Lost in Iași: Finally Here!

Guess what? I am in Iasi safe and sound. It was ridiculous trying to get here. The poor girls in my group spent like thirty to forty hours traveling here. I am so grateful that I split up my traveling and didn't have to fly straight for so long. We had a five hour layover in Bucharest but that turned into eight. YAY! I got stopped while going through security. Joy. First of all, they did not speak English. Second, they wanted to search my carry-on. Do they know how tightly packed that suitcase was? Because I am pretty sure that when the Romanian man opened it, things just exploded. He searched the suitcase and came across my Reese's and brown sugar (they don't have these things in Romania). I just say the look of confusion on his face. He tried to show the other man, but he didn't have any idea either. I tried to explain that it was sugar or zahar but he just looked at me. Finally, he just shrugged his shoulders and left me to repack my suitcase. I just kept thinking through the whole process that the man should just try Reese's and brown sugar. I am pretty sure that he wouldn't have stopped me then. I briefly considered offering him a Reese's as a bribe. The airport did not have internet but at one point a wireless connection popped up named "Greg." I have never seen fourteen girls pull our their computers so fast! Too bad Greg, whoever he was, disappeared...no more internet. It was a long wait and we were starving...We didn't get on our last flight until after midnight. Plus, the little plane ride was terrifying. This girl, Nicole, and I sat in the front row actually facing these other two men. Can you talk about awkward situations? I was terrified my luggage wouldn't make it but I almost cried when I saw the man carry my big purple suitcase to the luggage area. Then we rode in a crazy taxi at like two in the morning with Romanian music blaring. It was quite the experience but the good news is I made it to our apartment. We didn't even end up going to bed until like four because we were laughing too hard. Leigh and I were putting sheets on our bed and wondering what the heck have we done!!!

We slept in until like 11 but we were all so tired and desperately needed the sleep. Aislynn, gratefully, bought us some cereal and milk for breakfast. Leigh and I had poured the cereal into our bowls but then tried to find the milk in the fridge. Don't worry we found the milk a few minutes later; it was just in the door....in a bag...Aislynn, bless her heart, took us grocery shopping today. She is a brave soul to take all fourteen of us to the store. Leigh walked into the store and just said "I'm so overwhelmed right now." That's how we all felt. I was standing in line and Aislynn was trying to tell me what to say when I got up to the counter but then the check-out lady started talking really fast and I couldn't think of a single Romanian word. Somehow we successfully bought our groceries and guess what????. The toilet paper is scented and orange. After that, we wondered the city, got followed by the gypsy children, watched old men play chess the park, and figured out money. That was pretty stressful but we got it done.

We went to dinner tonight as an apartment plus the other Kelsey in our group. We went to this pizzeria and Aislynn tried to order us pizza (which she did successfully). Apparently we needed to sit down, get a menu, order, then pay. That's not what we tried to do at first, however. We let Aislynn do the ordering because she speaks enough Romanian...unlike the rest of us. She went the the window and they were super confused but they took her order. Then, she tried to go to the next window and pay. She said in Romanian, "I got a margarita and a Hawaiian pizza." The lady in the window kept saying "Foarte Bine, Foarte Bine." Apparently it was a different store and the lady was just congratulating Aislynn on her pizza order. It was so funny when we eventually figured out why the lady wouldn't take her money! Don't you worry, we somehow got our pizza, ate it, and paid. Who knows how tips work here, though....

I can't believe I am living in Romania now! Can y'all? I already love it here but I wish I just spoke the language. It's so hard and people talk so fast. I know every one goes through when living in another country where people speak a different language but I never have had to do it! Anyway, here are some pictures of our first day in Iasi! La revedere!