Photo by Tony Cece

Monday, July 12, 2010

Day 2: The Journey Continues

The team arrived in Paris after a seven-hour flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Although many of us were tired from not being able to sleep on the plane, we were happy to have the second leg of the journey completed. It wasn’t until we made it through security and found the correct gate that we realized we would have to spend the next three and a half hours in an un-air conditioned terminal, with temperatures outside approaching the low 90’s. Despite this, the team managed to stay positive and make the most of their time in Paris by catching up on sleep, reading, and checking in with family.

Except for being slightly delayed, the flight to Budapest was mostly uneventful. We discovered at the baggage claim that the airline had left one of our team member’s luggage in Paris, which they are working to correct. We then met Octavia, the missions coordinator for the Smiles Foundation. She welcomed us and directed us to the passenger vans that were waiting. The team was able to have a quick dinner at a nearby KFC before starting the three and a half hour drive to Cihei, Romania, the team’s final destination. Many of the team members utilized the drive to catch up on sleep. We made it across the border, from Hungary into Romania, without any problems, and arrived at the Smiles Foundation’s Mission Center at about 1:30am. While we are still very tired from the trip, we are glad to be at the mission center, to have a warm bed to sleep in, and to finally be able to take a shower! We are excited about the work we will be doing in Cehei and looking forward to the people we will be working with.

-Jason Boling

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