Author: Violeta

I am selective in what I decide to bring up and leave for posterity. I admit. Some days are great, some are not so much. Saturday morning we woke up to a very sunny day. We had coffee on the run and went with a friend to look for a second-hand massage table. She is…

The week was way full and exciting, and we were and are energized by it. I guess deep down we are extroverts who surface occasionally. I just came back from the youth group meeting. People have different opinions, personalities, preferences, and I think they trust this group enough to be themselves even when it produces…

This was one of the best weekends in a very long time. Our hosts, the Fosters, have hospitality in their blood. Having different people cruise through their homes and lives is not just normal, it enhances their gifts. But for me this weekend has been particularly wonderful and a blessing for a few extra reasons.…

We woke up early, finished a good amount of work by noon and then went to town. Explored the Typography street, visited some old stores and discovered new one. Then we had a very late lunch with Rebe. It was sunny today, and I could feel the happiness fill me …as the sun was warming…

We slept a lot this month. 10 hours a night. Granted we were both sick – and it started with a throat ache, ugly cough, headache and then whole body ache. It lasted a week for Conrad and then it got me too. So this is the background of our January in Romania. Trusting my…

The days blend into each other, but we make time to stop and celebrate, sing, eat good food and reconnect. The old gang got together. It was peaceful. A few people were missing. But we had a whole room downstairs where the kids played unsupervised. Kids here go out a lot. Good for you, parents!…

Some of our dreams for Cluj were very well defined… dangerously so. We hoped that many friends will visit and stay. And we actively pursue it because it’s enriching and life infusing. And we learn as we go. It doesn’t come natural at first, but we are in for a long ride and the first…

Today I felt the most encouraged since I arrived. We went sledding and I was finally warm and dry enough for a longer period of time. And the view on the hill near our home is breathtaking. The reality is that I worry too much. The more time I spend in the city, the darker…

Rediscovered friendships. Freezing cold that impede cars to start in the morning. Stores and businesses closed 4+ days in a row twice, just because Christmas and the New Year fell in the middle of the week. Visits and delicious food. Too much food. Sweets and clementines. Challenging the status quo is harder than I thought.…

Life is lived at its fullest here. It is complex and roller-coaster like. I was invited to a spa day on the eve of the new year. And it tuned out to be much more than I expected. Then I dragged Conrad to church (I need to figure out a balance for his sanity’s sake…

The little boy just paid us a visit. After playing nicely in the snow at -5° Celsius: “boys vs. girls”, building “baza”, sledding, Conrad invited the boy up for hot chocolate. He politely declined but an hour later his grandma called that he would like to come up. He never drank the hot chocolate, but…