Day One.....Boom, Done!!

When last you heard from our intrepid heroine she was a- trembling in her boots, preparing to go meet the other 45 Peace Corps Macedonia volunteers..and boy, she is so glad she did! I have had the opportunity to meet some of the coolest people ever..a pretty even divide of men and women, ranging from 22 to 68, from all over the United States, and let me tell you, they all have come rarin' to go! Such enthusiasm, such inclusion, so much fun and kindness....these are definitely not middle schoolers!!

And now we have completed day one. The director of Peace Corp Macedonia welcomed us as did the deputy ambassador for the US embassy in Macedonia. We've had Macedonian folk dancers show us some fun dances. We've started language lessons with the Cyrillic alphabet. And tonight we got in vans and drove to Tetova, the town our school is in. Allan and I walked with two experience Peace Corps volunteers and seven other volunteers to a great restaurant.....wine, shopska salata which is a mix of the freshest tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs ever, topped with a most delicious white cheese, fried zucchini, chicken breasts wrapped in bacon and stuffed with cheese, French fries topped with white cheese and some sausage like links...all for about five dollars..and it was delicious!!

Ahhh, Macedonia....the part we are in is very mountainous, with lots of sharp peaks and crags and covered in forests. It is quite rural and there are like a zillion cabbages growing in the fields.  There are small villages tucked way up in the hills; you can see the red roofs of the houses and the white spires of the minarets used to call the Muslim population to prayer. The people of Macedonia are famously friendly...I do look forward to meeting and working with them!

And now, it is time to hit the hay.   One of the volunteers is going to offer a yoga class at 6:00 in the morning and I am going to be there. A few of us did yoga yesterday afternoon and the stretch was wonderful after the plane rides.  Once again,I miss you all, but rest assured that Allan and I are happy as clams!!