Since our travels in Europe began, we two then three struggling student travelers have been looking out for No. 1. Always in a constant survival mode, we’ve had to keep our antennas up, remaining aware of cheap places to eat, the smartest locations to draw cash and exchange money, potential dangers and scams, and the list goes on. Sleep has been an afterthought, the very idea of resting brings with it a sense of uneasiness because we are never fully settled and always need to be purchasing tickets for our next tram or bus ride or making upcoming train and hostel reservations. Basically, ‘Go go go’ is an understatement.
Then we arrive in Romania into the care of Livada Orphan Care (LOC) and we can breathe. No more worrying about our next move. For once we have a schedule already assembled for us. As we deboarded our second train from Budapest (total transit time 10 hours) in the afternoon of the 11th, Sierra, Cody, and I transitioned from a self-centered, inward focused existence where our thoughts were harnessed solely on our own needs, to an outward focused one. For the next four days we would be serving with LOC, visiting a local orphanage and abandoned baby hospital, and building relationships with three groups of orphans under LOC’s care.
But as much as we would use this precious time in Romania to serve others, we, too, were served wholeheartedly by the selfless volunteers and staff at LOC. We cannot delve into our priceless experiences with the children here without first recognizing the Assistant Director of LOC, Kelly Hornsby, without whom nothing would have been possible.
From arranging our top notch accommodations in Taugres Maures, to picking us up and driving us everywhere we needed to be, be it to the orphanage, LOC houses, to lunch, or over to her home for movie and pizza nights with the kids, Kelly has been a true one-woman wonder and our life source in this foreign place. On top of arranging our days hour by hour with amazing activities and opportunities to be with the kids, she was an Encyclopedia of information for us, answering our countless questions and inquiries about this new world so different from our own.
Thank you LOC, from the very bottom of our hearts.
Shelley's most recent posts
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