I arrived in Bucharest late Thurs night. Friday, I set about the task of cleaning my apartment (removing the layer of dust that had settled even with all the windows shut) and unpacking. Since I buy milk in bulk and had some juice on hand too, I managed to get by without needing to go to the grocery store.
This morning I decided that I wanted to eat more than cereal and macaroni and cheese. I grabbed my cloth bags and headed out the door. My first stop was to buy my transportation pass for the month. This went off without a hitch, but left me with only the equivalent of $2 in my wallet. I had planned on taking the tram to the grocery store and using the ATM there but happened to see one right near the ticket stand. And it's a good thing.
My pin was rejected twice. Thinking that perhaps it was an error with the particular ATM I was using, I walked toward another bank, but found the same thing. At least at each of the ATMs my card was returned to me. I started walking back to my apartment trying to think through options. I figured my bank wouldn't be open--perhaps not until Monday. I didn't want to call and wake up my sister (who has my financial/banking records). I could exchange some US dollars, but that didn't seem to be a great option.
I decided to try calling my bank. Amazingly, I was able to change my pin over the phone using an automated system. I grabbed my bags once again and decided to walk directly across the street before getting on the tram--just in case it really hadn't worked. It had. I got cash, went to the store, and returned home with groceries to 'fill' my fridge.
I'm adding this to my list of reasons I love banking with USAA. They make banking from overseas into something easy instead of a huge frustration and constant headache.
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