COS Conference

Last week, I went to my COS (Close of Service Conference).  It was the last training session that my group of volunteers had.  We all traveled to the eastern side of Macedonia to the lovely town of Berovo.  The conference was held at the new Aurora Resort (see picture below).

 Not bad for being in Macedonia.

On the first day that we arrived, it was the moment we all had been waiting for.....the lottery to see what day we will be going home.

They had written specific days that we could COS (Close our Service).  Our names were drawn out of a bag and we came up and wrote our name under the date that we wanted to leave.  I had a specific date in mind when I went to the conference since I had already planned what I wanted to do after I left Macedonia.

A fellow volunteer and I had planned to go to London, leaving on Nov 1st.  We would stay in London for two days; and then I would go off on a 21-day tour of Europe, starting on Nov 3rd.  The first day that we were allowed to leave Macedonia was Oct 31st, which is the day I needed, and there were only 3 spots available.  Luckily, I have some wonderful friends who were willing to leave later so that I could go on my trip and I was able to get the spot that I wanted.

SOOOOOO..............as you can see by the newly added Countdown Clock, located on the right hand side......I will be back home in Northern Virginia on November 24th!!!

As for the rest of the conference, we learned about adjusting when we get back home; and it was a nice time to hang out with the other volunteers that have been my family for the past two years.  It was bittersweet because you don't know if you will get to see some of them again.  But as we keep saying....it's not good-bye, it's until next time.

The MAK 15s (my group) that made it all the way to the end of their service!!!

Budapest and Looking for Dracula

After GLOW, I was off traveling again, but this time to Budapest.  I had heard from some volunteers that went last year how pretty it is; and I moved it to the top of my "places to see" list.  I spent about two full days there, which was not enough. This was also the first time I had gone somewhere by myself and I realized that I don't like traveling by myself, I need someone to eat with. But luckily after Budapest, I was heading to Romania and was going to meet up with thee other volunteers.

 Matthias Church, located on Castle Hill.

 Fishermen's Bastion. This part, that looks like a sand castle is actually a restaurant.

 View from Fishermen's Bastion looking out onto the Danube and the Parliament building.

 The Royal Palace, now the home of several of Budapest's museums.

 Me!!! The view from the Citadel looking out onto the Danube.

 Gellert Hotel and Thermal Baths.  It is the oldest spa in Hungary that has hot springs that have been active for 2,000 years.

 Central Market Hall  has many vendors selling fruits and vegetables along with meat and other specialty items.

 The Citadel is located on top of the hill.  The statue on top is called the Liberty Statue.

 This statue has an interesting story.  It is in memory of a religious figure that was captured and thrown off the cliff while in a barrel covered in nails.  The waterfall represents his fall.

 I took a boat ride down the Danube!!!

 Parliament building, the picture does not do it justice.

 The Royal Palace and the Chain Bridge.

 The Hungarian State Opera House. I did not have enough time to see a performance.....so next time.

Heroes' Square.

After Budapest it was off to Romania and our hunt to find Dracula.
I met up with the other girls in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, and we spent a day there.
Then we went to a town called Sighisoara. It is know as the birthplace of Dracula; and while we were there, they were having a festival.

 The clock tower.

 A cute little house on the top of the hill. Dont know why but it reminded me of the story "the little old lady that lived in a shoe".

 Can't have a Dracula hunt without a trip to the graveyard.

 Center of town where the festival was.

The restaurant we ate at which also happens to be the house where Dracula was born.
Then we went to a town called Brasov and stayed there for two nights.

 The center of Brasov.  You can see the Dark Church in the background. Interesting story- there is only one statue on the roof and it is of a man hunched over.  The story behind the statue is that the architect that designed the church did it in a special way and no one besides him was to know how he did it.  The architect's son figured it out so the architect killed his son by throwing him off the roof because he wanted to be the only one who knew how he did it.  The statue is in remembrance of his son.

Another shot from the center of town

Is the street small or am I too big?

We also took a day trip to the three main sites: Peles Castle, Bran Castle, and Rasnov Fortress.

Peles Castle. We were only given an hour to look around so we had to do the quick tour. 

 This was the dining room of the castle.

 The entrance to Bran Castle, also know as Dracula's castle.....we are getting close!!!

 I found Dracula!!!! Or at least a picture of the man that Dracula was created after.

 Rasnov Fortress.

 It was a great last trip and we had a lot of fun. Next week I will be going to my COS (Close of Service) Conference, where I will learn what day I will be leaving Macedonia. The end is coming near, so next time I post, the Countdown Clock will begin!!!

Camp GLOW 2012

In the middle of July, 80 girls from all over Macedonia came together for a week long summer camp. This year we held the camp in Tetovo at a new school that had just opened.  It gave the camp more of a conference feel, but the girls still had fun doing typical camp activities: singing songs, eating s'mores, playing games, attending classes, etc.   Myself and two other PCVs were the ones running and organizing the camp this year; and we were pleased by the outcome. The girls had a great time!

Here are some pictures:

 Our great staff all waiting for the campers to arrive.

 Welcoming the girls to camp.

 Singing songs, a daily activity.

Tie- Dye!!! The crazy girl in the front is Valbona, my girl from Resen.

Each group got to pick a night to have s'mores under the stars.

 The American Ambassador for Macedonia came one day.

The Ambassador addressing the girls.

It was a great week; and I am so glad that I got to be a part of it and GLOW in general.  GLOW has been a big part of my Peace Corps service.  I have meet some amazing girls that will become great leaders.  I am sad that my time with GLOW is over, but can't wait to see what these girls will do in the future.

Until next time.....Keeping GLOW-ing!!!