Romania
Looking out at the glimmering full moon as the lilac hues of dusk settled in the mountains of Transylvania, I had the feeling of being in the presence of something ancient, something sacred.
The Trip
Early Friday morning a couple of weeks ago, too early, I boarded a plane bound for Bucharest, Romania where I was meeting my cousin. Working hard in a medical clinic set up to help Ukrainian refugees in Romania, my cousin (my built-in best friend) and aunt had spent a week in Romania already and I was on my way to join them on the last leg of their trip. My mission was three-fold; to be of use in the refugee clinic, to spend time with my family, and to explore Romania. This was a tall order considering my trip was only about three and a half days long, but I was determined to rally.
Sweating in the back of an AC-less cab, I raced to the clinic as soon as my flight landed. Screaming, as is the norm in my family, I jumped into my cousin’s arms as my aunt greeted me with food and a hug. For the next day and a half, I spent my time with the mission group. We cleaned up the clinic, raced through the streets of Bucharest in church clothes, got to know some Romanian students, and we explored the city, with me always ending the night huddled up with my cousin.
Gleaming pride protruded out of the communist-reminiscent rubble around me. Bucharest is unlike any city I have been to; a bit desolate and destroyed, but peppered with modern institutions showing perseverance through hardship. I had an inkling of a feeling though, that the charm and beauty of Romania laid in the countryside, and that’s exactly where I found it.
Transylvania
Packed in a car with strangers in the morning and friends by night, our van swayed up the mountains and through the forests of Transylvania on Sunday. Giddy exhaustion propelled us forward, exploring the winding alleys of Brasov and the gothic presence of the Peleș Castle. A crisp dark cherry popped in my mouth as I looked at the mountains poking their heads out of the fog, vigilant in the imposing presence of the castles.
I had been transported straight into a fairytale.
One of the most bizarre days of my life was spent with strangers in a van in Transylvania, led by a passionate Romanian driver who insisted on yelling pleasantries to us as we struggled to understand the Latin-Slavic clash that is the Romanian language. It’s an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world.
I expected a lot from Romania; I expected to work, I expected to sweat, and I expected to explore. What I didn’t expect, however, was to connect with the number of people I did. Isn’t that the beautiful thing about traveling? Connecting with humans so different from you and yet so similar? Whether it was butchering a new word and laughing with Romanian university students, making paper planes with Ukrainian kids, or squealing at a jumpscare in Dracula’s castle with new friends, this trip was all about unexpected connections.
My tips for Romania? Explore. Connect. Be open. (and definitely make some new friends in the countryside)
damnmaris.com 