Hellos and Goodbyes

(Since Tuesday, I have been staying with a friend and her family in a small village three hours west of Udvarhely.  Tomorrow, Buttercup and her parents will pick me up on their way to Budapest where we will part ways as they embark on holiday and I travel to Sarajevo.  Just so you know).

During my time in Europe, I have accumulated a significant amount of extra luggage, mainly in the form of books and souvenirs.  This extra weight would necessitate extra baggage fees, as my upcoming flights only allow one checked bag.  To save myself the cost of checking two bags, I decided to send all my extraneous baggage home through the Romanian postal service.... Let me tell you: this is much easier said than done.  To make a long story short, the process of mailing took more than a thoroughly nerve-wracking hour of negotiating, packing, taping, listing, and after paying over 250 lei (not with my card, but in cash that I was compelled to take out from the ATM across the street) for shipping, I was informed that my 10 kilo package should arrive in Minnesota two months from now.  I should also mention that I would not have been able to mail the box at all, had it not been for E and K, who were with me during the ordeal and translated for me.  (K, my host sister from Madaras, had taken a bus into the city in order to say goodbye to me... I wish our time together would have been spent in a more enjoyable way, but it was wonderful to see her in spite of my post office stress disorder–ha).

At any rate, my last day in Székelyudvarhely began with the post office and my goodbyes to E and K, both of whom I already miss. 

Now, to explain why I am now with my friend... Seven years ago, my aunt hosted Ch, a German exchange student of Romanian-Saxon origin for one year.  Ch is less than a year older than me and we’ve stayed in touch in the years that followed her exchange.  Although she was born and raised in Germany, her family returns to Romania–to a village three hours west of Udvarhely– for a few weeks in the summer. As it turns out, their holiday this year lined up with mine, which is why they were able to pick me up.

With Ch in the Carpathians

When Ch and her family arrived, the entire house transformed into an international language zone as English, German, Romanian, and Hungarian were simultaneously spoken.  It was a surreal and overwhelming experience.  Moreover, although I’ll see Buttercup and her parents tomorrow, it was difficult to say goodbye to Mama and Tata, who will not be joining the family in Budapest.  I suppose that I knew sad goodbyes were inevitable when I signed on with LE, but still... it’s hard.

Nonetheless, it’s always a joy to see an old friend again, and I’m thrilled to have time with Ch and her family.  Unlike Madaras and Szekelyudvarhely, Ch’s village is not Hungarian.  It is historically Saxon (German), but most of the Saxons were forced out of their homes during Ceaucescu’s dictatorship or opted to leave to avoid economic and social persecution.  Because of this, the permanent residents are mainly Romanian or Roma, although a number of Saxons (like Ch and her family) return there in the summer.  Admittedly, the house are in need of repair but the aura is overwhelmingly charming, and I’m happy to be here.