The Seaside

The Seaside

I just returned from the black sea last night after 10 days of sun, fun, travel and meetings. After being in Romania for a little more than a year now, this was the 1st chance I have had to see the seaside and it was beautiful. The water was great, and the sand was soft. Not to mention all the moving scenery. I had been to a European beach once before, but nothing prepared me for Vama Veche.

I spent two days in Vama Veche, and ever since I have been referring to them as the most fun I have had in two days here in Romania. We arrived in a near by town at about 10 in the morning and after a quick (and cheap) bus ride we were in Vama in no time. After finding the campground that my friends were at I hit the beach and was enjoying the sea by noon.

Now for just a little information about Vama; this is the beach for all you wanders, hippies, adventures, rockers, and poor volunteers. It is not ritzy or glamorous, but it is a great time! Up until about 10 years ago it was just a campground that not many people used. But as the youth culture of the country has continued to develop they embraced the location and the laid back attitude offered there. In true capitalist fashion, businesses started growing up in the area that suited the clientele. There are multiple bars right on the beach, great fast food (meaning shoarma, and snitzel) and tons of people camping right on the beach. We opted for the campground as it is a little more secure, but if you want the true Vama experience go the beach camping. Nothing beats waking up and heading straight into the Ocean 1st thing in the morning.

Back to my story…after laying on the beach all day, I made my way back to the campground, cleaned up ate and headed back down to the beach. As I mentioned before there are a number of bars right on the beach, and these places come alive at night. We started out at Stuf (Stoof) and ran into some folks from Paris. After a few awkward moments of trying to communicate in Romania (ok, communicating in Romanian is always awkward for me) we switched to English and were off and running. After a bit we all went our separate ways and more my friends continued to join the party on the beach. We wandered further down the beach to another place called “The Shire” and this was by far my favorite. It was a tall structure, with the beach as a floor in most of it, and made for great dancing. This is where we spent most of the night, literally dancing the night away with friends.

Sunday was more of the same with a little bit of an earlier start. Just sitting on the beach, enjoying the sea when things got to hot, and having fun with friends. At one point a Frisbee diving contest started where we all did our best to run, jump catch and flop into the sea in style. Yes I am still a little kid and love playing in the waves. I also got the chance to connect with a fellow volunteer named Jason. We spent a couple hours talking about our experiences thus far and what we want to pursue after leaving the Peace Corps. Once of the things I have really enjoyed about this whole experience is connecting with people who have different outlooks, interests and goals in life.

After Vama it was time for work. The whole reason I went to the seaside was for a conference for the Peace Corps. After being in country for a year, our group all got together for MST (Mid-Service Training). It was a great chance to see everyone again and connect with people I haven’t seen in a while. The conference itself was also the best we have had to date. We recently got a new Country Director, and it gave us all a chance to get to know him and how he envisions the future of Peace Corps Romania. He also happens to be the youngest country director in Peace Corps, and as such he is able to connect with most of us in a way that is energizing. We also had a number of breakout sessions that were meant for our individual sectors. Another change has been the addition of a new CED program manager. We have gone through a few in my short time here in Romania, and Dan really seems ready to tackle some of the challenges that face our sector and help redefine the ways in which we can be most effective. We talked a lot about relevance, and the challenges we all face, and brainstormed on ways to combat these elements. Some can be changed easily, while others are a long slow process of change that has been going on since before we came and will continue long after we all leave.

After being in meetings all day, we had the nights to ourselves. Although the first night we were given a real treat with a Barbeque at a restaurant on the beach. Some friends of mine and I used the time to conduct a fantasy football draft, and believe it or not I came out with a team that might actually do something! It will be fun to follow the happenings back Stateside this fall, and gives me something to root for. The food was great too. It was all cook your own, and it was fun making my own kabobs, it felt a lot like home. The next night we found a great little Mexican place with some killer nachos. After nachos it was poker with some folks, where I proceeded to loose my shirt! I really need to practice more on that whole thing…

Once MST ended though I still wasn’t quite done, as I mentioned before we have a new CED program manager and we spent an additional two days talking about the future of the program. The sessions were informative and allowed for a lot of group time to analyze the situation we currently face and ways to address it. Some of the take-aways included focusing serving in smaller communities, with reputable international organizations opening new branches, with city halls while staying away from serving too much with one organization time and again. These were just a few of our observations, and it will be interesting to see our program reinvent itself over the coming months.

I also had the chance to have some conversations with some of the Peace Corps staff during this time. One idea that was bounced around involved a change to the way feedback is given. At this time we as volunteers give feedback to the staff and language teachers, but there is void in returning that feedback to the volunteers. What we discussed was the possibility of implementing more of a 360° feedback system allowing staff, volunteers, and organizations to all give feedback as to the effectiveness of the parties.

After all this, I finally made my way back home, both exhausted mentally and physically, but re-energized for the next year. I came back with a long list of to-do’s which I am trying to work though diligently. As I said before these conferences were among the most beneficial training days we have had thus far, and I am excited for the next year.

Click Here for more pictures of the seaside.

A New Day

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
~Robert Frost


I have been thinking a lot about potential and comfort. If life is a journey (and I believe it is) then we must all choose; each for themselves the path we take. Sometimes the way is clear as way leads on to way and at others it becomes more difficult to tell. One thing is certain though, we must press on.

As for me I stepped out of my comfort zone and started a journey a little over a year ago. It has not been anything like I expected, and it has caused me to grow in ways I could not have imagined. I find myself living in another country, learning a new culture and a new language. The first step of this journey was taken when I got on the plane from Fort Worth to Philadelphia, and then on to Romania, but I am learning that as with any journey you only go as far as your last step.

Since being in Romania I have good times, and down times. I have been energized and questioned just what the heck I am doing here. Through it all I am learning to approach each day as new adventure, as a chance to build on the past and work toward a future that I want for myself. One thing I wanted to do when I first left the US was to keep a record of all that happens over here, both for you to read, and for me to remember years later. Well so far I have not done a great job of it, but that is the beautiful thing about each day, we have a chance to start over.

As I enter my last year of service here in Romania I am committed to making each day count. I am tired of seeing the days slip away with nothing to show for them. I am rejecting “comfort” and spending my time as wisely as I can. Up till now I feel like I have looked at my time here as this seemingly endless stretch out before me. Now I find that I only have 11 months left, I wonder how I will get everything done that I have planned.

So what is the point of all this? I simply want to encourage you, and remind myself that all we have is today. If there is something you want in life you have the power to go after it! Take a couple moments today and ask yourself what it is that you are working toward, what it is that you want out of life, and then go after it. Live life to the full, no matter where you are what you are doing, it is an adventure, don’t miss a minute of it.