Leaving

One week ago, I walked into the little vegetable store that's on my way home. The usual crowd of customers danced around each other in the cramped dorm-room sized shop. I made my way around one young woman, comfortably overweight and with headphones, who looked very un-Romanian. I saw her buy some bananas from the storekeeper without removing the headphones. She waited until the register showed how much she owed instead of listening to the total. Then she left with a smile but no "multumesc." Ah, yes—an American.

My turn came to pay, and through the heavy white plastic, the storekeeper thought my red onions were peaches. I corrected her, in Romanian, and finished the simple transaction. As I walked out the door, I realized that I used to be that girl with the headphones, so out of place and so uncomfortable with that, but doing it anyway.


Last week I packed my bags and said goodbye to Brasov first, and then Bucharest. I had the nicest sequence of departure events ever—it was the least stressful traveling experience in a long time. I had help getting to and from the train station with all of my bags, a nice hotel near Herastrau Park to spend the night in, an embassy reception at the Marriott that just happened to coincide with my last night, an awesome outdoor seat for the projection of the Spain v. Russia game, and the icing on the cake: an upgrade to business class for my 10-hour flight. That wasn't quite the icing, actually; I had an equally wonderful sequence of goodbyes to all of my Romanian friends and American friends in Romania. Tear.

So, what will I miss about Romania?

1. Having apa minerala as a standard water choice
2. Warm breeze through Piata Sfatului
3. Friends and students
4. Feeling like I'm making a difference in someone's life
5. Inexpensive restaurants with good food and wine
6. Walking everywhere
7. Salata de vinete
8. Old ladies staring at me from their windows
9. Sincerity
10. Train trips through the countryside

What will I not miss?

1. Staring in general
2. Standing out
3. Waitresses with attitude
4. Not being able to eavesdrop
5. Missing my friends (the ones in the States who I missed while in Romania)

I'm sure I'll be back...sometime. Being back in the U.S. is incredibly overwhelming. At first I was very excited, but I'm already starting to feel jaded. Hopefully that will disappear.

I would say that this is my last blog entry, but it's No. 49 for the year, so I really ought to make it 50. I have many more photos to sort through, so stay tuned, and in a month or so I will post them. Until then, la revedere.