The hills are alive

Up the mountains we went.

After going with Jasson and Laura for a quick hike to show them the view of the night before, we said goodbye to Villa Maria and headed for the hills – quite literally. To do so, our remarkable guides took us to a ferry up the mountain.

Just getting to the ferry was yet another cool experience. Since all the towns and villages around here are built into the mountain, we drove as far as possible and then parked the car to continue the trek to the ferry. ( I was convinced that there was some body of water we needed to cross because that has been my only experience of “ferries” but in this case, ferries are for the air – not water or land. ) On the way, we passed various street vendors, including someone selling fire-roasted corn on the cob. I didn’t get any but is sure looked good!

The ferry ride was awesome! Laura led the way, Jordan and I squished in with our large backpacks, and Jasson gripped a support beam for dear life. It was refreshing to see him – the entertainer and expert – out of his element (talk about always pushing your comfort zone). Well Jasson, we definitely appreciate it!

My head has been in the clouds before but never quite like this! It was about a ten minute ride up, over treetops and into the clouds. Imagine your first experience on a chair lift – then multiply it by at least ten times as the trees become specks and the village a blur of distant colour. This was my experience.

At the top, there was a damp chill in the thin air, air that was filled with cloud and the sound of wild dogs barking. We couldn’t see very far and we felt our of breath quickly (similar to the feeling after climbing up stairs when you’re sick and weak from a cold), but we made our way into the mountain nature reserve. Here we saw and climber huge smooth rock: placed and polished by glaciers years ago.

After exploring and taking some photos, we took refuge in the ferry shelter. Fresh honeycomb served as a delicious snack as we reviewed our route, plan and key phrases for the next few days. Jasson and Laura caught their last ferry down while Jordan and I set out for a place to camp.

We passed a hotel, a small church, a few campers and some Beware of Bear” signs before finding a place to settle. Our resting ground consisted of a flat area close to a creek and the forest, but only across a large field from a villa. We figured it was a safe enough place because we saw the remnants of a few previous campers’ (although in hindsight, I guess this could go either way . . . ).  For dinner, we made delicious pitas with salami, mushroom and tomato (freshly cleaned in cool mountain stream water). According to Laura, any clear, running water would be okay to drink so I figured it would be okay to wash veggies in. Both Jordan and I drank some of the water – mostly just because of the novelty of drinking out of a mountain spring – but I insisted on purifying most of it.

Be were both exhausted after dinner and a less than fruitful hunt for campfire wood so we ended up falling asleep really early (I remember it still being light outside). We woke up and talked a lot though – about school stuff and our ideas of all things.  It was nice to focus on something other than people in our lives and Beyond Borders (an opportunity that I am grateful for but which also comes with a lot of challenges). It is also very comforting to know that we are each so passionate about our studies that we teach each other and talk about it far, far away from school. I hope more people can find their passion as well.

Our conversation came to a sharp halt when Jordan thought he heard a bear. He simply stopped talking and I could feel his concern. We were both silent for a moment and then I quietly grabbed my whistle. I was afraid - even though bears usually become disinterested if you don’t move, or get scared away by a lot of noise. Mainly, my concern was that there is only one exit to the tent so we were out of luck it that’s where the bear was. (Plus, a bear has claws to make a who wherever it wants and we didn’t exactly have a knife handy.)  Also, it was dark and I didn’t have my contact lenses in or glasses on so I would not be able to see the bear, Jordan’s expression/gesture or even my escape route clearly.

After long moments of sitting in silence, Jordan took a look around the tent. He didn’t see anything so we figured we’d be okay. We had a couple more scares throughout the night but the barking of wild dogs felt like a protection. In the morning, we decided our scare was a false alarm – maybe other people walking or more dogs. Nonetheless, we hiked up to the hotel for the remainder of our stay on the mountain. The bear scare was part of this but so was the cold temperature and lack of food. Camping certainly helps one realize how important essentials such as warmth, shelter and nourishment are. I enjoy camping or a vacation but wonder what it would be like if that were home . . .

The walk to the hotel was beautiful, as was the 4-hour detour.

Unlike many of my own personal detours, this one was planned and not the result of getting lost or taking a “short-cut.” Instead of heading straight to the hotel, we used our precious daylight hours to check out a lake. On the way to the lake, though we found a cave so of course we checked that out too! We climber up to this tunnel of a cave, went in far enough for it to take a bit of a bend. It looked like the tunnel went a long way but we didn’t want to stray too far from the path. I’m not sure if it was imagination or instinct but I began to get a bad feeling about going any further so we got out of there.

 (With the reading I’ve done in my Beyond Borders classes and the preparations that have gone along with this journey, I can’t help but get a little bit philosophical here - we caught a glimpse of the cave but didn’t enter too far for fear of straying from the set path. There are new adventures and lessons to learn from leaving the beaten trail but that also means diving out of security and into the unknown. It’s a time for considering risks and gains and tradition plus guidance won out. Plus, that are many adventures and lessons on the path, too.)

The lake was a couple of bridges, bends and hills farther. It’s turquoise waters lay beautifully in a valley between two hills, calling for each hiker to take a dip. As tempted as I was, the air was cold and the water probably cooler so I refrained. After a few photos, Jordan and I headed for shelter.

It rained on the way back but that was okay – the temperature wasn’t too bad and the rain felt kind of nice. Plus, when it came down hard, it gave us an excuse to stop and rest. (Those packs take a bit of getting used to, especially for someone who spends a lot of her time studying back health!)

< Tip from the trail: Engage that core! It’s easier on the shoulders, a good strengthening exercise, and – once you learn to breathe with a tight core – a lot easier >

We made it to the hotel before dark and had enough time to get cleaned up before dinner closed. It was while Jordan was showering that I realized I had not really been alone just to think/read/write since my run on the morning I left Ontario. It was nice to just breathe and clean up a bit but I was good to go again before long. I thought I was a person who needed space but I’m realizing that I need people even more. People make me feel alive and motivated – they are my energy source and outlet.

Maybe it’s my passion for nutrition, maybe my desire to share my experiences and the influence of European culture, but whatever the case I’d just like to warn you that I will now be describing the details of dinner – so  skip this paragraph  if necessary. Mmmm.

For dinner, we had the restaurant to ourselves and a nice whole roasted chicken to eat – complete with the bone-breaking tools often served with lobster. We actually asked for lamb first but, when our waiter came back with a lemon instead, we figures chicken was a safer bet. For sides, we had bread (let’s just say it was a bit more solid than the bread from the farm), wine, a fried corn dish and were asked if we also wanted ‘chips’ (french fries). In eastern Europe, it’s popular to have meat with a side of carbs, carbs and carbs. Good thing I brought those delicious veggie bars! (Okay so they’re not exactly delicious – but the starving stray dog we fed one to managed to choke a piece down . . . and stopped begging for food.)

Dinner was great. Before we left the restaurant, I brought the waiter some Canadian pins and maple suckers. He was delighted and, in return, brought up peanuts and more wine, of the homemade variety. (Thank you Judy and Marvin!)

Even though we ended up making friends with the waiter, the next night wasn’t so great.

The first thing that went through my mind was the homemade wine, but I didn’t even have a full glass so that couldn’t be it . . . must be the altitude (1.5km), travel and my body doin’ its thing.

We had only planned on staying one night but since I wasn’t feeling up to par, we decided against going any higher. Besides, the hotel was cheap and a comfortable place to nurse back to health. By the afternoon, I managed to get up and hike up one of the smaller peaks with Jordan before dinner.

When I’m not feeling well, it takes some extra effort to climb the stairs and so, even though my cardio is pretty decent, I really felt the incline. I didn’t like being slow but Jordan had no problems waiting for me. When we made it to the top, we were both hungry so my habit of packing snacks came in handy. We had some trailmix and some of what you could call a protein shake but neither of us were hungry enough for one of those veggie bars (which tasted remarkably like tar). Even the dog we fed wasn’t too fond of it!

WE started our descent just in time. I realize my hand get really cold and white very quickly and that when I’m cold, tired and hungry, I tend to get tense – even if it’s at the top of a beautiful mountain. Part of this whole experience is about self discovery, and one of those discoveries is that I get quiet and then silently cranky even sometimes before I realize I’m uncomfortable. Seeing as Jordan realized this before I did, it must be a noticeable change from my norm – something I need to be aware of in Ukraine and something I am thankful for since it is an indicator of the way I project what I am thinking to those who are close to me.

Captain Underpants

We took a couple days to do the tourist thing – saw some castles 

(including Dracula’s), hit the market and ate lots of delicious food. There sure are a lot of sweets and cheese here!

I also found some really cool toys at one of the castles – they look like giant popsicle sticks attached by elastics to make an “X. When you through them with the flick of a wrist, they travel in a circle and return back to you like a Romanian Boomerang. What fun! I still need some practice as does one of the (other) children who bought one. His ended up over a barricade and in a forest. The boy’s dad was about to life the boy up and over the barricade by jus the waist of his pants when Jordan swooped in to the rescue.

It was like a slow motion tragedy scene: the toy scarcely missed a vehicle and flew up and over the barricade. After evaluating the situation, the man slowly reached to lift his son. “Oh no . . .” I muttered in disbelief as the father bent over and, with his thumb and forefinger, grabbed only the top of his unfortunate son’s pants. Luckily, our own Captain Underpants (or Captain America, according to Jasson) came out of nowhere,  soaring over the barricade and saving that young fellow from the most ultimate of wedgies!

Back at the villa, George kindly showed Jordan and I a path to a peak where we could overlook the range of hills surrounding a valley at this part of the mountain. The simple life is where it’s at and we were experiencing it: a shack on the hills, miles of plantlife, fresh air, a cow/goat, and good company. I often think the Western world should adopt this way of life but a weird part of me finds comfort in the hustle and bustle, appointments, plans and progress – I suppose that’s the reason for a vacation or weekend off as opposed to a total lifestyle shift.

Hello, Romania!

As many of you already know, I decided to do a bit of travelling while overseas for my Beyond Borders placement. Thankfully, my very supportive boyfriend, Jordan, wants to travel the world and so was happy to join me! We decided on Romania for our adventure because we both wanted to visit his cousin Jasson, avoid the touristy atmosphere, and stay relatively close to L’vov (which is where I would get picked up to begin my placement).

Even though I will only be gone for a summer, I had a hard time leaving Turkey Point and Waterloo. Even though it meant leaving earlier, it was nice to have this buffer time and Jordan to help ease the transition.

As difficult as it was to leave friends and family, we were both excited about the adventure and even thoroughly enjoyed the plane ride. I forgot how fun panes are! I mean, we sat for a while and watched these giant machines take off, then got on one ourselves and enjoyed dinner and a movie. The flight itself felt like a vacation after the hustle and bustle of travel preparations. We even stopped by Frankfurt for a quick cold one.

This may not seem like much to the average traveler, but I’m the kind of person who enjoys the journey – especially when it’s in good company!

The first day in Romania is definitely one of my favourites We were exhausted when we arrived in Bucharest, but the excitement of new people and environments to explore kept us going. Jordan was reunited with Jasson at the airport and I got to meet Jasson and his wife, Laura there. We didn’t waste and time:

After a quick stop at the grocery store, we made our way to Laura’s family’s farm for some fresh milk and cheese. On the way, we saw many Romanian children and elders casually sitting along the road selling stuff -  cows, horses and stray dogs close at hand. Besides the animals and goods to sell, it reminded me of how people in my family would sit and visit on the porch with the neighbours.

AS far as milk, cheese and homemade wine goes, there was no need to stop by the side of the road since plenty was waiting for us at Laura’s cousin’s farm on the hill. To get to that house – a log cabin of sorts – we parked along the side of the road and then headed down a path, over a bridge and up a hill (which is part of the Carpathian Mountains), through a forest of plum trees. When we reached our destination on the side of the mountain, we were greeted by a man, woman, cat (later named Carl), and copious amounts of cheese, sausage, homemade bread and t’swika (homemade Romanian plum wine). There weren’t any chairs to “pull up” but rather we set out a blanket and enjoyed the snacks picnic style. The food was delicious and the view breathtaking as we peered through the plumb trees to the village below. The sound of wild dogs barking only added to this new atmosphere. I didn’t understand the spoken language but I certainly understood the smiles and gestures as a warm welcome to their home and country.

Jordan awed the crowd with his natural taste for cheese, meat and t’swika while I caught some good luck by having a plum flower pedal land in my glass. Whatever combination it was between luck and help from above, it sure came in hand for the remainder of the trip.

Later than we intended, we left the cousin’s home with tswika and fresh milk. I quickly realized that feeding people is a large part of this culture, as is giving all that you have. It’s not a bad outlook.

I was also exposed to the bathroom culture. My first relatively indoor squatting experience took place at Laura’s cousin’s home, but we also made a bathroom break at her mom’s house en route to Villa Maria. Laura and her mom are very close – another example of the importance of family. Luckily for us, Kate and William were getting married on TV and so her mom had a distraction and didn’t feel the need to feed us.

Running on fumes and fresh cheese (and more fumes), we caught some Zzzz’s on the way to Villa Maria, our home for the next couple days. The villa is very nice and VERY reasonably priced. It’s located on the side of a mountain and had all we needed for cooking and showering facilities – plus a very friendly stray guard dog (now named George).

We cooked dinner on an open fireplace outside, met some tourists from neighbouring countries, had a taste of palinka, got to know Laura and Jasson, and headed to sleep after some serious bonding time.

Hi all

Thank you for so patiently waiting for my update! The transition has been rough and I’ve had some work to do learning the language and whatnot, but my head is clearer now so I look forward to sharing my experiences with you.

I wish I could blog about everything that happens but I’m a pretty reflective person so if I wrote everything I experienced and my reflections, I think it would be too much. Plus, then I’d have no stories left to tell you about when I get back! Thus, I’ve decided to share some highlights and lessons learned but not quite relive the day-to-day adventures. Enjoy!

Splash

Recently, I watched an episode of How I Met Your Mother that was all about how, when you are stepping into a new stage of your life all you can see is the good of the previous stage. These goggles make you teary-eyed as you contemplate nice memories and charish the arguments and challenges. I wouldn't say these goggles distort the truth . . . they merely shed a nice, rosy tint. Needless to say, I have been wearing my own graduation goggles these last few weeks and days prior to my departure.


Picture this: I am sitting on my bed, in my room, in the middle of the organized chaos that is my life. Around me at arm's reach, I have sprawled tour books, work-outs, plans and other reading material. My departure is approximately 32 hours away and I am getting really excited about the new world I am about to step foot in. After all, the tour books make Eastern Europe look fantastic, what with their sunny skies and smiling faces. This feeling is bittersweet though, because to get to my new home, I will need to leave my old one behind. It's really tough to say goodbye - or see you (three months) later - to family, friends, even other community members, hobbies and routine. As I look past the foot of my bed, I notice my handidown golf clubs - who will go yet another spring without being used - and my poor hockey stick. (It will be so lonely this summer . . .) My dresser, just left of those, is covered with pictures of family, pictures of friends from highschool to first year to my don year. Sitting innocently next to those is the softball that helped my team win the Ontario championships one year. I know I will be coming back to many of the close relationships and good times that these items represent, but this summer abroad is yet another reminder that I am growing up. I will be missing a traditional summer at home while I learn about the outside world . . . becauuse there's so much more to life than days at the beach, sports, and even kinesiology (yes, I said it). As great as those are, and as difficult as it is for me to admit this, they're not the be-all, end-all.


As I realize there's more out there, I also realyize that I am growing out of the little sister, little girl role.  This is to be expected as life is full of transitions, but it feels like a revelation every time. As my mom would put it, my Beyond Borders experience is putting her kidneys particularly close to ther eyes. I fear this leak is genetic.


I continue to sit on my bed and take note of the chaos that has helped to form me. In a closet in one corner of my room, I have piled my awards - from MVP medals to recognition plaques, an olympic torch, and gifts from my SJ girls. They're all reminders of what I accomplished and what I will. Books are in another section, as is equipment and sentimental reminders. Then there are pictures. Pictures are scattered throughout because people are the glue that hold me together. Together, these things are a reminder of who I was, who I a and who I will be. Some memories and relationships have grown more vibrant while others have faded, but that's life. Situations change, people grow, and the human mind/heart is incredibly adaptive. As far as the lonliness goes for this summer, there's no reason to feel alone because just by reading this, you are on my journey with me.


Let's meet this challenge head on - and crash through it like we're breaking waves! (I'll pull you at times and I'm sure you'll need to block for me.) Here goes!

Waves of Excitement

This weekend has been gorgeous and that weather is really getting me excited for my summer in the Ukraine! I will miss being home with family and friends, but I know there will be a lot of good in the Ukraine as well. I am looking forward to learning my way around Ternopil and having days of fun activities and fresh air with the girls of Internat.

To add to my excitement, I spent Saturday afternoon at a local adventure store looking for equipment. The shopping experience certainly made this Beyond Borders journey feel more real. Can you believe I'll be leaving in just a tad over two weeks? And I'll be gone for three months. Tomorrow, my flights will be booked. I'll be leaving on April 28 and returning Aug 12.Yikes

A few people have asked me if I'm emotionally ready. My answers have been pretty noncommittal because I don't even know what I'm getting ready for. I can plan all I want but I've been told time and again that my experience will not be as planned. So, as far as being prepared goes, I am expecting the unexpected and will not be sure if I am ready until I get there. I'm sure I will have my doubts even when I'm in the Ukraine, but whatever happens, happens. I feel like I have done enough planning and risk assessment to last a lifetime but am fully aware that I have not covered every possible situation. I know what do to in an emergency and I have a plan for accessing money and communicating with home. Besides that, I' have to just deal with whatever comes up.

Emotionally, I feel like I need a bit more of a plan. I want to make sure I get a lot out of this experience but not at the expense of loosing connection with my dearest friends and family at home. I plan to stay connected and sane by calling home once a week,

Continuing to write blogs, possibly checking out facebook (but don't expect a response to messages left there), checking email a couple times per week, journaling and staying active. There's not gym in the area but I plan to work out in the morning, walk to my placement, and do activities with others in the afternoon.

I also plan to bring Jean Vanier's "Becoming human," and a couple other feel-good books. I know bringing my ipod is a risk, but I'll be bringing it anyway - gotta have some good tunes.

My comfort food consists of some peaches 'n cream oatmeal and some tea. I would bring chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter as well but I don't think they'd last the journey.

I also really like Wherther's and those white and green mints. These candies will also be good for giving to other people.

All this talk of coping strategies is giving me knots in my stomache. I can do it though . . . I know I can.

Thank you to all of you who helped make this experience possible. I am very appreciative of your financial contributions and could not have done it without your collective emotional support. I will be sure to keep you updated through my blog postings.

 For those of you who donated, I am sorry I could not organize a thank you dinner before I leave, but I will be sure to make a good Ukrainian home cooked dinner for you upon my return. (That is, once I have learned how to cook one!)

Thank you for your time, your concern, and your prayers.

Until next time,

Jess V

My Three Words

I was unable to take part in Tim's video but I would like to share my three words and my two cents:

Reveal. Ground. Do.

Beyond Borders reveals a lot: what different cultures are like, what challenges face the world, and how people like myself handle those challenges. The program reveals character.

I have felt grounded this term: I remain humbled by the experiences and works of others; my good fortune in comparison to some people's circumstances; and my limited (but growing) understanding of our world. I also feel rooted because the challenges I have faced in this program has brought me closer to family and friends.

Action words are not usually used to describe anything but I've learned that rules are usually simply strong suggestions - and that there are always exceptions. I felt it was appropriate to use action words because this program is all about taking action. There are many classes to attend and books to read about today's 'problems' but it take a special kind of program to allow you to experience them. Hence, my last word is "do."

Find Tim's Beyond Borders Video at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLZuRmyJ4dY&feature=player_embedded