halfway across the world..? Yes, obviously it is. We all know it is. If you want to make a change in October, you should just make it. But that doesn't stop the new year from feeling like it's got so much promise. 

Although, this new year doesn't feel so much promising as it does terrifying. 2016 is not 2014 or 2015. (I know what you're thinking - yes, obviously! Only on her second paragraph and she's clearly lost it!) In 2014, I knew (essentially) what was going to happen - I was going to leave for Moldova in June. I'd spend half the year at home preparing in a million ways and the other half in another country, training and learning a language and settling into my new home. In 2015, I knew (essentially) what was going to happen - I was going to spend the entire year in Moldova, working on different things and making new friends and being only the greatest PCV my village has ever seen (sorry Heath and Julia, don't worry, they still talk about you guys too). 

But 2016? Half the year is still a mystery. Yes, I'll be in Moldova until at least July, which admittedly covers a lot of it. I'll finish up my last big project (Lord willing), hang out with some kids and teach them a word or two in English, travel a little bit, prepare myself to leave, cry a lot, have some heart-to-hearts over too much coffee (if there is such a thing), touch some lives, save the world - the usual. But then what? What happens after that? When I ring the bell - and when am I ringing that bell?? - that signifies our Close of Service.. THEN WHAT. It's blank. Those last 5 months of 2016 - what is going to happen? I honestly feel surprised that my new planner HAS those months included - don't they know that I don't know what goes in them? That I can't fill in those pages? That I can't predict that future? (Besides the crying. We know I'll do that anywhere.) I do know that I'll be going home, which I'm really excited about, because mi-e dor de casa. 

While I casually panic about next year, let's talk about the one that just ended. Because I did this last year and it was fun. 

In 2015, 

• I spent: 12 months in Moldova. My whole year as a PCV. Yes, I did leave the country a few times, but I lived here this whole time. Holidays on holidays, training new volunteers, meeting new people, summer camp, firsts, lasts, speeches, toasts, grand openings, tears, coffee, wine on wine on wine... And on that note, while not 2015-specific, I've been here a total of 576 days now. 
• I wrote: 32 blog posts here at Wining & Whining. I wrote a lot more than that during just the last half of 2014, so I'm assuming that means I was doing more actual work.. Or that I got lazy? Nahhh, doubt it. Most popular was the Penguin Dance! But I'm pretty sure that's because my dad watched the video about.... roughly a million times. He's probably 80% of the views on that video on YouTube, so.. Second place goes to A Year Of Days, which is possibly my favorite of the year, written at my one year anniversary with Moldova. (I mean, I love Moldova, but I don't think she's the one. It's one of those relationships that had a time limit from the beginning, like when you start dating at the end of senior year, or right before doing something ridiculous like joining the Peace Corps. But it's been nice while it's lasted. I think we've got a few more good months in us.) 
• I read: 50 books/14,399 pages, the most I've ever read in a year. My favorite of the year was If You Find This Letter. Honorable mentions go to Modern Romance, As You Wish, Sisterhood Everlasting. Truly there are too many honorable mentions, so these are really just the most recent favorites. 
• I traveled: 12,832 miles by plane (roughly). Including airports, I've been in 6 countries in 2015. I took trips to Italy and to the U.S., the latter of which included a road trip from Virginia to Wisconsin and back! Rutiera travel isn't even going to be part of this equation.. I would just start thinking about how many hours I've spent on minibuses and might just lose my mind.
• I filled: 1 journal full of daily happenings and drawings and thoughts and love stories and heartbreak and gratitude. I'm on journal #3 for Peace Corps and hope to finish that one soon, too. 
• I turned: 25. Now I'm a quarter century of amazing. 
• I built: a park, a life, some friendships.

I had life-changing experiences and trips and sunrises. I fell in love roughly 365 times or so. I've accomplished more than I thought I could, but still spend some days feeling like I haven't done anything. I've stayed out all night and made questionable decisions and continued to live with all this passion and emotion right at the surface of my interactions with people. I've wanted to quit and I've wanted to stay extra. I've met people that have changed my life, some through pushing me to greatness and others through making me feel like I'm less than great. I've done a lot of solo dancing and solo dinners and solo hours-long walks through the city - and I've gone weeks without any alone time at all. Sometimes I don't do anything for days and other times I fit so much living into such a small amount of time that I don't even know what's happened. 

In 2016,

• My theme for the year is going to be honesty. 2015's theme was optimism, which I think worked out pretty well for me. Now I want it to be honesty. I met someone this year who I thought was going to play a different part in my life than they ended up playing. Spending time with them taught me how valuable honesty can be. And honestly, that person isn't part of my life anymore. But I've taken some lessons from our friendship that I am keeping around, and expressing myself in exactly the ways I want to and believe in is one of them. But don't ask me if that dress makes you look fat. 

This year, I've worked really hard. And occasionally it's been really hard. But it's also often been really great. I think I can always look back at 2015 and be proud of myself for the things I did this year. The unknown of 2016 is scary, but it's also kind of exciting. And it's here whether or not I want it to be, so I might as well jump right in. 

I spent the last night of 2015 with great friends, fireworks, lights, and a whole lot of sparkles, so if that's any indication of how 2016 will be, I feel like I'm ready. 

La mulți ani înainte!

Currently #9

Currently...

Reading The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan. This book was published after her death, which was just days after she graduated from Yale. She's a beautiful writer and it's a shame this is all we will get from her, because it's wonderful so far. I'm also listening to Killing Kennedy on tape, which is really interesting. 

Writing letters to strangers, as per usual. One to a boy in Spain who is collecting postage from different countries, and one to a girl I met online in a group on Facebook who wants a pen pal!

Listening to 8tracks. While I read, while I write, while I yoga.. Is yoga a verb? It is now.

Thinking about what a great week we had recently with friends visiting - that friend who convinced us to run in the marathon and who we got to explore Chisinau with and see cool places that I'd never seen before! 

Smelling plăcintă! Today she made it with brînza, which I can't remember her ever doing, but I'm excited about it because I love it with brînza (it's like homemade cheese). 

Wishing for the weekend! No, I know, it IS the weekend. But this upcoming weekend is TEDxChisinau, AKA TED talks, but in Chisinau! This sounds thrilling to me and I can't wait to go. 

Hoping I get a girl or two to come with me to Chisinau this weekend. There's an event called Girls In ICT and girls are invited to come and learn how to create presentations using different kinds of software. It's an international event to encourage young girls to consider a career in IT, and I'm really excited about it. I told my English class/club and one girl (one of the star students, of course) signed up immediately. A few others said they'd ask their parents, so I'm hoping that at least that one girl gets to go, and maybe one or two others! 

Wearing my pajamas, BUT today I'm calling them my yoga outfit, because. Well. 

Loving my mother on Mother's Dayyyyyy! 

Wanting my package from my mother to be here so I can start wearing my Jawbone and be motivated to get up and walk around, for crying out loud. Because if Olivia gets more steps in a day, that's just unacceptable. Competition will fuel me, guys. Remember when I tried to beat all the boys at all the standardized tests? (More importantly, remember how I CRUSHED them?) That was awesome. I need a challenge, here. 

Needing chocolate. Where's the chocolate in this place, jeeeeeez.

Feeling overwhelmed about everything that's going on this month. Almost all of it is stuff I'm looking forward to, like Girls in ICT and TEDxChisinau, language training, and other fun events with PCVs, but it feels like a lot at the moment and I don't know if I can schedule my life well enough! We're getting a lot of work done on the park, too, so I hope I can get everything in order for that - the other day I went to Chisinau with the mayor and we bought the playground equipment, benches, and fence.. So now I need to get all that correct and recorded on my budget.. Apparently it's hard to do nothing, but it's harder to do something! WEIRD. 

Clicking this artist who takes photos of fruit.. But it's not the still life you're thinking. This piece with 20 Unconventional Compliments to Brighten Anyone's Day - so give one to someone, already! And this TED talk about the power of body language - it's 20 minutes but worth a watch. 

And just to brighten your Sunday, here are some of our cute baby geese.

Currently #8

Currently...

Reading the entire Peace Corps library. Okay, not the whole library - it's too big. But I've just picked up a new stack to keep me busy, and I'm almost done with my first one, Ten From Infinity (but of course I'm reading at least 4 books right now because go big or go home, right?). I actually can't wait to get back to my house so I can finish the last 30 pages or so and learn the fate of the androids (there were 10 of them, and they came from infinity.. aka outer space, aka the characters in the book have no idea about anything). 

Writing in my journal - lists and thoughts and dreams I had the other night that were so perfectly analyzed by my PCV bunica. How could I survive without my journal? Answer is, I couldn't.

Listening to Ellie Goulding lately. Though, right now I'm listening to Alexandra work quietly next to me. Thursdays in the Primaria aren't much of a thrill ride (as opposed to Mondays, which are CRAZY). Occasionally she'll tell me a story, though! Today she told me about what her son does in Texas, and that through his work, he just saw my host brother, who lives in Texas also!

Thinking about how amazing it is that I've been in Moldova for 300 days now (302, to be exact, because this post took me too long to write). On Saturday, it will have been 10 months exactly. How close is that to a year? Hint: very. I cannot fathom how that could possibly be true. Didn't I just get here?

Smelling spring! Or is that mud...? 

Wishing for more spring. And hopefully good weather this weekend, because I have friends coming to visit my village! We're about to increase the Americans in this place by 200%. Assuming I can do math correctly. They don't have long in the village because of our great, frequent bus schedule, but I think we can cover all the highlights in a few hours. (It's quite small.) 

Hoping I don't have a heart attack and die when I try to run jog/walk in the Chisinau 10K that I just signed up for. I think it was an April Fool's lack of judgment on my part - my brain fooling me into thinking registering would be a good idea.. (Or was it peer pressure? Or a combination of the two? At least if it was peer pressure, I'll have good company while I struggle.) Because the last time I ran anywhere it was because a dog was literally chasing me (thanks, Moldova) so my ability to do this is questionable. I'm good at walking though, so if I just stick with that, I'll do great.

Wearing my favorite horse sweater over a dress and bright orange tights because I think it's autumn, apparently.

Loving my walk to work this morning, even through the mud, because on my way I saw a group of little boys, one of whom I recognized from the Pregatitoare class at the kindergarten (he's one of my favorites, too!). One said good morning to me, and I passed them (little boys dawdle, whereas I of course do not), and then I heard a tiny voice shout, "Okay!" I tend to say "okay" a lot, which I didn't think was that weird because I hear Moldovans say it too, but it's possible I say it TOO much.. So for the next few minutes (until I got far enough away) we just said "Okay!" back and forth to each other - he thought it was hilarious. 

Wanting to sneak our new puppies, Buzz and Woody, into the house to snuggle them. If only, if only. 

Needing a nap. Turns out it's exhausting to get up around 4 in the morning, travel ~3 hours, walk around Chisinau all day in heels (my fault, obviously), then travel ~3 hours back to site in one day. (What?? The title of this blog has the word "whining" in it - you should expect some of it.) Plus side, I got to see the sun rise while on the bus and it was OFF THE CHARTS beautiful.. Totally worth seeing the clock at 4:00. And I got to have a lovely coffee date and bonding time with "o Moldoveanca frumoasa."

Feeling excited about our park renovation project! Remember that time we applied for a grant and didn't get it? Yeah, me too. But then we went to a project design workshop and learned how to make our project better. We worked really hard for almost all of February rewriting and making sure everything was perfect and then submitted an application for a Peace Corps small grant. After returning from Italy, my partner and I went to Chisinau to present our project before the committee, and last week we heard the good news - our grant was approved! So we will be renovating a park this spring/summer and it's going to be awesome. 

Clicking this article about How Smiling Changes Your Brain and this #100happydays challenge I'm participating in - today will be day 11! (You can find my 100 days on Instagram by checking out the sidebar or by following me.) Read about it and join me and we'll change our brains by smiling for #100happydays! Or something like that.

Currently #7

Currently...

Yeah, THAT'S real. The sky was that blue.

Reading 24/7. Okay, not exactly 24/7, but I just finished 2 books this weekend, one of which I hadn't even started until this weekend. So what I'm reading now is North River, which I've been neglecting, but which I hope to get into and finish soon.

Writing the cutest Valentines for my friends. I'm going to be two weeks early with them but I don't care because I think A. They are adorable and B. I can do what I want.

Listening to lots of Ed Sheeran, which I'm sure is late because I think I recall having sorority sisters who were obsessed with him.. Better late than never, maybe. 

Thinking about all the things I learned at dinner the other night. First of all, if the jug of wine doesn't fill each glass, that means something for your future. Well, mine, because my glass was last to be filled with the last of the wine, and it didn't fill the glass. This means I'm going to have a boy for my first child. I tried to insist that I was okay with this, but mama gazda didn't care so she filled up the jug again. I also learned which woman in the village can do my nails in the future, so that's a pretty great find.

Smelling clean, although regrettably my shower turned cold halfway through because I had to go second. So that was a fun surprise. The water was possibly colder than the weather outside and there is snow on the ground, so that's how I felt. It's good for me though, riiiiiight? 

Wishing for a bubble bath with a glass of wine. Where can I get one of those around here?! (The former, of course. I definitely know where the wine is.)

Hoping our project workshop goes well this week. I'm going to this workshop with a "new" partner and I like her a lot. It's been a little frustrating to work on the project together, but she's very nice, "related" to me through host mom, and she seems really active and willing to work on projects both in the village and the raion. (She knew about our volunteering group and explained it to host mom before I even could!)

Wearing my fuzzy Vera robe, as usual! And nothing else. JUST KIDDING. Checking to see if you're still awake.  

Loving weekends, coffee, and Snapchats from an adorable Bubblegum Buddy. 

Wanting to make everyone else's lives better. Don't you sometimes feel that when you're not at your happiest, you want to help other people be happy? Maybe in the hopes that it will both make you feel better and make it so someone else doesn't feel like you do.

Needing to probably study Romanian a little. After our project workshop, we have some more language training, which I'm excited for but also dreading, because I think I've possibly regressed.. It's like I can't remember any words or how to conjugate verbs or how to.. talk. I don't really want to get to language and embarrass myself any more than usual. 

Feeling lonely, but that's gotta be partly because I've watched three Hallmark movies this weekend. I mean also because I'm lonely.

Clicking the 2015 Manifesto and Today is not over yet.

Currently #6

Currently...

Reading Adaptation by Malinda Lo (and two other books, but I've been hooked on this one for a bit). Sissy recommended it and I haven't decided if I like it or not, but I'm halfway through. I bet she tricked me into reading this without telling me it's part of a series... THANKS, Hannah.  

Writing tons of notes on this report on modern libraries. There's an organization here that works with libraries in Moldova. They have just started a PCV program where a group of us will learn something new each month to help us work with our village/town libraries. The PCV that works with this organization sent us a report to read about libraries in America and I thought it was so interesting that I took pages of notes, and got really excited about the program we're starting.

Listening to X, aka Chris Brown all day long. Amanda told her mom to send it to me and it was one of her best ideas ever. I don't know if 16-year-old me would believe that 24-year-old me isn't as obsessed with CB as she was, but I'm making up for it a little bit I think, having played this CD at least 6 times in the last two days. 

Thinking about day 200. I've been in Moldova for 200 days as of today. It feels like a lifetime and also like no time at all, which is simultaneously frustrating and encouraging. 

Smelling mint Oreos! I don't know how many days I can really be expected to stretch out this package of cookies for.. So don't judge me.

Wishing I could have been at my house last night in person instead of just with Skype. Multiple people conspired to keep me up until 2:30am so I could see them all together without even knowing that's what was happening. It was awesome. And obviously worth staying up til 4am talking to them! Slightly jealous that Becky and Rasheesh and my mother all got to hang out without me, buuuuut.. I guess I was included as much as I could have been, haha. 

Hoping we can successfully make it to Prague and have a GREAT time.. So great that it re-energizes us for the new year. Because 2015 is a lot of Moldova. It's daunting, a little bit.

Wearing sweats on sweats on sweats, duh. Actually I guess I'm exaggerating slightly (who, me?!) because it's just the one pair of sweatpants. 

Loving everyone, near and far.

Wanting it to be time for our Christmas party! We are having a tiny Christmas party at Kelsey's house for some of the lost boys so that we aren't sad and lonely on what is, for some of us, the first Christmas away from family, and for all of us, a day where we don't want to be alone. Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about it. 

Needing to organize my room and decide what I'm packing for Prague.. The worst part about going anywhere - packing. Nu-mi place. 

Feeling better this weekend after a week filled with feeling terrible. Turns out it's more helpful to talk about stuff than to not.. Who would have thought? 

Clicking the A to X Writing Advice, which is fun and informative. Also these most-highlighted quotes from recent fiction by women. Here's a sample: 

“For although a man is judged by his actions, by what he has said and done, a man judges himself by what he is willing to do, by what he might have said, or might have done — a judgment that is necessarily hampered, not only by the scope and limits of his imagination, but by the ever-changing measure of his doubt and self-esteem.” - The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton

Currently #5

Currently...

Reading The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, my fifth book for the Semi-Charmed Winter Book Challenge. It's entertaining if not occasionally a bit hard to follow. I was attempting a book in Romanian but I had to give up, because, guess what? I'm not at that level yet. Or ever. 

Writing this blog, obviously. The latest of that is my last gratitude series of November and this long thing I wrote about all the PCVs I'm obsessed with. TRY to guess who's who; you can't, and I'm not telling.

Listening to more Christmas music than any one person should. I've pretty much got my quota for the year listened to, and I'm nowhere near done. How many times can I hear Mariah Carey tell me that all she wants for Christmas is me before I get sick of it? The limit does not exist. 

Thinking about how I always seem to have accidental sleepovers at Kelsey's house. Today makes number... 3. (An accidental sleepover occurs when you plan to go to someone's house but not to stay the night, and you end up staying. I'm sure my mother is oh-so-glad that the closest volunteer to me is a female now that she knows I have so many of these.) We hung out today and I had planned to catch the last rutiera home but I got 3 phone calls in a row from my host mom so I figured I should answer.. And she said, "Do not come home." Uhhhh.. She told me it was too dangerous with the ice and snow so I had to stay here and wait for the morning. So that's what I'm doing now! 

Smelling cough drops and shampoo. 

Wishing I could think of really great Winter Wizard ideas.. We have a Secret Santa type thing that goes all the way through to the end of February (hey, winters are hard) that's called Winter Wizards. I'm really excited about it and obviously want to be the best wizard ever, but it's hard to think of stuff to write to them online/cute little gifts to send, especially when you don't know your match SUPER well (which I don't, but I love them anyway - maybe I love everyone though? It's questionable). But I did manage to find a cute little something to leave in their locker the next time I go to the PC office so that's fun!

Hoping that we get good news about our project concept note tomorrow - that's the day we find out if we made it to the next stage of applications or not. I'm really really hoping we do, because I don't know what the next step is with the project if we don't. 

Wearing the comfiest pants known to man. MOVE OVER, PAJAMA JEANS. STEP BACK, SWEATPANTS. There is a new winner in town, and I don't even own them. Kelsey is letting me borrow these sweet legging things and they are so soft on the inside I want to marry them. That, or just try to find a pair of my own in Chisinau later. Can you marry pants? It's questionable. I'll hold out for a little longer, maybe I'll fall into deeper love with a sweatshirt or something. 

Loving Christmas crafting, cookies, friends, romcoms, and sleepovers! 

Wanting my mother to open the package I sent her RIGHT NOW but also not wanting her to do it without me. I don't want to brag or anything but it's the cutest present Moldova could ever produce and I just can feel it sitting in the house, waiting to be opened. But I won't allow them to do so without me watching while Skyping, so there's that. The party line is that I have to explain stuff (which is somewhat true, but not totally necessary) but really I just want to be excited while they're excited opening the greatest present ever. Ask her about it when you see her. Maybe she'll carry it around and show everyone. Good idea, I think.  

Needing there to be stairs on our new spiral staircase. The staircase exists.. And it's usable. But there aren't exactly steps, just the shells of them, so it's still slightly dangerous.

Feeling fed and comfortable. Turns out Kelsey's a great cook (is this post JUST about Kelsey? I mean, maybe), plus, the pants. 

Clicking the amazing history of the to-do list (history's somewhat lacking in this piece, but still a good read) and an article by someone who sent all her text messages in calligraphy for a week. 

Currently #4

Currently...

I know I only post sunrise pictures, but in my defense, that's the direction my house faces.

Reading July, July by Tim O'Brien. It's my second book for the Semi-Charmed Winter Book Challenge, which I'm fully excited about. It will also be the 20th book I'll have read in Moldova. I also just finished How They Met by David Levithan, reaffirming him as my favorite author. 

Writing nothing! My journal is looking at all the books I'm reading and feeling neglected. But I think it'll survive.

Listening to 1989, obviously. I currently can't relate to people who aren't obsessed with the new Taylor Swift album. Also Sam Smith, because he's excellent, and In the Lonely Hour is fantastic, and sometimes you need a break from Taylor. Hypothetically. 

Thinking about Prague! A PCV friend and I have decided to go there for a little winter/New Year's vacation. We're so excited. 

Smelling burning leaves. This morning as we left the house, my host mom handed me a box of matches and told me I had to set the leaves on fire when I got home. Excuuuuse me? What makes her think I'm qualified to do that? Don't know, but I did it. I think. Haven't checked on it in a while. 

Wishing I could get a Peppermint Mocha in a red cup from Starbucks and Instagram it. So if everyone living near an SB (aka, anyone in the States) could just go there and have a holiday drink of your choice and think of me while you do it, that would be great. I'll be over here with my instant coffee, living vicariously through you. (Feel free to Instagram it and tag me, as we all know that you didn't really go to SB if you didn't post a picture on Instagram.)

Hoping the turkeys I saw this morning on my way to work are somebody's Thanksgiving birds. Just kidding, they don't have that here. But don't worry, that doesn't mean I'm not celebrating my favorite holiday! There are a bunch of PC Thanksgivings throughout Moldova, and I will be attending the most fun one, obviously (I've just declared this, so..). A bunch of us will be getting together in a raion relatively near the one I live in, so that should be really fun! I'm looking forward to it, AND to getting together for American football the week before.

Wearing sweatpants, duh. Is there any other option?

Loving when I get to see friends! I had to go to the raion center to use the ATM so I got to visit Kelsey at work Tuesday and we went out for pizza afterward! It's always nice to feel like I have a modicum of a social life.

Wanting to dance! YouTube is the greatest thing, did you know that? I haven't been motivated enough to go for walks in the cold, but I have found yoga on YouTube, and after I post this, I'm going to do a ballet workout. It's like I've got all these dance teachers online just waiting for me to come to class.

Needing to find appropriate Romanian materials, as I'm going to search for my tutor for the first time tomorrow (yes, search.. The church she's at, which I've never seen, was basically described to me today.. So I hope I can find it - we all know how great I am at directions, and these ones were in Romanian. Luckily I'm way better at finding things when I walk rather than drive)! My tutoring packets are in my room somewhere..

Here's a picture of our puppy, just because. Isn't she cute?

Feeling somewhat accomplished for the week. After site visit, I met the president of our local NGO and we just spent time together working on a concept note for a grant competition, which we finished A DAY EARLY and successfully submitted! Now we wait to see if we even did it right and get to move on to the next stage.. So fingers crossed!

Clicking this post of things to remember. (Inspirational quotes are my jam, you know.) Also, this Apple commercial, which I watched without sound at first and still wanted to cry. So precious. If you don't cry when you watch it, you might be heartless. 

That's what I'm up to these days! Life is not bad.

Currently #3

Currently...

Reading Paper Love: Searching for the Girl My Grandfather Left Behind by Sarah Wildman. The author wants to find more information about her Jewish grandfather and his true love, who wasn't able to flee Europe with him during World War II. It's really interesting and I'm learning more about the way things were for Jewish people during the war. I visited a WWII memorial this weekend and it made me think of my grandpa, too.

Writing letters. I successfully mailed 8 of them! That's an accomplishment because the post office is in Romanian (yeah, I know, everything's in Romanian) and they always ask questions I don't know how to answer. Hopefully they all make it home! 

Listening to Nicki Minaj, for some reason. In my defense, we used her song for our dance.

Thinking about this week's site visit. Our Program Manager is making the rounds, and she's coming to my office on Thursday. She's the greatest and I am excited to see her, but I don't feel very confident in what I'm doing so I don't know how the conversation will go. Plus, she's got this way of talking to me and looking into my soul that often makes me want to cry, so I really don't want that to happen at work. 

Smelling fall. I don't actually smell this in Căplani, but I was in Ștefan Vodă this weekend and walked through parks with actual trees and leaves changing color and falling, and it was the greatest. 

Wishing my roomie a wonderful wedding week, and wishing I could be there for her on her big day Saturday. But I'll be there in spirit! (Delta Pi spirit?? My favorite kind?!)

Hoping that my host mom knows what she's doing in deciding on a tutor for me. Haven't met the woman yet, but host mom called her last night so I'm finally going to have a Romanian tutor. 

Wearing sweaters on sweaters on sweaters. Our wood has been delivered and the sobă (wood stove) has been turned on (started? What's the correct verb for this?) so the house is being heated and it's warm and cozy inside.. But it's chilly at work! Luckily sweaters/sweatshirts are possibly my favorite item of clothing.

Loving the people reading this right now. Yes, you! 

Wanting food from home. No, I'm dreaming about it. But literally. I had a very vivid dream last night involving tacos and soda, so that was weird, but. Basically I just want my mother to cook for me. I'm going to make a menu for 2016 when I come home, and it's going to be great.

Needing Hercules to come out so I can watch it. I'm obsessed and can't wait. Tomorrow, tomorrow, you're only a day away! 

Feeling sore from moving all the wood! (Even though I did this days ago.) A big truck came and delivered a huge amount of wood, and oddly enough, you can't just leave it all outside your gate on the road. So we had to move this huge pile inside. We started working together (host mom and I) but she left shortly after beginning to do something else, so I kept working. Kids came by and watched me, and eventually the pile was much smaller. Host mom came back out, saw the kids watching and the size of the pile, and told them to get off their butts and help me, so we got the rest finished in about 15 minutes with four of us working! And I felt very accomplished, so there's that. 

Clicking this awesome "color thesaurus" and this cute Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants reunion, which makes me want to read all the books again. 

Currently #2

Currently...

Reading One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I've read it before but thought I might like to again.

Writing emails. Just turned in some surveys due tomorrow and responded to some messages. Makes me feel much more accomplished on a lazy Sunday. 

Listening to Maroon 5's V, obsessively. I'm talking all the time. It's really good!

Thinking about the episode of Super Soul Sunday I just watched. Oprah interviewed Paulo Coelho and though I haven't read The Alchemist, he was pretty interesting. They talked about people's calling and he said, ""I'm not ready' is just an excuse." Yeah, and good thing no one let that be my excuse for not coming to Moldova. 

Smelling cough drops.. My throat hurts today - not fun!

Wishing I didn't feel sick and wishing that my host mother would not keep asking me WHY. I'm not a doctor; I don't know! Luckily she has tons of suggestions and things for me to do about it. Thanks, but no thanks. She also asks every 10 minutes or so if it still hurts. Well. Yes.

Hoping that I feel excellent by the end of the week, as that is when we return to our training site villages for PST III, aka more training! I can't wait.

Wearing Packer pajamas in the hopes it will help the boys with a win today! 

Loving the breezes and the nice walks through the valley.

Wanting hugs.

Needing to practice my dance so I can teach it to Miki during PST III. Her organization is having an event in October and the two of us are going to teach a short dance to the kids who come. It should be really fun! 

Feeling bad about not wanting to hang out with my host mom when I don't feel well, but today she did come in with two big photo albums to show me. One was sort of a wedding album and the other was a really cool one from when her husband was in the military. A really creative friend of theirs did all these fun drawings in that one and it was awesome to look at. 

Clicking this article about everyday experiences. I put my favorite quote from Ting Zhang on a picture I took yesterday on my walk.