Once in a Lifetime

On New Year's Eve, I felt like I was a part of history. Not that I did anything special. Just that I was in the right place at the right time...in the capital of Romania as our country officially became a part of the European Union! The street parties in the center of the city were huge, but we avoided the congested areas (for some reason, taking 10 children into the midst of craziness didn't see too wise!). We did go out, however, to see the fireworks at midnight. We were near the center of the city and so were able to see fireworks exploding around us in literally every direction. Time will tell whether integration into the EU will prove more of a blessing or a burden to the Romanian people...but for now, it's a huge milestone to be celebrated and being a part of it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me!

Not the world's greatest picture, but one of the big firework shows was launched from the front of Casa Poporului ("the House of the People").

After freezing outside for the fireworks, we were greeted back at the apartment with hot chocolate...thanks, Lisa! I think we were all pretty exhaustd by then - some more than others =)