This past summer was honestly nothing but enjoyable. I spent most days (while home in the village) studying Romanian with my friend Valentina, eating with my host mother, Ecaterina, English tutoring, reading, helping with activities for the new group of volunteers, having fun and taking excursions with volunteers in my group, helping to prepare the GLOW camp (which I unfortunately had to miss because it was pushed back to August), and of course, America for two wonderful weeks. I arrived back in Moldova on the 28th of August and the first day of school is tomorrow. A friend of mine working abroad came to visit these past few days which was nice, but now I’m feeling a little overwhelmed and jetlagged with no real transition or days of relaxation (or days to get work done!) before the year begins.
Things going on right now:
I lost the key to the large wall/gate around my house and have been climbing the wall to get in and out the past few days. I can’t find anyone with an electric saw to cut it off! Amusing, but incredibly annoying.
I didn’t receive an internet bill this past month, so my internet was cut off when I wasn’t able to pay the bill that didn’t arrive. Hope I will have internet again soon…
I haven’t seen mice in my house since a week or so since the end of July, early August. Woo!
My partner, Viorica, said she cried when I went home to America because she didn’t think I would be returning. I’m glad I was able to prove her wrong.
Grapes are ripe and delicious. Wine making season begins.
The new volunteers have spent their first week in their permanent villages. Hearing their stories—especially the ones about host family dramas—bring back memories.

I’ve been feeling very positive since returning to Moldova, but am a bit worried about my motivation level. I’ve been here over a year, but still find myself questioning or sometimes floundering to identify how I can be most helpful to the people with whom I work. Or maybe I’m asking the wrong question of how I can please the most number of people with my service. The second year will inevitably bring more individuals from the school to ask me when that grant, that monument representing the “real” contribution I’ve made to the community will be written. With the water having been cut on in the village this past April/May, I am curious to see if the unfinished indoor bathrooms from the last grant will be finished… a year after their intended opening. The shady mismanagement of the last grant has left me not wanting to assist in another construction project. I was asked last fall to help with a grant to reconstruct the outhouses, but refused to participate as the bathrooms were unfinished and money unaccounted for. The last volunteer who helped with this grant received the funds (thousands from dollars) from friends and family and other Peace Corps supporters. I don’t much like the idea of placing financial projects ahead of my work as an educator and do not like that Peace Corps volunteers are often primarily seen as being sources of money. It is not my job here to ask American friends and family members for handouts and it is not my job to fundraise for projects through American schools or organizations (although I do believe that immediate aid in some cases is crucial). This takes attention away from other resources: technology / research / other world information we have to offer our communities.