Last night I returned to the village of Cricova from the district and city of Leova. For two days, I was escorted around Leova by the president Efrosinia Gretu, my business partner Vitalie Gargaun, and other staff members of the District Council. I was given the opportunity to visit many different businesses, government buildings, the house of culture, local theatre, public schools, library, and art and history center inside of the city. The visits were part of my integration, acquainting myself with people I will need to know and discovering resources to help me perform my job at a high level. Overall, my experience was more enriching than expected. I was greeted with open arms and smiles, received tons of laughs, and made some pretty good connections with the people I will be working with for the next two years. One really cool experience involved the Moldovan flag:

I looked high above the district center and mentioned to the president that I found their flag to be frumos (beautiful). I asked her where the local piata was so that I could buy one before leaving. She told me that it was down the block and maybe the next day we could walk there. The next morning when I came into the office, Efrosinia greeted me and told me she had a gift for me. It was none other than my very own and massive Moldovan flag. It felt really great to receive this gift. It was a token of friendship and respect that went miles for me. I felt welcomed and embraced by my new community. I thought ‘these are the people I would like to do business and grow with’ and now it makes me feel accountable to not let them down.

In addition, I met my host mother Elena. Elena is a baba, which means single mother, of 60 years and has two boys working abroad; one in Canada and the other in Italy. Being a single homeowner she has quite the space to offer. In the house she has 3 bedrooms, an excellent bathroom with flush toilet and shower with high water pressure, and a casa mica next door. For those who do not know a casa mica is a summer kitchen with an extra bedroom. Basically, she owns a fortress and I am the incoming American prince. I could not be more happy with the city, people, setup, and job I will soon be receiving.

I will explain the new job in a post to come, but for now I would like to explain the meaning of the term ‘Timp de Reflexie’. If you are not entirely sure how this translates to English, it is pretty straightforward. Timp de Reflexie equals Time of Reflexion. I will be making a series of videos throughout my service in which I update people on my life, things that I have found interesting, struggles, and other sorts of information, thoughts, or emotions I may be feeling in front of the camera…

… but without further ado, I would like to roll out my first TDR video. I am standing in the sunflower fields near town to give a pleasant asthetic. Please enjoy and feel free to send me feedback, comments, or any questions you may have.. Noroc!