One year ago today I officially started my Peace Corps service.  I was in my first training session as a Peace Corps trainee.  Now, I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new group of volunteers who arrive tomorrow.  This new group is the first to arrive in Moldova since mine came one year ago.  They have the exact same schedule as the M24 group and working with the new group as much as I have been has got me thinking of all that I was going through a month ago.  Can it really be a year already?  My service in Moldova is already half-way done?  Wow.....What have I actually accomplished this past year?

So many thoughts have been going through my mind about what I've actually done here.  If me being here has helped in any way.  IThere has been so much I have learned about myself and so much I have gained that I feel like I am taking more than I am giving.  After teaching for a year here I hope that I have helped in some way.  I see little things my partner teachers do now that they didn't do before.  Every time they do something I've introduced I get a little excited, thinking, ha something I'm doing is working.  I've made friendships with women that teach at the school.  My host mom is an amazing woman and now like a second mother to me, worrying about me and making sure I am happy here.  I feel like I am almost constantly busy, so I guess that proves I'm not wasting my time, right?

Ultima Sunet (last bell) is the last day of the school year (May 31st for the entire country).  The ceremony was held out front (the only place large enough to hold all 800 students).  All the 12th formers marched out and walked around in the center since they will be graduating (as long as their test scores are high enough).  For ours, my director gave a speech and handed out various awards and diplomas to all classes.  There was waltzing, traditional dancing by some 4th formers, poems, singing, and finally the 1st formers went into the center and each rang a bell, signaling the official end to the school year.

Now that summer is here I am almost as busy as the school year.  As I believe I've posted before, I am one of 4 main volunteers (in relation to the mentor program) helping out with the new group that arrives TOMORROW!!  Preparing and planning for them has been a lot of work, but exciting.  Their first three days in country will be spent in Chisinau and our job as mentors is to help calm some fears and also as a resource of support.  The "if we can do it so can you" attitude.  There are several mentor activities going on throughout the summer.  I will also be helping with PST by facilitating several sessions.  Somehow my June and most of July is booked doing this, as well as a club on Mondays at my site.  I originally wanted to do a week-long summer camp, but found I have no free week to do it, so no summer camp.

Lately what I want to do after Peace Corps has been running through my mind a lot.  Several ideas have been: extending for a year, teaching in Asia (Taiwan perhaps?), moving to some random state with mountains, or just simply going back to Nebraska.  The safe bet is Nebraska, which to me almost seems like a cop-out.  If I just go home, I won't be pushing myself to try something new, and I don't know if I know how to do that.  Since I left for college I've always tried to do something a little beyond average so heading back to all I know seems almost too simple.

The longer I stay away the more I realize how amazing my family and hometown are.  I don't think any one else has gotten packages for things to give other volunteers.  I've had people tell me to share things that are in my packages or ask if there is anything they can give to someone who rarely gets a package.  One volunteer said Nebraskans have some of the nicest people in America...I tend to agree.    

Julie and Amy:  thanks for the package!  It was amazing, seriously.  I believe the volunteer who was with me when I opened it was a little jealous of all that was in it.

Carolyn: Hope your ankle is feeling better!