Poem  of the Day:  (I never really got this poem until today.)

ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

Then took the other as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet, knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference


Robert Frost

Yes, that is me you hear talking to myself, informing anyone eavesdropping of the clarity of my thinking process, “Two bags… 46 kilograms ……I have two bags and FOUR boxes..there should be a law…. I don’t know what it should say….” I have gone from feeling as if I was jumping the gun by organizing my clothes to feeling like I could use another week of just packing time. I know that I’m making this a bigger production than it needs to be. I mean, two years isn’t that long and I have purchased basically nothing. Still, I have no idea how I am going to condense my belongings into those two bags. I may have to send some stuff home through the mail which isn’t a problem except that it costs money and I am just barely going to make it home on what I have. 

 

There are all sorts of unexpected expenses connected to the last couple of weeks. Two weeks ago I made cookies and took champagne to work to say goodbye to the local consultants. Once a month they all come to the office for a meeting. It will be strange to join a workforce that doesn’t condone drinking champagne at 10 in the morning. Sunday Cristina and I prepared a masa for our little circle of friends, Nadea, Vanya, his niece Valeria, and our friend Mariana. We cooked at Nadea’s and made spaghetti and peach cobbler. The food was a resounding success. Everyone wanted the recipes. Strange that things like peach cobbler aren’t universal. Then again, how is it that we don’t have borscht? 

 

I am feeling very tired. Saying goodbyes is wearing. Today I said goodbye to my friend Irena, the translator at the IREX office. She gave me the wonderful gift of a wooden wine flask. People don’t carry them anymore but they are very traditional Moldovan. She had mine engraved, “La Rachel, De la Irena, Never Forget Moldova.” It really meant so much to me. I stopped by the museum and said goodbye to Doamna Maria. Dmna. Maria absolutely loved my parents and gave me a nice little picture book of Causeni to give them. I showed the book to everybody at the office and Nadea and Dml. George were both like, “Causeni is a pretty city!” LOL They sounded pleasantly surprised. 

 

This evening I had supper with Olga and Valeriu and their daughters. I like that family so much. I wish we could have spent more time together. They are so intelligent and more than just about any Moldovans I’ve talked to, really get what the Peace Corps is about, our strange combination of work and cultural exchange. They were always the ones who sensed the loneliness that always lurked in the corners waiting to break in. Thankfully our friendship will not end when I leave. The wonderful power of the internet means we can communicate as often as we want.

 

I have more to say but it will have to wait until a time when I am feeling less worn. 

 

I also have a collection of toys and toothbrushes sent to me by the formerly mysterious Jane Elza. I need to write that generous lady and tell her that I won’t be here anymore. Maybe she will adopt another volunteer to send Oreos and murder mysteries to. I am going to pack up the toothbrushes and toys in my giant baseball punga (bag) and haul it across town to Olga and Valerio’s who will then give them to Olga’s sister who runs an orphanage. I think I will try to do that this Friday when there is a possibility they might be home. I’ve seen very little of that family since the spring. They have been extremely busy. I ate lunch with them in August but I think that was the last time I spent any real time with them. The girls are busy with school and Olga and Valerio are busy with all their teaching and Romanian/Moldovan cultural understanding activities. 

 

This evening I got more serious about sorting through my sea of papers. I have so much paper. One day there will be recycling in this country and that will be wonderful. Until then I pack up the paper that is printed on one side and take it to work where I cut it up for notepads. 

 

I have decided that all my books need to be packed in my backpack because it is so much lighter than my suitcase. I’m glad that I will not have to carry my backpack anywhere. Just into the airport in Chis and out of the airport in L-ville. 

 

Speaking of books, it’s Banned Books Week. So break out your Huck Finn and Wrinkle in Time. Or you can visit manybooks.net and read some there.  (Thanks to cleolindafor the heads up.)

 
Quotes of the Day:

“So,”you ask yourself. “Where is that insightful look into the Moldovan educational system that edenlass promised us?” I am afraid I must report that I lost what I had written and feel basically no desire to write it over again. Hopefully I will become inspired to write sometime soon but this past week was pretty much devoted to me digesting the fact that I have a departure date and trying to deal with my huge adrenaline rush. 

 

I don’t know what to do with myself. I spent a good part of the morning debating whether or not I should get my hair cut today. At one point I called Cristina and invited her to come with me to the solon only to change my mind about the whole thing 20 minutes later. I am just too afraid of another mullet. It’s too much of a risk especially considering J and E’s wedding is only three months away. 

 

This is my one last event free weekend. Next weekend I am going to Danceni again to say my final goodbyes. (I had planned to do that two weeks ago when I was there, but they wouldn’t hear of it.) That will be on Friday, then on Saturday evening we have a going away party for us 17s at the home of one of the PC administrators. That’ll be fun, and the last time we’ll be together as a group. I’m glad Scott will be on my flight to Frankfort but I’ll be by myself for the rest of the trip since he goes straight to Chicago and I go to L-ville via Atlanta. 

 

The next weekend I had planned to have my masa. It looks like it may just be Nadea and Christina now because Oleg will be out of the country which means it would be difficult for Galia and Iura to make it down. Humph! I was so pleased with the group that I’d planned on and now I’m not sure what to do. Will have to discuss with Nadea.

 

The weekend after that is my last in Moldova! *gasp!* I’m gonna ask Vitalie if he can take me and my luggage to Chisinau on Sunday. I will then probably spend a night or two at Oleg and Galia’s to save myself the hotel bill. Then the last couple of nights I think the five of us who are COS-ing on the 18^th are going to rent an apartment. I’m happy with that idea. It’ll be much nicer than staying in the Turist and we can cook for ourselves.