Cathartic journaling of an adoptive mom.
Latest Posts
-
Nearly two months here
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…
-
And it was Liviu’s birthday
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!…
-
2015 so far…
Well, it’s been a new year for a few weeks now. I never really felt anything physical or emotional about anniversaries, whether the New Year, or a birthday. I’ve always had to force myself to stop and reflect, or otherwise mark the occasion. Twenty-fifteen has been no different. The New Year snuck in as just…
-
Positivity
On one hand I see a lot of great changes in Cluj and in Romania in general. We are a nation that is hungry, that is willing, and surprisingly flexible and adaptable. Not in every aspect though. Self interest, connections, discounts, genuine grumpiness and genuine kindness – nobody fakes niceness in customer service, driving and…
-
Purposeful
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…
-
Beauty on the hill
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…
-
One month milestone
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.…
-
Happy New 2015!
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…
-
I am hopelessly optimistic.
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…
-
Rough day
Two people were arguing about a stone. One was adamant that the stone was round. The other was set to make the point that the stone was blue. And they still don’t see eye to eye. After everything I learned and practiced, to communicate, to mediate, to see reason, to successfully appease the most tense…
-
Christmas caroling 2014
It’s been seven years since I last went caroling. It was a magical (better than I remember) night, mainly because the joy of Christmas and caroling was lived through their eyes, voices and hearts of little kids. We were up till midnight. The littlest one, Iris was asked by her dad: shall we continue caroling?…
-
The Cost of Doing Business in Romania
We’ve been planning this step into the business world for a long time now, perhaps I’ve even been dreaming about it longer. I think all of the hesitation I had in the States that came with every thought of starting something was due to the state of the industry there. I had jumped into the…
