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We just returned from my grandfather’s memorial service and wake. It was an emotional time for many of us. Heinz Conrad had few friends, but steadfast ones, and reconnecting with them, my cousins and my great uncle Conrad’s family was the highlight of the trip. I had met “the other” Conrad Altmann only once, when…

Life happens all around us, it’s just a matter of being observant. I finished reading a great book called “when life and belief collide”. While reading it I had so many epiphanies regarding our recent decisions, and clarity to share, but it still takes energy to give them a digestible context. I’m sure I’ll revisit.…

I watched a distressing short documentary about the underworld in Bucuresti. The aurolaci. I grew up knowing of them and being afraid to cross their paths. Drug addicts who live in the sewers. Yesterday I stood still and did not turn my eyes away; to understand, to ache for their loss of hope and humanity.…

I like writing. And I see emails as pieces of creation, unrepeatable and personalized. They create connections and stir up thoughts or emotions, depending on the topic. I have only worked in tech jobs, and I discovered that good emails are pretty well received, even though not always appreciated by everyone, nor reciprocated. It’s a…

When life is a blur, go on a journey and you’ll gain perspective We just got back in sunny California, after almost three months of wandering around on the other side of the world. It was hard and it was beautiful. I wouldn’t change these months for anything in the world. I had forgotten how…

“Don’t play with my heart” said Oana as we shared that we plan to move to Cluj on a permanent basis. Rebe and a few others were under the impression that our trip this Spring was the actual long term move. But we are more plan-full than that. My parents never questioned my decisions which…

We’ve tackled a lot of large and difficult decisions in the last few months: Deciding to pursue adoption, deciding to spend all of our money on an apartment half a world away, leaving that apartment less than two weeks after purchasing it and leaving much of the work to be done sans us. As the…

“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” —Margaret Thatcher We’re sad to be leaving, but we’ve gotten so much done in the past two weeks that we feel we’ll be comfortable on our next return home. We agree that this trip was best spent running around and preparing the…

It is now the last day here. We have only minimal obligations—thankfully—due to our diligent–but–hectic schedule. Vio has one appointment and I need to pick up a few things for the return (along with cleaning the apartment), but otherwise, today should be relatively relaxed. Yesterday however, was nuts. It was the only day that we…

Girls night at my new place, talking life, eating goodies, laughing and reconnecting. I feel honored and blessed to have these Ezer women as my friends. Time and space altered not our friendship. We are in such different places in life, and yet our uniqueness and beauty is enhanced by it. Divorce, widowhood, cancer, childlessness,…