Life in Romania is a whirlwind of color, beauty, and music. The days are rushing by. It seems like almost yesterday that I arrived in this beautiful and fascinating country. That was one year ago, almost to the date. I am now celebrating my one year anniversary and a new group of volunteers has just arrived in country.
Speaking of one year anniversaries, in less than 24 hours Kyle will arrive at Otopeni Airport in Bucuresti. At 3 o clock tomorrow afternoon I will board a bus for the 4 hour journey to Bucuresti. At 6:10pm Romanian Local Time, Kyle’s plane will land in Romania. At 7pm Romanian Local Time, I will arrive at the Militari Autogara in Bucuresti. Some time around 7:30pm Romanian Local Time tomorrow Kyle and I will be reunited at Gara de Nord for the first time in a year.
It’s really hard to believe that we’ve been separated that long. My God… A whole year!
The good thing about my life here in Horezu is that I’m so busy I don’t have time to breathe, let alone dwell much on what is happening back in the United States. I am isolated here, but it is a good isolation. I am surrounded by people who care about me, who look out for me, who make me smile, who make me think, and who make me laugh. I am rarely in the company of Americans and when I am, it usually just depresses me (Unless I’m hanging out with my brother from another mother). I think if I had a site mate or another American in relative proximity to me, I would struggle more with the distance from home.
I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about Kyle’s visit or how I will react when we meet. I’m excited, for reals! Kyle is the love of my life. The fact I will get to share a small snipit of the single most important experience of my life with him is almost incomprehensible. I’m excited, nervous, scared, and unfathomably happy all at the same time. I’ve been thinking for the last 3 days: Will he like Romania? Will he love Horezu as much as I do? What will he think of my students? What about my amazing friends? Yes, I know. I’m being my neurotic old self. The Peace Corps lobotomy didn’t get rid of all of my neurotic tendencies.
I guess my fear comes from the fact that I know that this experience has completely changed me and my outlook on life. Will he like the new me? It is incredibly difficult to describe the changes I have gone through in the last year. It has been a complete attitude readjustment like only Peace Corps can deliver. Some day I will sit down and try to craft the words to describe it. Now, I’m too tired, too anxious, and too excited that I just can’t do it. I guess the cliff notes version goes something like this… After a year in Romania, I laugh more. I smile more. I dance more. I sing more. I jump in with both feet. I don’t have crazy fits of rage. I don’t drop kick cardboard boxes. I look at the glass as half full. I don’t take my self as seriously. I fear less. I don’t let the little things get me down. I love with a heart that isn’t bogged down in anger. I have a soul at peace.
This visit is not only a chance for me to be reunited with the love of my life, but a chance for me to share the indescribable with someone very special to me. I take pictures, make videos, and write words, but somehow it doesn’t quite capture it. Something is missing. Kyle will not only get to do some traveling but he will also get to see my day-to-day life. He will carry his experiences back to the States with him. Hopefully, upon his return, he will be able to put into words an experience that is too emotionally exhausting for me to formulate the words to describe. When I say “emotionally exhausting”, I don’t mean that in a negative connotation. I mean that I am overwhelmed with emotion when I try to express how I feel about Horezu, the people I have met, and the things that I have been a part of. When I start describing the beauty of my life here, I am brought to tears of joy. That’s how much this community means to me.
The fact that I get to share this all with Kyle is…. I don’t have a word for it.
