Group 18-ers

WAITING... always waiting...

GROUP 18-ers

AL CHILDERS - "MA KEY AM A AL." Al is from North Carolina and he is a real mountain man! Al gained a fameous reputation with his tea tree toothpicks which he gave to everyone and anyone. Al is a natural people person which is the real secret to success in the Peace Corps. He did so well, he even found himself a wife. Al and Ioana (a incredibly wonderful Romanian woman you can see in the background) got married in August 2005. Al didn't need to learn Romanian - somehow the language of love just tells itself.





MATT MAGIONE - Often standing in the "Alpha-Beta parking lot" a lot... Matt is the kind of guy that runs up the mountain and then runs back down to see how you're doing...








REBE FERALDI - here is Rebe being Rebe. One time I was cooking dinner and Rebe came in and said- where can I take over. Rebe is the most eccentric from our group! She'll tell you a story from being a naked crayon to expeditions around the world.





ADELA ARDELEANU - Adela was born in Romania and moved to the USA when she was young. She came here already able to speak Romania so for the while she was our spy when guys would come in to check us out, we'd have her listen to what they were saying and then she's break out into Romanian and surprise the hell out them!




ALEC HEISEY - GET A ROOM!



CHRISTOPHER CURTIS - aka "Dirty Curty." Excuse me Agent Curtis - we have a code BLUE - that's Jackie Blue...

GROUP 18 STUDS!

MICHAEL TAYLOR - group 18 Editor of Spuneti - who reads that trash! Mike has one of the keenest perspectives of life in Romania.










THIS IS MIKE AND CRISTY TOGETHER - this is what you call "faking it!" I saw them hugging and I went to take a photo and it was too late. Then they faked it just for this photo. Look at picture of Kyle and Sarah, then look at Mike and Cristy, you'll see...

CRISTY DIETERICH - pictured here - was the total suprise friendship and support I needed for PC and being on the GAD Board. We loved going to GAD meetings and emphasizing - no Cristy did NOT bring her husband!





KYLE KENYON and SARAH LASWELL - true Peace Corps love. Kyle and Sarah met and got married in the Peace Corps. Slowly our group is turning into all married people. They're actually unbelieveable together and I think we all knew right away that it was meant to be!









LIZ KIDD (left) and AMY WHITE (the other one) - Liz is probably the only person I know who can injure herself so outlandishly. Try slipping on an ice cream cone with damaged nerves or falling on deer antlers and having one go through your knee! There is some art to this I think. Actually, Peace Corps just brings a lot of very unusual injuries to many of us.

Amy did the GLOW camp with me and Amber. We had such a great time! Amber kept trying to get me to poke Amy and I kept getting jabbed by Amy's finger nail as she retaliated - even though I didn't do anything!







MELANIE LOZER - Melanie will just start running and running... Thank goodness for psychoanalyzing trees...











NANCY and ERNEST KENDALL - Both Nancy and Ernie were in the Peace Corps in the 1960s. Nancy first served in Chile and Ernie was in Ghana. They met back in the US after their service and have lived a life of untold adventure - actually they have so many amazing stories to tell they should write them down! This is their second time around in the Peace Corps - they have such an amazing drive and spirit - and have always been a great source of guidance and inspiration for me! Especially when Ernie gets really inventive and creates a new rain hat! Necessity is the mother of invention.

AIMEE McCOMMONS - the quiet observer - but she'll surprise the hell out of you! Aimee has the biggest heart and one of the toughest jobs working with children at an AIDS hospital. Aimee with Rebe being Rebe!





JACKIE BLUE - aka Agent Blue - nothing this girl won't do! Including karokee... Nearly kicked out of the Peace Corps not once but twice... and some other things I can't mention.









SOME PEOPLE THAT LEFT EARLY...
AMBER FRIIS - also a sweet southerner and people person. Amber has the best disposition on life and challenges than anyone else that I know. She is incredible and pervasive!





JEREMY MATT (here until November) and KAREN BRACK - I imagine your first year married would not be easy to do the Peace Corps... Karen and Jeremy are great! Jeremy stayed to finish up a project but as they usually say, if one goes they both go, and Jeremy had joined the Peace Corps really in support of Karen's ambition - it's so great to see how people can support each other!





MICHELE MORSE - Michele was in heaven in the snow. A lot of great new adventures and friends for Michele came during her service!

Others who left were LARRY & DIANA STEVENSON - we miss them!
BILL PECK - I didn't really know him... but he needed a different adventure!

STILL WAITING...