What country is known for Dracula's castle and an increasingly alarming stray dog problem?
After a 5 hour flight in a C130 with my 55lb rucksack in my lap the entire way, it felt amazing to step off the plane and out of a war zone. Although I would have easily taken a 10 hour flight with a 90lb ruck in my lap if it meant leaving Afghanistan and coming home!
We weren't allowed to take pictures during our brief stay, but the scenery there is beautiful. My first impression was that the country is run down, but on closer inspection I saw that aside from a couple run down places there was a simple, old fashioned beauty to most of the homes and yards. We were on the eastern edge of the country and the best comparison I can come up with is Belle's village in Beauty and the Beast. It was night and it was cold but I could almost see the little old ladies and chickens roaming the yards.
As I was in the shuttle heading from the airfield to my room I got to listen to 107.9 Europa FM and although I don't speak Romanian I knew at one point they were discussing America and Michelle Obama. Beyond that I couldn't tell you what they thought of the topic. I had to laugh at the music they played, during my 20 minutes in the shuttle I heard Cindi Lauper, Brittney Spears, a local artist and a Spanish song. It always cracks me up to see that Europe still enjoys our 80s and 90s music.
I didn't actually get to see Dracula's (or any other) castle while I was there, but I did see a few stray dogs. To be completely honest, it was much harder to pay attention to the details and capture the atmosphere for the blog because I was so ready to be home.
It was also about 20° outside and I didn't bring my winter uniforms, so I stayed inside a much as possible!
Next time I go to Europe it will be on my own terms and I promise to take lots of pictures and fill you in on all of the natural and cultural beauties. Until then I'll be enjoying the beautiful USA.
1 comment:
YAY!!! You're home!!!!
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