kreo52

I am leaving the evening of Aug. 7, 2008, and will be arrive in Bucharest the afternoon of the 8th. They are 8 hours ahead of me.

I will be visiting a church where my great-great-grandparents were wed, and where my grandparents renewed their vows. We will be holding a parastas here in honor of my grandfather and other relatives who have died.

I hope my grandma can handle the trip. I imagine the flight and walking will be difficult for her, as she just turned 77.

I’m planning to make a grave rubbing of the marker for my great-great-great grandfather.

I’m incredibly lucky to have family that is aware of our roots. I would not know how to look this stuff up or find it on my own. I have no idea how to trace my mom’s side of the family or how they even got here.

The family put off the trip for one year so that more people will have the opportunity to go. It seems that more of the cousins and aunts and uncles will be able to go in 2008 rather than 2007. For me, it’s 6 of one, half dozen of another. Neither time is particularly well suited for me, but I will find the funding whenever it takes place. I really want Jason to be able to come, so it’s important to me to save up money.
My grandma said that she will give each grandkid the $1000 they were going to receive upon her death early- she’ll give it to us in order to use it to buy the plane ticket if necessary.
Uncle Johnnie, who is putting the trip together, also spoke of an optional extension to the Greek Islands following the Romania visit. I definitely want to do that leg of the trip, but we’ll have to see what money will allow. I know about all of it enough in advance to save for it, and I’ll have enough for Jason and I to go, it just depends on the wedding and how much we spend on that.

We are tentatively planning a trip in August to Cluj. I am so excited about it I can barely contain myself. I’m a little disappointed that we will be too far to visit Bucharest or the Danube river, but just being able to go there will be enough for me.
The city of Cluj is in the Carpathian mountains and in or near the Transylvanian region.
I was reading about a Botanical Garden there.
We will also visit my grandpa and grandma’s villages.
I have 2 cds, some tapes, and some books for speaking Romanian, and at this point, I can say “I want, I am,” and various objects and states of being, as well as please and thank you, of course. I can also distinguish a men’s restroom from a women’s. I can say no meat, vegetables or fish please.
Yea! 7 months! I hope it happens!

My family and I are planning to go next summer for 10 days. It will be my grandma’s last trip there, but my first. She wants to go to the village where my grandpa’s family lived/lives. She told me I can see where my great-great grandparents are buried.
I want to go to Vlad the Impaler’s castle also.
I have always wanted to go, but I think it will be much better going with my dad, grandma, uncles, brother, etc. Because they have been there before and can be much better guides. Plus they can speak the language.
I want to learn some broken Romanian before the trip, but I am also trying to learn Spanish. I think I’ll do a Romanian crash course in the few months before we go, knowing that if I don’t keep using it, it’s not going to stick anyway.
Wow. I won’t believe it until we have tickets and everything, but I am so excited that we are actually going.

Just got back from the AAAS convention where I had a poster presentation. I had been here as a child, but barely remembered it. I didn’t find that I would want to stay more than a couple of days. The arch was ok. It would have been better if it was $5 not $10. Went to the President Casino on the Mississippi River. Would have rather sailed the Mississippi river, but it was very cold. Our hotel room overlooked Busch Stadium being built, which was neat as a baseball fan, though I’m not a Cardinals fan. Glad I went. Won’t return for a long time.

Well, I’ve been to the lovely capital of Illinois, and I was disappointed to find no Simpsons references. I found wonderful historical sites though. Although the city itself was a pit, the Lincoln sites were great. I highly recommend the Bed and Breakfast (Mischler House) and the Frank Lloyd Wright house was unbelievable. I didn’t even know it was there, and almost skipped going to it. So glad we went.

careful of the serial killer