Kalama teen sets her sights on Romania
Friday, January 19, 2007 11:23 PM PST
By Leila Summers
Printable version
E-mail this articleKelly Cross decided to take a year off before attending college after graduating from Kalama High School last spring.
The year off might turn out to be one of the most rewarding of her life.
This summer, Cross plans to visit Romania for two months to volunteer at two orphanages. The 18 year-old Kalama resident got her first job and has tamed her shopping habits, she said, to save money for the $4,000 trip with the Projects Abroad organization.
Her family also is organizing a rummage sale fund-raiser today, selling antiques, furniture and collectibles at St. Joseph Parish Church in Kalama from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The trip represents Cross' first time abroad, she said.
"I'm really nervous," she said. "I have to fly by myself. I've never flown over an ocean."
Cross doesn't yet know what she will be doing in the Romania orphanages, but she hopes to work with the children "and all the work they require," she said.
The language barrier will be a challenge, Cross said. When she arrives, Cross said she will undergo a 14-hour language class. She plans to live with a family in Romania and looks forward to opportunities to travel the country, she said.
Romania appealed to Cross because it offered an opportunity to work with children, she said. She considered traveling to orphanages in China and Africa, but was drawn to Romania's culture, she said.
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