The State of Brad

In 1997, my first year away at college, I started writing a sort of “update on my life” holiday letter for friends and family who I saw less as a consequence of living at school. These letters were a chance to take stock of the year passed, reconnect with those scattered across the globe, and plan for what lay ahead. Last year, because I was abroad, was the first time I since I started these letters nine years ago that I did not write anything. Being in a village overseas made that process a little too difficult to complete. Well, I’m still overseas and still in a village and the process of writing and mailing 50-100 letters is still too difficult from here. But being the web-savvy feller that I am, I figured I’d use this blog as a substitute. So, here we go…

Happy Holidays! I hope as you read this you’ve managed to pull your computer screen next to a warm fire or can see some snow outside your window. I, myself, have neither, but the radiator in my room is toasty and snow, while pretty, would force me to walk 30 minutes into town instead of riding my bike, so I’m fine without it.

As many of you know, I’m serving in the Peace Corps in Moldova, a small former-Soviet republic wedged between Romania and Ukraine. I work in a mayor’s office, but am a volunteer for the whole village. Some projects completed or underway include an English Club, teaching the mayor’s accountants to use Excel and running a computer class, revamping the local television station, and teaching a 3-day small business seminar about once a month. I live with a 17-year old boy, Vitalik, whose mother works most of the year in either Moscow or Germany.

Moldova is a small country with a lot of potential and a lot of problems. It’s location on the edge of Europe and its excellent soil, climate, and wine-making tradition could be huge boons for its economy. However, this poorest of the European nations is still plagued by corruption, a seeming love for red-tape, and a border dispute with a break-away region to its east. There’s a very strong sense of community, at least on the village level, and it’s been a great joy to become a part of that community.

I get along well with Oleg, my counterpart and the village mayor, who was actually elected to office 8-years ago when he was only 26. I have several local friends and most people here have at least heard of “the (strange) American” who lives in town. Though I still get plenty of stares, I now get a fair share of waves.

Living in this part of the world has afforded me the opportunity to travel a lot this year. I’ve taken the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Mongolia, stood in the world’s 3rd-largest mosque in Morocco, seen the site of the Orange Revolution in Kiev, and ridden a horse along the Mongolian steppe during the 800th anniversary of Genghis Khan. Not bad for a kid from north Jersey.

In past letters, I usually have a little bit about my family, but it’s difficult to figure out what to write here since I haven’t seen them in so long. My brother, David, occasionally emails photos of my 4-year old nephew, Gabriel. He’s really into hockey now, dressed up as Gandalf for Halloween, and looks a lot taller than I remember him. Maria, my sister-in-law was tenured at George Mason University and will be coming out with her first book - and I just found out I'm due to become an uncle a second time over in July! Mom and Dad went to Ireland for vacation with friends, and Mom has seen an upswing in her art business – though I think she needs to be a little more aggressive in her marketing (right, Mom?)

Prior to coming to Moldova, I served for 6 months in Uzbekistan until that post was shut down and all PCVs evacuated due to an unsafe environment. Depending on whether or not my time there counts towards my 2-year term of service, I will leave here sometime between June and November, 2007. I’ve started to make plans for what to do post-PC, but nothing has been set in stone. Applications to 5 MBA programs are done (thank God). I’ve received 1 acceptance (wahoo!) and am still waiting to hear from the other 4. In July, I learned that I passed the written Foreign Service exam and in February, I’ll be back in America for its second round interview. Should I get an offer from the State Department, I’m not sure about going after the MBA or taking up the life of a diplomat. Any advice is most welcome.

My girlfriend and fellow-PCV, Krista, has also made plans for returning to America, but in this, as in most things, she’s way ahead of me. She will leave Moldova soon in order to begin her nursing education, first at home in Tulsa and then at the University of Rochester in May. She’s been a big help to me during my own graduate school application process and Peace Corps service in general. I’ll miss her while she’s away, but look forward to obscene amounts of care packages (hint, hint).

That’s about it from here. I recommend perusing through this blog for greater details on the things mentioned above. Have a bagel for me, and all the best to everyone in the New Year!

Brad