November 7, 2008: Horezu

Dear Friend,

Last night at eleven forty-five I boarded a train to Lupeni. I had been planning on visiting the others this weekend and could only find a midnight train. Despite the cold, night air outside, I had the compartment window open the whole ride. There are heaters of some kind underneath the seats that were turning the compartment into a sauna. It wasn’t the most comfortable. Luck for me, there were only two other guys in the compartment with me and they let me stretch out across the other seats next to me to get some rest.

This morning, I woke up (if I ever did sleep) a little after five o’clock. The compartment was still baking from the heater underneath the seats. I repacked my luggage, and then stuck my head out the window of the car. It was pitch black, except for the occasional mountain town we passed, lit up by street lights. In about forty-five minutes after I awoke, we arrived in Petroşani, to my great relief. My first lone train venture was a success. Now I needed to get to Lupeni.

During my time in Lupeni a month and a half ago, I hadn’t used the maxi taxis. They’re essentially mini-busses, usually packed to the brim with people, implying a greatly claustrophobic environment. Tibi’s was in walking distance from the office anyway, so there wasn’t a need to pay for transportation. However, Lupeni is not in walking distance of Petroşani and regular taxis are quite expensive for such a long distance. So, now began my next adventure, which was finding and surviving a maxi taxi. It was a cultural experience, being crammed in the vehicle with an interesting assortment of early morning travelers, including those who chose not to shower when they woke up. The thought in my head, as we got closer to Lupeni, involved the possibility of the vehicle turning over and all of us being trapped inside. I got out earlier than necessary, if only for the open space and air.

I can’t really describe the happiness I had in seeing the familiar Lupeni. My excitement was building as I walked past Penny Market into the park right across from the New Horizons office I had spent so much time in. I sat down in the park and did my devotions. Janelle had requested I not come knocking until quarter to eight, as she wanted to sleep in a much as she could. The group would be traveling to Horezu today, which meant, understandably, that having as much sleep as possible would help. So, I waited awhile in the park, breathed the crisp, cold air, considered the possibility that I might get sick, and then went for a walk. In rather short time, seven fifty rolled around, and I made my way to Janelle and Daniel’s apartment.

I was now very happy to see my friends, though only Janelle and Daniel were present. Janelle and I had been in periodic contact up until this point, trying to figure out schedules in order to make my arrival and stay more convenient for everyone involved. I was also hoping to make my arrival a surprise, which Janelle was heavily involved in maintaining. The “surprise plan,” though, was suspended in fragile ambiguity, as more than just Janelle, Daniel, and I knew about my visit. It was quite possible the visit would not be as much of a surprise as I would wish. So what!

I exited the block, wherein Janelle and Daniel’s apartment is located, to many happy shouts of “Kailen!” as we walked to the van. I found out that some had known I was coming, but everyone was very happy to see me. I also don’t think that any of them were expecting me to arrive this early. During the entire trip to Horezu, people took turns making sure I was doing alright, as it was obvious I had not slept well on the train, had arrived in Lupeni at the literal crack of dawn, and hadn’t eaten much of anything for some time. I think it was my excitement and subsequent adrenaline that was keeping me going during the day.

We made several stops during the day. Stacey and Solita had presentations about certain sites, one was a statue and another was an Orthodox church. We then went to a market, where we spent a good hour and a half looking at different shops selling pottery and woodworks. I was amused by the collections of rather large wooden spoons I found in most of the shops. By the end of the trip, we were all ready to get back to Lupeni. The weather had been overcast the entire day, so our energy and interest was draining quicker than usual. I admit that I just about dozed off completely on our way back.

The night ended at Pizza Planet, where all of it had begun in Lupeni two months ago. For some reason, it was at this point that I truly felt we were all in college. I mean, this is what college students do, go out with friends and enjoy each other’s company. College friends also find symbolic ways of showing their connection. Everyone in last year’s study abroad group got piercings, a symbol that they were all involved in the same experience and therefore connected to each other. This present group had decided on getting rings. During their Bulgaria-Greece tour a couple weeks ago, Anne and Hollyann had spent some time perusing selections of rings in the attempt to find the right one for me. The girls each got trinity rings, which are rings made of three, thin bands linked together to form the ring. Arguably more feminine, the girls decided not to get trinity rings for Andrew and me. Instead, they got us eternity rings, rings with a design etched on the outside that doesn’t have a beginning or end. All this they told me as they presented mine to me tonight at Pizza Planet. Apparently Hollyann “knew” my ring size and Anne “knew” what ring design best suited me. (My isolation of “knew” isn’t meant to poke fun, but rather to express my gratitude for having friends who do indeed “know” me so well as to care about the type of ring they buy me.) These kinds of things happen in college. This is what college friends do.

I was very happy to finally get to Tibi’s, where I was staying for the weekend, as my adrenaline had finally run out. I mechanically took out my contacts, brushed my teeth, and got ready for bed. Andrew was doing his nightly baseball workout, which didn’t bother me at all. Once I got into bed and my head hit the pillow I was out. Sleep was finally mine for the taking.

Blessings.
Kailen