TABLE OF CONTENTS: ApRiL to SePtEmBeR 2009

Habitat for Humanity trip - to Bachet (small town south in Romania near Craiova) with other Peace Corps volunteers for about 1 week of hard but fun fun labor.

Danube River Appreciation day - so I was invited to take about 5 kids from my village to the Nature and Aquatic Museum in the city for some games and free tickets to see the whole museum and aquarium.

Sharing Culture in another town at 2 schools with Nancy - I went to her site and talked to a couple of her English classes about my life.

Then Katie from the US came! and we went to explore some cool places - Hunedoara Castle (aka Corvinesti castle, or Corvinlui Castle), Vienna-Austria, Salzburg-Austria, my site and a International Environment workshop in Galati, Budapest-Hungary, Bremen-Germany, Hannover-Germany, Bucharest airport-Romania

Summer Camp 2009 - kids representing all 4 schools in my community, the red cross came for the first time to teach first-aid to about 40 kids, the ex-ex mayor talked about how to be a good leader in the community, and I was so proud of this camp and my co-coordinator Miss Mariana Onu! I couldn't have done this without her and she pushed me to get this project moving! It was hard going...for real

Then my Family! My mommy, and Sissy, and brotherlysy came to Romania to visit me!! AND we were together for 3.5 weeks!! for 24 hrs/day (almost) and that in itself was an adventure. This trip was probably the most adventurous trip of my whole summer = there are lots of stories to tell, so many stories. And it being my family...soo many pictures too.

captions: Sister bradishing success at reaching the park in Croatia. Brother walking alone on the dried lake in my swampy village. Family picture in front of a waterfall.

After my family left me/I got rid of my family, I was invited to attend a "conference" at Costanta on the Black Sea - here I danced, and ate well, and played beach volleyball and my team lost, but I had lots of fun. Tune in to find out the purpose for why I was there (this picture is a clue).

Then I came home to site for a bit and some village kids wanted to take me out to the canal for a picnic - *giant giant grin* It was fun and I was proud of them for preparing all they did! The oldest kid was maybe 12!

Amazing Race! Roxana's idea, and it was a lot of work that took all Summer to prepare. It started as an idea, then an art project, then fundraiser in the village market, and in the big city of Galati.

Amazing Race did happen! Hurray! It was 4 instead of 5 days, and it's cause Roxy and I have work and traveling and etc.. and I give us credit for pushing and actually doing it and having it turn out decently well. The kids loved it a lot.

Then came CHARM! AND SCOTT!! and we went to Cinque Terre (where the retired people hang out, and all the British girls, and honeymoon couples) and to Venice and a thunderstorm followed us all the way from Romania.


and now I'm home. Taking care of my cat and birds, and cleaning and I have this list of stuff to do, but I'm pumped to work again! yay! my vacation...er...summer fun that had relaxing moments but was busy also. I'm tanner and skinnier and a vegetarian now <= that's what happened over Summer.