Back At Home

So I've been home for almost a week. I attended two weddings last weekend, unpacked and washed lots of clothes, and started back to school yesterday. No, we are not done with this school year yet. We will be done by next Friday, June 8. I am determined for Leah and Sam to both finish their math books, and they will by the end of next week. We will have a shorter than normal summer break, because I plan to start them back at the end of July. I want to get some school done before Julie's baby arrives, because I know I will need to take some time off for that. Our summer break is not actually shorter than normal, it is just broken up differently since we traveled to Florida and Romania in May.

I am almost in panic mode regarding what I have to accomplish the next two weeks....besides finishing up school, I am teaching VBS at our church next week, and the week after that I am teaching at RYC. I spent most of this afternoon preparing for my VBS class, and I hope to start on RYC planning tomorrow. I am teaching (with three other wonderful ladies) 3rd and 4th grade again this year. This is my fourth or fifth time teaching this age group.

My house is also super, super dirty! It has not been cleaned since the end of April. Sam's room and walk-in closet look like an episode of hoarders, and Clay's college stuff is filling up Olivia's room. Plus Julie's room is full of her wedding presents and five fully packed suitcases! I am not sure even where to begin! My plan is to just start cleaning my house today. I am just going to start in one room, and keep going, little by little until it is all done. It may take me a month! :)

I pulled out my master clean out list I made back in January. I have only checked off January's tasks so far. But I am determined. After I get my house cleaned from top to bottom, I plan to begin tackling that clean out list. We will see.

Life always gets in the way.

Romania Days 14-16

Sunday-Tuesday
May 20-22

On Sunday, we slept in a little bit after our late night arrival the night before from the Transylvania 100 Race. Julie and Big Sam's church's worship service and Bible study begin at 5:00PM, so we had time to wash clothes and buy groceries before preparing for the service (which meets in their home).

Since we had so many clothes to wash (from the muddy race), Jimmy made Julie a clothesline on her balcony. I was able to wash many loads in one day because they dried so quickly on the balcony.

Here are a few pictures I took on our walk to and from the grocery store.

 I guess McDonald's is everywhere! However, I never saw a Chick Fil A over here.

 I'm not sure WHAT this is.....

 Romanian parking spot

 more examples of Romanian parking

Cars are parked everywhere you look here.

Monday was our last day before heading back home. We spent this day packing and visiting the city center one more time. Jimmy took the kids to the closest park to play while I did some packing before we went to the center.

 We bought this banner while shopping one last time in the center.

We are on Julie's balcony.

 The suitcases--packed and ready to go.

Yes, there are nine of them! Three and a half of them have our stuff in them, and the rest have Julie and Big Sam's belongings that we took home for them. 

 This is the stairway that leads to the top (4th floor) of Julie's apartment. (They live on the top floor.)

 in the city center

 in the city center

 the underground bathroom in the city center

 This is where we ordered our lunch. We got the wraps that they are known for, and they were delicious!

 I can't remember what this building is, but it is a focal point of the city center.

 This was a cool soccer ball in front of the mall in the city center.

 We enjoyed Starbucks one last time together.

Sam is taking a picture of his Gumby and Pokey.....he poses them in various places when we are traveling and takes pictures of them.

Monday night I completed our packing, and then began stressing a little bit over whether or not the suitcases would fit in the vehicles that were carrying us to the airport. Dan was taking some of us in his car, and Big Sam borrowed a minivan from an American evangelist he recently met in Craiova. That was so very kind of him to let us borrow his minivan! Since the minivan was parked four flights of stairs below, and since we did not want to leave all our luggage in the vehicles overnight, Clay and I measured the size of each suitcase, and then we measured the interior of the minivan and the luggage carrier on top to see if the luggage would actually fit. Based on our calculations, and if Dan's car could hold three suitcases, everything would fit.

We set our alarms for 3:45AM, and tried to sleep.

Tuesday morning, May 22, came early, and Jimmy carried all nine suitcases downstairs. Then Clay and Big Sam placed them in the two vehicles, and yay! They fit! We left for the Bucharest airport at 4:45AM.

We made it to the airport about 8:40, and thankfully, quickly made it through security and passport control and then found our gate. We left at 10:00AM for a short plane ride to Istanbul, Turkey. We had about a two hour layover there that passed by quickly. We sampled some Turkish delight, Jimmy and I got coffee, the kids got Turkish ice cream, and then we began the long walk to our gate. We had to go through security again before we could enter the seating area to wait to board our plane. I even had to take the cover off my iPad....shoes off again, we were swabbed, inspected, etc. 

We boarded our plane bound for Atlanta, Georgia, USA at 1:30PM local time. We were on that airplane almost 14 hours before we deplaned in Atlanta! It was about 8:00PM EST in Atlanta when we landed. Somewhere up in the sky we gained/lost? seven hours, and on our way home to Mississippi we gained another hour (or lost an hour? I am not sure!) Anyway, once we finally arrived at our house, it was Wednesday, May 23, 2:30AM. We had been traveling about 29 hours, I think. 

Since our long flight was mostly during the daytime hours (for what our bodies were accustomed to), I slept only an hour, maybe. I watched three entire movies:  You've Got Mail, Gone With the Wind, and Wonder. We were served two full meals and had self-service to sandwiches, dessert, and beverages. 

Jimmy brought compressions socks for the whole family to wear on the trip back, and they made such a positive difference for me. My ankles did not swell at all, and my legs did not hurt like they did on the trip over. I also got up and walked around the airplane at least ten times on this trip. 

IT WAS SO GOOD TO BE BACK IN THE USA!  I could tell immediately that we were on American soil as soon as we entered the Atlanta airport! We had to go through passport control one more time and were briefly questioned one last time, and then we were released to gather our luggage and go to our car! 

We fit the suitcases in my vehicle....six in the back (I folded down two seats) and three on the back on a carrier on my trailer hitch.

HOME SWEET HOME!

I am gradually getting over the jet lag.  The first 2-3 days I was profoundly sleepy at 5:00PM, and was in bed by 9:30PM, but by midnight or 1AM, I was wide awake!

We left Thursday morning to go to Alabama for Parker's wedding (Lynn's son). We got back home from that late Friday night......no more traveling for us for at least a couple of weeks!

Romania Day 13

Saturday May 19
Today was the race! The Transylvania 100. This race featured the following distances, all starting at different times:  20K, 30K, 50K, 80K, and 100K. Big Sam ran the 50K, and Dan, Jimmy, and Clay ran the 20K. This was NOT a road race, but a trail run (hike, actually for most of it I believe.)

Big Sam, Jimmy, Clay and Julie left our Airbnb at 5:30AM for the 45 minute ride back to Bran where the race would begin at Bran Castle. Dan, Tami, Leah, Sam, and I left at 8:00AM. Big Sam started running his race at 7:00 AM, and Dan, Jimmy, and Clay began at 11:00AM. The three 20K runners actually boarded a bus at 10:00 AM that took the 20K runners to a drop off point, and they ran back to the finish line.

 Clay, Big Sam, and Jimmy before Big Sam began.

Dan, Clay, and Jimmy before they began.

It was cold and rainy.

 Jimmy with our English friend, Jane! She is holding the cash Jimmy used to buy his shirt.

On the buses....ready to be taken to the drop off point.

The following pictures were taken with Jimmy's phone while they ran the race.

 Let me just say that these photos do not make me want to do a mountain trail run!

While the men were running......the girls, Sam, and I shopped.

 Sam getting a music lesson from this vendor.

(He bought the flute!)

 Enjoying lunch at a street vendor.

 waiting in the rain for the men to finish

 The finish line was right here in front of the castle.

 Yay! Here comes Clay!

He finished in 4 hours, 15 minutes, 34 seconds.

 And here come Jimmy and Dan!

They finished in 4 hours, 19 minutes, 49 seconds.

And not too much longer......here comes Big Sam!

He finished (50K) in 8 hours, 37 minutes, 19 seconds.

We were so proud of them! No one was injured, and except for being soaking wet, extremely muddy, and exhausted, all was well!

The happy, muddy finishers!

The runners changed into dry clothes, and then we began the long trip back to Craiova (remember, it took us 8 hours to get here!) But thankfully, even with a long stop for supper along the way, we were home before 11:00PM.

Waiting for dinner in the fancy restaurant in Pitesti.

Leah's fancy dessert!

Romania Days 11 and 12

Thursday May 17 and Friday May 18

We took a road trip (and it was a long road trip!) to Brasov and then back and forth to Bran from Brasov on Thursday-Saturday. We left at 10:00AM (in two cars--Dan's and Sam's) for the 161 mile drive from Craiovo to Brasov. It took us 8 hours. I slept most of the way thanks to my Dramamine. We stopped every two hours or so for us to stretch our legs. We also enjoyed a picnic lunch prepared by Tami along the way.

***Let me take a moment to describe the restroom situation here in Romania. First of all, there is no normal toilet tissue to be found! In most public restrooms IF they provide toilet tissue (and yes, some do not provide toilet tissue, so I learned from Julie and Tami to always carry a little packet of wet wipes in my bag so I will be prepared!), the toilet tissue is often the same texture and size of crepe paper that we use in the U.S. to decorate for a party. It is either bright pink or just that colorless color of hand towels you typically find in public restrooms in the U.S. The other toilet tissue is just so different from what we Americans are accustomed to. I'm not complaining! I am so thankful that Romanians have toilet tissue---it's just another difference I've noticed between the two countries. Also, you cannot just easily find a public restroom when you need one. Not that many are available. In most places you must be an actual customer before you can use their restrooms. In fact, in Starbucks in Brasov, our receipt from our order had a four digit code that we had to enter in order to use the restroom. In other places, you simply pay 1 leu (about $.25) for the privilege of using the facility. That was fine with me, because the restrooms you paid for were usually clean and had better toilet paper! One of the most interesting restrooms we used was one underground the market area around Bran Castle. It cost 1 leu, and the bathroom attendant sat on a stool smoking and playing Candy Crush on her phone (with the volume turned way up) while she supervise the "toaleta".
Another weird thing.....in many places the men's and women's potty areas include a shared area where you wash your hands. You enter the restroom in the shared space, and then you must read the doors to know which is the men's (barbati) and which is the women's (femei). I almost went into the men's room at a public bathroom in the city park in Craiova, but a frantically talking attendant finally made me understand what I was doing (well, actually Julie or someone else translated for me!)

Ok, back to the road trip!
The reason it took so long to get to Brasov was because Romanian roads are quite different from U.S. roads. There are no 6 lane (or even 4 lane) interstates connecting major cities. The roads are mostly 2 lanes, and very, very curvy as you enter the mountain areas. We traveled through many towns and villages which included numerous round abouts as well as crosswalks for pedestrians. We even saw some sheep almost in the road.

***Quick observation--as we traveled through the countryside I noticed that every single dwelling place in the rural areas, no matter how crumbling or falling in the home seemed to be, every single one had a dish that I assume is for internet access. (Do any of you remember the difficulties I have encountered trying to get affordable, reliable, or really just ANY internet access at my house?) And here in Romania, it seems everyone has access. Crazy!

Thankfully, we made it safely to Brasov, where we checked into our Airbnb house. This was my first experience using Airbnb, and it was an experience! Sweet Julie researched and found this delightful house that would accommodate all nine of us. Our owner, who spoke English well, met us there, and she was as sweet as could be.

Since my pictures below are in all kinds of order, and I cannot seem to successfully move them where I want them, I am just going to recount the two days the best I can, and comment on the pictures when necessary to explain.

After checking out our interesting accommodations, we ventured out for the short walk to the city center (much like areas we have seen in Craiova and Severin). We found a place to eat supper, and after that we walked back to our house to settle in for the night.

This is a walkway that connects two city streets. It's one way to cross, and it's a fun way too!

In the Brasov city center

It is open in the middle with the shops and restaurants on the perimeter as well as extending down adjoining streets.

This fountain is the center focal point.

Most of the buildings here, no matter how pretty, seem to have some sort of crumbling or decay somewhere on them.

another view of the center

Sam and I are trying to read the menu to see if this is where we want to eat. 

Some restaurants have English subtitles on their menus, and some don't.

a street in Brasov

This is the Black Church. We toured this on Friday morning. 

It was built over 600 hundred years ago as a Catholic church. After the Reformation, it changed to a Protestant church. In 1689, part of the structure was destroyed by a fire, and afterward it became known as Black Church. As we completed the self-guided tour, I learned many fascinating facts about  this time era including how one secured a seat in the worship area (the higher standing you had in the community, the better seat you had).

We passed this track and field arena on our way to and from the center. Most of the time it was occupied by children, runners, walkers, etc. The running track is made of dirt.

inside the kitchen of our Airbnb home

***Another side note--the house was a little bit cold when we arrived, so Tami asked the owner how to turn on the heat. She responded, "Oh, there's no heat. The city cuts off the heat to the houses in April." Alright then. We will just bundle up! I am not sure I understand how the "heat to the houses works". I think there is some city-wide boiler system that pipes the heat to the homes? Anyway, we were not actually that cold. The coldest I was happened when I stepped out into the cold bathroom after my lukewarm shower. 

another view of the cool track

the back yard or our Airbnb home

This is the "living area". 

It actually was great that we had so much space.

Our bedroom--seven of us slept in this room (Jimmy, Me, Julie, Big Sam, Clay, Leah, and Sam).

Our rental included two bedrooms, both with multiple beds. We gave one room to Dan and Tami, and the rest of us slept in this room. We were warm and cozy!

Another view of our bedroom. The second night, after sleeping together in a twin bunk bed with a mattress so squeaky we awoke everyone in the room every time we turned over, Jimmy and I found a double mattress to put on the floor and made our bed there. Much better!

Ok. The dining room. 

Really no words. Just pictures. The kids loved it! And I will say that I have never dined in such a place. :)

an overview of the room

a woodpile in the corner

some sort of area in the back of the room

The homeowner apparently likes to decorate with eclectic items from nature. Everywhere we looked there were sticks, branches, leaves, rocks, etc. on display. 

This is the kitchen. Thankfully, there was a coffee pot. There was also a collection of dishes and pots and pans, and Tami was able to reheat and prepare a delicious lunch for us the second day we were there.

(Click on the picture and try to read the sign to the left and above the sink.)

This is the back patio area. 

Leah and Dan enjoying the nice weather outside the house

This is my French friend, "Matt". I could not understand nor pronounce his name, so I just called him Matt. The beginning of his name sounded like Matt to me. Matt was also boarding in this house. He was there for a two week stay to visit his girlfriend. I enjoyed talking to him in the gazebo one morning. He spoke English very well, so we had a fun time getting to know one another. 

This is in front of our Airbnb home. 

The homes or apartments, which people can rent or own, inside the cities here are mostly gated like this. Inside the gate is usually a small green space and then an entrance to the home itself.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our Airbnb home experience! 

Julie and Big Sam walking down the street in Brasov.

Sam in front of the Black Church

Sam in front of the fountain

dining in the dungeon dining room

This is Sam's Tiko car. It has taken him and Julie all over this country!

riding in the Tiko!

The first night in Brasov we went to Starbucks for dessert. Inside the Starbucks you could almost imagine that you were in the U.S.

Almost.

Grandparents-to-be!

Enjoy reading the House "Ruls" for our Airbnb home!

Friday after lunch, we drove to Bran (about 20 miles--45 minutes away) for the runners to pick up their race packets. The race was called the Transylvania 100. Several distances to run were available, but Big Sam chose the 50K, and Jimmy, Dan, and Clay chose the 20K. This was a mountain trail race, and involved some specific preparation of race day gear. The race official sent the runners an email with a detailed, lengthy list of required items to be carried by each runner. The list included items like a whistle to scare off bears, raincoat, long sleeved shirt, waterproof pants, a compass, a refillable drinking cup (no cups provided on the race course), a 1 L water bottle, hat, gloves, first aid kit (with specific contents), waterproof cover for the backpacks, emergency blanket, fully charged cell phone, map or the racecourse, food, and some other things I cannot remember!

When the runners got their numbers and race shirts, and after their backpacks and contents passed inspection, they discovered that their race shirts were tiny! Europeans apparently wear their shirts tighter than Americans! Even though I ordered the same sizes I would have for a U.S. race, Jimmy and Clay's shirts did not fit. (Julie forgot to tell me to order bigger than normal--she had Big Sam had already learned this from previous European races.)

So we met Jane. (Pictured below). Sweet Jane. She was a race volunteer from England, and she came to our rescue. She was so friendly and nice, and after we explained our shirt situation, she thought a moment, and then went back and found Jimmy and Clay a larger shirt. She let them swap! Even after two other people had told us that was not possible.  She was great! We enjoyed talking with her so much, and we also saw her before, during, and after the race the next day. We are friends!
Also, on race day, she sold Jimmy another (even larger) shirt, and two more race tubes--basically a head/neck warmer with the Transylvania 100 logo on it.

Our friend Jane, from England

Next, we toured Bran Castle (aka Dracula's Castle). It was old, and massive, and fun to explore.

Sam, walking up one of the many stairways within the castle.

Here we are on one the balconies of the castle.

the view from one of the balconies

Dan and Big Sam

Looking down from the castle at the start/finish line of the race. The race began and ended on the Bran Castle grounds.

posing with some armor inside Bran Castle

sisters

another balcony

in the courtyard of Bran Castle

We drove back to Brasov, ate supper at another restaurant in the center, and enjoyed some delicious ice cream on the walk back to our Airbnb home. The runners spent an hour or so laying out, packing, and preparing their race day gear and clothes. 

And then we all went to bed!