I never include photos so here you go.

Viorica is sitting in for our assistant director’s biology lesson today because the director had a death in her family. So, I’m here in front of the space heater listening to music. I should bring my computer to school more often. I believe tomorrow night I will go to the memorial service as all of the teachers in school are expected to be there. Not to sound insensitive to my director and her family’s loss, but I’m interested to see what and how this memorial will take place. I think the body is kept at the house and we go for a viewing. Kind of like how some people in the United States do except at a home? I will be writing about this experience later.

The cold weather is persistent though yesterday’s 40+ degree afternoon gave me the energy to finally shake winter’s dust (and there was a LOT of) from my rugs and scrap candle wax from my electricity-free nights from kitchen and bedroom surfaces. Sources tell me that by Thursday—tomorrow—the weather will be in the 40s again. I felt like sunbathing yesterday which is ridiculous. The temperature contrast was that stark and awesome. I’m already imagining the feel of hand washing clothes outside and leaving my bedroom door open to a fresh breeze.

I’ve been spending a lot of time at school helping Viorica collect, type and organize our grant corrections. It was not funded after our first submission, so we are trying to make necessary corrects for resubmission at the end of this month. I really hope that it will be funded. Viorica has already been doing presentations on proper nutrition in relation to bone growth and correct posture. Many times seminars are promised to take place after the money is received and then forgotten. It’s fantastic and inspiring to see her motivated like this; doing in the work/seminars and educational activities before the grant is even funded.

Another subject. I never thought at the age of 24 I would want to share a room with a 14 year old, but here I am! What a life. Valentina’s daughter, Corina, is going to start sleeping at my house with me during the week. I will probably help her with her English and having someone at the house with me at night will just make me feel more relaxed and comfortable. I haven’t been sleeping well recently. I think part of that is being alone, another part being stressed about the end of my service. I’ve been thinking a ton about this summer and where I might be living in 6 months and if I’ll be happy there. I guess I’ll be happy where I want to be happy. I’m mostly in charge of my own emotions so it’s amusing that I have to convince myself of this in some colder, cut and logical way. In some ways I think the readjustment home will be harder than going to Moldova. Kind of anticlimactic in a way: the anticipation of returning to what I already know. Like, so it’s over? Hmm. Life. Don’t rush it. It’s easy to do.

What else is new? Vacation is coming up first week of March. I wanted to go to Istanbul for a few days, but I think I’m going to scratch that idea and maybe take a bus to Kiev for a couple of nights. Or even to Odessa if I have the chance and can find someone else who still has vacation days left to accompany me. It’s easy to get to Ukraine and will be a lot more affordable than going to Turkey. I haven’t been to either country so should be interesting either way. I need to not spend any savings now that I have major expenses coming up this fall. I’ve had many cool chances to travel while in Moldova and my volunteer savings were completely drained after the last trip. It was worth it.