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Interview with a Kiwi

The following is an interview I conducted with a native New Zealander, my Kiwi host, and very good friend, Tim Neilson.

Christian: Let’s get the obvious question out of the way first, what is your favorite part of living in New Zealand?

Tim: Probably just the chilled-outness of the place, really. Everyone here is really cool. New Zealand comes across as one of the friendliest countries in the world. It was meant to be surpassed by Iceland, but I think, realistically, New Zealand is friendlier. Everything is chilled-out, we all get along really well. We’re very open and welcoming to people from other countries.

C: Where is your favorite place to go in New Zealand?

T: My favorite place is Stewart Island, which is a wee island down on the bottom of the South Island. It’s basically New Zealand the way it used to be before it was overcome with immigration.

C: What’s it like to be a Kiwi host?

T: Everyone has something new to teach you, and in the increased globalization in the economy around the world, it’s interesting to get different takes and learn different ways of life and how they compare to things on this side of the world.

C: What’s your favorite recreational activity?

T: In New Zealand we’ve got a huge thing about “doing nothing much”. One thing I’ve noticed about Americans is that you always have to be doing something. Over here we spend a lot of time just hanging out, sipping some drinks and talking.

C: You grew up in the second half of your childhood on a farm.

T: Orchard.

C: Right, orchard. What was that like?

T: I think rural is the word you’re looking for, but whatever. It was only 10 minutes from the township, but it was a small township. It was 70 acres worth so it was more than what you’d get in town. We had motorbikes, we learned how to ride, learned how to drive, and learned how to shoot. Things you couldn’t really do in town. It’s been really nice.

C: Rattle off as many Kiwi phrases that you can think of.

T: Sweet as, she’ll be right, all sorted, keen as, basically throw “as” in the end of words.

C: Describe the rivalry New Zealanders seem to have with Australia.

T: I wouldn’t say it’s a rivalry. It’s more of the same love-hate relationship [as America has with Canada]. We love to beat Australia and they love to beat us. It’s the same relationship as with any close neighbors. It’s just engrained in you. It’s something we’ve always had, I suppose.

C: Last words of wisdom for an American who would like to visit New Zealand.

T: I would say, just do it. I honestly haven’t met an American who hasn’t wanted to come back or move here permanently.

C: Thanks, Tim. Make sure you come to America someday. We’ll be waiting for you.

T: I definitely will.
Tim and I

Hoş geldiniz!

Finally, my first blog post from Istanbul! I am sorry I have not been updating at all but the past three weeks have been super busy and I was having trouble uploading pictures to the system! Anyway, I’m here!!!! And it’s been 3 weeks and I can’t believe it!

The trip here was one of the worst I’ve experienced internationally BUT I made it and that’s all that counts! During our first week here, protests in Taksim resurfaced and there was concern about what would happen but things seem to have settled for now and we are all hoping for the best. I decided to title this post “Welcome!” because I love that every time I go into a shop or restaurant or anything the Turks say it with such warmth it truly makes you feel welcome; and that’s honestly how I’ve felt ever since I arrived.
I admit I was very scared of coming here, I didn’t know what to expect and leaving my Hope friends was difficult but I knew this would be different than anything I’ve experienced- and it has been. In the best possible way.

During our CIEE orientation we had the opportunity to go on a scavenger hunt in groups around Istanbul. My group got to explore Sultanahmet, the historic district, and it was truly an adventure! That was honestly the moment the realization of being here hit me. We had the chance to visit our first mosque and we also went to the spice market – it was so much fun!

The language barrier has been the toughest part of my journey; Turkish is a very difficult language but I am working hard at it and I hope that by the end of my stay here I am able to communicate more efficiently.
Guys, I love it here. Istanbul is so alive and even though the traffic is insane and it’s so crowded everywhere, there is some magic in that chaos that I can’t put into words. My favorite historical site that I’ve visited is definitely the Hagia Sophia: formerly a church and now a museum. The mosaics and architecture are astounding and the walls and ceilings just took my breath away!

I just ended my second week of classes – registration was super stressful but I am happy with my final course selections and I look forward to learning more about Turkish culture and society and exploring things from a different perspective.
Next weekend we’re going on a trip to Kars, a small town in northeastern Turkey, very close to Armenia. It will definitely be interesting to see a whole different part of Turkey (I hear) and compare it to what I’ve seen in Istanbul so far. I think one of the reasons I’ve fallen in love with this city so quickly is it’s complexity; there is such a mix of EVERYTHING here and the tension between ‘modern’ and ‘traditional’, ‘east’ and ‘west’ is very tangible.
There is so much more that I could say, but I will leave it at that for now. I promise to be better about updating the blog! Hope you enjoy it! 🙂

The First Glimpse

I have been in Romania for a little over one week now and it feels like so much has happened already! This past week has been filled with all sorts of emotions. As I am still soaking up the new environment and trying to settle into my new routine, I found it helpful to organize my thoughts and adventures under these categories:

My Host Family

My host family is fantastic! The first night that Jill and I arrived into Sighisoara, they greeted us with a delicious fresh baked plum cake. Jill and I were a little exhausted from the 24+ hours of traveling, so after chatting for a bit, we retired for the evening in our room. Jill and I also have our own bathroom – which apparently is rare for students in this program, so we sure are lucky. 🙂

The room is huge! This is just my half. 🙂

Fortunately, Romania starts school later in September, so Oana, my host sister who is also in college, is able to spend time with us before she leaves for her school of design in Cluj, Romania. Oana, who speaks English very well, is a lot of fun and gave Jill and I our first official tour of the citadel! There happened to be a Film Festival that first weekend that we arrived, so Saturday evening, Jill and I met with Oana’s friends in the citadel to watch a Romanian film (without English subtitles!), and on Sunday night we returned to the citadel to listen to a few local Romanian bands. Oana just so happened to have studied abroad in Latvia last semester (!!!) so we were able to bond over our similar experiences. It will be sad when Oana has to go back to Cluj, because she has been extremely helpful with adjusting to the Romanian lifestyle.

Food!

Growing up on a fruit farm, I was particularly worried that I would not be able to eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as I am used to. What a surprise I’ve had! The majority of the food that we eat is grown in my host family’s backyard or is bought at the local farm market on Wednesdays or Saturdays. Our milk is straight from the neighbor’s cow, so in the mornings, I strain the fat out of the milk myself! Raspberries, sweet red peppers, tomatoes, carrots, onions, herbs – you name it, we probably have it in the garden! It is a great season to be visiting. 🙂 Oh, and I absolutely love the neighbor’s fresh grapes! They’re incredible! My host family prefers to eat only organic food, and I love the healthy options that they provide for Jill and I each day.

Schedule/ Classes

As I mentioned before, the Romanians were still enjoying their summer break this past week, and therefore some of the Veritas programs (like Kids Club, Adolescent Youth Group, Kindergarten, and Special Needs Club) will not start until tomorrow (Monday the 16th). However, we, the RSP students, were kept extremely busy this past week in preparation for the start of the Veritas programs. Jill and I have a 30 minute walk each morning into the citadel where our classroom in the House on the Rock (one of the Veritas buildings) is located. This past week, our Romanian language class started at 8 am, and was either followed by a Romanian history class or a Romanian literature class. After classes, we would have a 15 minute walk over to the Family Center (the other Veritas building where most of the programs take place) where lunch was prepared for the Veritas staff and students (we will continue to have our lunches prepared for us during the weekdays at the Family Center throughout the semester). After lunch, our afternoons were filled with home visits, staff meetings, visiting elderly clubs, and listening to presentations on what each program consists of at Veritas. These presentations and informative meetings were crucial in helping me decide which programs I wanted to participate in this semester for my field practicum. Tomorrow, after language class, the plan is for me to attend an elderly club until lunch, and then after lunch work with the adolescent/teen club.The schedules are still very likely to change, but I have been told that after this first week it gets easier because then we’re able to settle into a routine.

Most importantly on this trip so far I have learned to: 1) stay flexible – our schedules are constantly changing, 2) force myself to try to get to sleep at night at a reasonable hour, and 3) keep relying on God for strength each day. This semester will be a challenge, but I know good things are happening here.

The RSP students! In the Back: (Left to Right): Jill, Me, Deanna, Lauren, Sarah; Front: (Left to Right): Veronica, Darbi, Ashley

Marga =)

Gaining Some Altitude

Hello Friends!

Yesterday I went on an anticipated three to four hour hike that turned into a seven hour hike. You know, you just can’t rush when you are going along. There are so many things to look at and so many different things to climb. I went with another student, Luke from Indiana, and I tell you what- we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. Luke had ‘mapped’ out the hike to a supposed hidden, secretive gem of Cape Town that we thought would take about two hours to get to. After about four hours of hiking, we realized how comical the directions online really were (ie. ‘Once you reach a set of jagged-looking rocks, turn left onto a faint path and walk approximately four minutes). Perhaps an experienced mountaineer would have fared better, but everything sort of looked the same to us. Regardless of never actually finding said ‘secretive gem’, the whole ‘path’ we were on was absolutely incredible.

I was nervous climbing out to this ledge but it was worth it!

A Protea- South Africa's national flower! — A Protea- South Africa’s national flower!

Luke and I kept commenting that even with the best camera it would be difficult to capture some of what we were seeing. At one point, when we were climbing down next to a stream, the wind was was lightly blowing the rain water off of the mountain and as the sun was shining down it look so beautiful- I had never seen anything like it! I have had the conversation a number of times with friends that within nature is where I feel most human yet this feeling became even more apparent yesterday. There is just something right about being able to hear the birds chirp, the water flow in the distance and your own heart beat as you work your way up the mountain; something about being able to drink cold, fresh water right off of the rock that makes me feel I am where I need to be.

The two photos above were taken when we started to get closer to the top of the mountain. It was amazing- in the entire seven hours that we hiked we only saw one person! It was so quiet and peaceful! There are so many great places to hike around Cape Town and I want to explore as many as I can before I leave!

Veritas Open House Day!!

On Thursday, September 19, Veritas celebrated its second annual Open House Day. This day was the official “Welcome Back” party and fundraiser for the students involved in the Kindergarten and the after-school Kid’s Club and Teen’s Club programs. There were lots of games for the children to play, and there were even fun activities for the adults that visited. The cost of participation in the activities and games ranged from 50 cents to 5 dollars, which was fairly cheap considering we offered stations for haircuts, manicures, clothes and crafts for purchase, face painting, hair braiding, bracelet making, games with stuffed animal prizes, a puppet show, a photo station with picture frame making, jewelry making, a few concession stands, and balloon animal making (which I was in charge of)!!!

Livu (the clown) is the head of the after school Teen’s Club program at Veritas and is also one of my supervisors for my field placement. In the above picture, he is presenting to me one of the flowers that I actually made!! I’m pretty much a balloon animal/object making professional now. 😉

The day started at 10 am and ended around 7 pm, and it was a huge success! Over 100 children visited throughout the day, and we even had two teachers from local elementary schools bring their students to participate in order to show their support for Veritas. We raised almost $800 through the donations, games, and activities, which was a blessing because the Veritas Family Center is currently undergoing construction for expansion. The day was also a great way to get the community involved and inform them about what is happening at Veritas and how they can become involved.

Jill and I (top left) each had bugs painted on our noses. Darbi and Jill (top right) proudly displaying a small fraction of the balloons we had to blow up for each child to take home. And Jill (bottom right) proudly advertising the creativity of one of the girls from the Teen Club.

Adela (center front) is the director’s assistant for the Romanian Studies Program, a law student, my friend, and a translator (among many many other things) and is pictured here finishing the last face painting of the day. Meanwhile, pictured in the back from left to right, Lauren, myself, Darbi, Jill, and Sarah relax after the long day.

Overall, Veritas Open House Day was a huge success, and I am thankful that I was able to participate in the event! All of the Veritas programs (and my field placements) will officially begin on Monday, and I am excited to work with the elderly programs, the Teen’s Program, and to start my school visits! The days are busy and long, but after two weeks I am finally feeling as if I am making a bit of progress in establishing relationships and understanding where my place is here in Sighisoara!

O zi buna!!

Marga =)

Finally.. My First Post!!

I can’t believe I have been in Granada for almost two weeks already!! My journey started in Chicago on September 2nd, where I sat on a seven hour flight directly to Madrid. Surprisingly, I wasn’t sad about leaving my family or friends back home and I sat in my seat smiling. I was counting down the hours until we landed and thinking about what I was about to experience. After a four-hour layover in Madrid, I flew to Málaga, where I met up with the rest of my program. We stayed in a hotel overnight and I had a chance to meet my roommate, Allie, who has been my new amiga from the second I met her! I’m VERY sorry that I haven’t had the chance to blog yet because I have been recovering from jet lag, but now I have so many things to share with everyone that I don’t know where to start. It’s a good problem, right? 🙂
My first couple weeks in Granada were filled with various orientation activities, mostly in a classroom setting but we did take some walks in order to explore the city.

A view of the famous Alhambra from a plaza in the Albayzin neighborhood, which is the best place that we walked to during orientation. I hope to take a tour of the Alhambra at some point!

It was an intensive introduction to the culture in Granada and one topic that we discussed was the differences between here and the U.S. One major difference is that everything in Spain has a purpose. For example, when greeting someone you give them two kisses or “besos” on the cheek, which shows that you are genuinely happy to see that person. Also, meals, specifically lunch, are not rushed like they can be in the States. The average time it takes for my family to eat lunch is an hour. It’s all about conversation and stopping to enjoy life.
A highlight of the past two weeks has definitely been my homestay. Allie and I live with an older couple named Carmen and Fabian (referred to as Fabi from now on). They are very funny, sweet, and a little overprotective! In our casa, I’m known as Conchi because Carmen and Fabi cannot pronounce “Courtney” to save their lives.
To finish off, I have a funny story. One day in my orientation class, the teacher passed out different scenarios to each student and we had to go in front of the class and act it out with words. My scenario was that my boyfriend broke up with me and I wasn’t too bothered by it, so I go in front of the class and say: “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. There are many ‘chicos calientes’ in my gym.” WELL, come to find out afterwards from my teacher that caliente in Spanish does not mean “hot or sexy” but something PG-13 rated.. I will leave this for you to figure out!
Just a heads up! I’m heading to Barcelona this weekend, so expect another post on either Sunday night or Monday 🙂

A Week in the Life

Top of Mt. Cargill
SATURDAY
As I awake from my slumber in a foggy haze on Saturday, the 7th of September, I look at the time and realize I have no discernable reason for waking up. However, instead of returning to my comatose state to try and get a few more REM’s, I decide to grab my laptop and play a bit of Pokémon: Leaf Green to get my brain active. After exploring the Kanto region for about an hour, I prepare for the day.

With not much planned on this lazy Saturday, my flat mates and I decide to head off for a mission to Shag Point. Upon arriving, we immediately catch a glimpse of a napping furry seal. The nearby sign indicates that they are very territorial, and you should not come between them and the water. Taking these words to heart, we snap a couple pictures before doing some more exploring. Spotting a seal emerging from the sea to get some shut-eye down below, I decide to climb down the rocks to get a better look. As I come within 15 feet of the creature, he lets out a loud bellow, indicating that I should leave him alone. I proceed to sprint away as the noise he made was rather frightening. The adventure soon came to a close as we made our way back to the city.

MONDAY
After waking up at 5:00 am to watch the Detroit Lions play football, I begin class at 10:00 am. I walk to the Castle lecture theater to see another power point presentation on PHSE 202: Movement Analysis and Control. I have a brief break from 11-12 before resuming class in St. David’s lecture theater at noon for HEAL 192: Foundations of Epidemiology. This is the largest lecture theater on campus, yet it is filled for each lecture. I am led to believe there are over 1200 students taking this course, as it is required at this school for anyone who is pre-health. At 4:00 pm, I have tutorial for HEAL 192. This occurs every other Monday, and is basically a workshop to enhance your understanding of the course material.

For dinner, my flat mate Dan and I attempt to make a chicken stir fry/curry type of dish, but our lack of refined culinary skills cause the product to be rather disagreeable. To make up for the poor taste, I finish the meal off with a delicious PB&J.

TUESDAY
I begin the day by hurriedly putting the finishing touches on a homework assignment for the 2:00 laboratory I have for PHSE 202. At the start, the lab instructor delightfully informs us that today’s lab will not require the full 3 hours, and shouldn’t be too much of a bother. It turns out to be a rather enjoyable experiment, as we use motion-capture technology to examine stride length during both running and walking on a treadmill.

After class, I return home to see several of my flat mates relaxing in the living room. We decide to spice things up by turning on a kick-boxing workout video to get our hearts pumping and sweat glands active. It’s important to stay in decent shape while in New Zealand, as there are always mountains that need to be traversed.

THURSDAY
Having no class today, I took the opportunity to relax, as well as have a nice solo jam session in the drum room of the University music studio. For dinner, we head out to a nice Turkish restaurant for our flat mate Whitney’s 21st birthday celebration. Whitney is a short, blonde Canadian from a small city between Vancouver and Calgary. She enjoys small animals, yelling, and is a fabulous cook. The Turkish meal itself is delicious, and the restaurant provides us with crayons to draw on the table. Still, eating out here is rather expensive, and causes me much grief when I arrive to the cash register to pay my dues. This is the main reason why I have been eating pasta and bread day in and day out. Still, life goes on.

SATURDAY
On yet another lazy Saturday, my flat mates and I embark on another mission. This time we head to Mount Cargill, which overlooks Dunedin. On the hike up, there is a place called the Organ Pipes, which are large rocks that form the shape of the previously listed name. My good friend Dan, who is a geology major, is unable to describe to me how they attained that shape. I let it slide, as he often is helpful in teaching us about different geodes.

At the top, we are greeted by a stunning 360 degree view of Dunedin and the surrounding area. To the far west, we can spot snowy mountains creeping over the hills. Down below, we see the Otago Peninsula jutting out into the ocean. A vast expanse of water lies before us. And to our north and south: lush, rolling pastures create a sea of green, a dazzling sensation to behold. Such views have become commonplace during my time here in New Zealand. God surely smiles upon his wondrous creation.

The nighttime brought more fun and games to our complex, as we spent valuable time together creating memories for years to come.

SUNDAY
As I reflect on the past week, and the week yet to come, I gaze upon the morning sun, the dew on the grass, the smiles on the faces of my friends, and I thank the Lord above for his gracious bounty. There is work to be done in the coming days. I have a test on Friday for HEAL 192, which I am all but positive I will ace. I also have to complete my laboratory report from Tuesday’s experiment. Furthermore, I have my percussion technical for my music class in 2 weeks. It involves 5, 7, and 9 beat double-hit rolls, different patterns of beats using the entire drum kit, and reading/performing a piece of music. For the latter, the professor selected the theme song from the 90’s show MacGyver. This is one final I am sure to enjoy.

Yet while I’m handed a steady dose of scholastic material to keep me busy, I still manage to find myself whisked away to magical lands each week. I only have 2 months left in New Zealand, but I still have so much to see.

PB&J count: I’m pretty sure I’m closing in on triple digits.

New Day New Experience

Howzit!

Wow, I cannot believe how long I have been in Cape Town already! The time is just flying by! I apologize to those who have been waiting on the blog- it took awhile to get everything set up, there were some issues with uploading the photos and school has been rather hectic lately! I have so much to talk about and will now be blogging consistently. Okay- I want to get everyone up to speed on what has been happening over here in South Africa. The first two weeks were completely PACKED with various orientation activities. I spent most of the time with the other international students in my program exploring the popular spots in Cape Town and touring the University of Cape Town (UCT) where we would be taking class. We stayed in UCT residential halls for the first week and at the start of the second I moved in with my host family!

Classes are now in full swing and I have turned in my first few assignments. Now that I have had time to get into a routine and actually know how to get to the bus stop, where my classes are and how to walk home, things are going quite well. I did struggle a little at first; everything was so new and different and I didn’t know anyone! When classes started it really hit me that I was not at Hope anymore. Sitting in lecture halls of 300 students, not knowing how to print in the library or where to go in between classes, I was definitely challenged. Yet, any time I became anxious or overwhelmed I would just say to myself, ‘It’s all part of the experience’. I am experiencing so many new things every day, and whether good or bad I am learning from them; learning more about South African culture and more about myself in the process. In short, I am loving it. I went for a hike up one of the mountains recently and at the top as I looked out in awe over Cape Town, I just couldn’t stop thinking, ‘I am here- I made it!’ Feeling so blessed by this amazing place. It is difficult to describe everything in words so below are some photos I have taken thus far!

I was greeted at the airport in Cape Town by the resident assistants for my program!

A great view of Table Mountain from the Company Gardens. — A great view of Table Mountain from Company Gardens.

Cape Point! It took a long time to walk up all of those stairs!

Well, that is all for now but more to come soon! I can’t wait to see all that Cape Town has to offer! 🙂 Peace and Blessings!

A Delicious Burger, Among Other Things

Ferg Burger
The past two weekends I went on a couple trips, as well as spending some valuable time with my flat mates here in Dunedin. The first trip was up to Christchurch. Here I met up with my good friend and fellow Hope College student, Mary Kate, who is studying in Christchurch this semester. I arrived on a Friday night and we went out with her friends to a couple clubs, and returned back to the flat without causing too much raucous. The next day we explored the morning farmer’s market, before heading into the heart of the city. The city of Christchurch had a very damaging earthquake early in 2011, with many casualties as a result, as well as an extensive amount of damage. It was very surreal seeing the destroyed buildings that have yet to be rebuilt. The most interesting part of this experience was the abandoned buildings, such as a book store and a coffee shop, which have gone untouched since the earthquake, looking as if they were frozen in time.
Ancient Quesadilla
Next, we headed to a hiking trail that led up into the hills above the city. The view was nice at first; although eventually the fog got so bad we couldn’t see 100 feet in front of us. To get down the mountain, we went to the other side into a town called Littleton, where we stopped to rest and grab a warm beverage and snack. We took the bus back to the flat and watched LOTR FOTR until the wee hours of the night. The next morning we explored the city a bit more, until it was time for me to head back. On the journey back to Dunedin, we stopped in the small town of Oamaru, where we tried to sneak a peak of some penguins, but there were none to be found.

The next weekend, another Hope student and friend, Jacob Bonnema, visited me during his spectacular solo vacation around New Zealand. We drove out to Queenstown, where we explored the city the first night. After feasting on our famous and extraordinarily delicious Ferg Burgers, we rested for the night. The next day, Jacob went on his trip out to Milford Sound, while I had the day to myself. My goal was to have the most fun for the least amount of money. I found a nice little 9-hole golf course nestled in the city, where I rented some clubs and did my best Tiger impression. Although my play wouldn’t have won me any majors, I had a great time teeing off while being surrounded by large mountains with snowy peaks. Later I squired myself about town before having a couple of delicious cold ones beside the lake.

On our last day, we took the short drive to the town of Glenorchy. This drive was a windy road through the mountains along the river, and is no doubt in the top 10 of the most gorgeous drives I have ever taken. After spending a short time walking through town, we made our way back to Dunedin.
Road to Glenorchy
The next week I spent some great time with my flat mates and other great friends. Dan, Tim, and myself have become somewhat infamous in our flat for playing card games to no end. I would easily guess we have amassed over 15 hours of cards in the past week alone. Also, we take time each Monday night to watch the newest episode of Breaking Bad. Since it is on cable television that is not streamed to New Zealand, we have to take special measure using the World Wide Web to be able to watch it a few hours past it’s original air time. It is a very fine bonding experience.

Later that week, a few of us went out to a nearby beach where there is often Sea Lions getting cozy in the warm sun. This was a spectacular event, as we were able to get within several feet of the marvelous creatures. Being the risk-taker that I am, I ventured a little too close to the beasts, receiving a bit of a warning when they began to hop towards me. Although I may have flown too close to the sun a couple times, it was surely a day to remember.
Fun time with Mr. Sea Lion
These journeys have been nothing short of spectacular, and I look forward the upcoming semester break, where I will be off to Australia for 10 days of adventure.

PB&J count: 62

Let the Adventures Begin…

In THREE days I am leaving for Sighisoara, Romania, and I could not be more excited! Last week, I had a final meeting with Professor Sturtevant, the professor and chair of the department of social work and sociology at Hope, and Jill, my friend and fellow Hope social work student who will also participate in the Romania Studies Program (RSP) this fall. In this meeting, we reviewed the basic guidelines and requirements for fulfilling our 440 field practicum hours while in Romania, and Professor Sturtevant gave us last-minute tips on how to adapt to the Romanian culture. Because Jill and I are the first Hope social work students to seek to fulfill our field practicum hours through the RSP, we do not know what exactly to expect from this trip. I believe that the “unknown” aspect of this trip is what excites me the most. We are the “guinea pigs” for the social work department, and this opportunity is seen as a blessing for my adventure-seeking heart. I anticipated leaving the meeting feeling overwhelmed, and was surprised when I felt even more assured that this is the trip God has in store for me. It will be comforting having a friend embark on this journey with me, and I am thrilled that I get to leave so soon.

These last few days have been filled with last-minute shopping, visiting friends, and spending time with family. I am still working on packing, and I have found it extremely helpful that the director of the RSP, Dorothy Tarrant, sent us a packing list that included the breakdown of clothing and toiletry necessities, gift ideas for our host parents, non-essentials that we may have room for, as well as possible donation ideas for the sister program in Romania called Veritas. I have planned out what I intend to bring, and now the trick is to fit it all in the one suitcase and one carry-on that I am allowed to bring – I’ll let you know how that goes. 😉

Wish me luck, and keep me in your prayers, for in THREE days I will begin the trip of a lifetime!

Marga =)

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