For allowing me to live one of the coolest experiences of my life and hosting the writer with warmth and generosity. Four months ago, I landed in Iași with zero expectations and nothing fruitful to do. The weather was harsh, and I was down in the dumps. But everything changed suddenly, and I started to enjoy and love this awesome land. I have lived an Erasmus life without being a student, meeting tons of amazing people along the way in this random journey. Furthermore, I have learned some Romanian, which is a fascinating language to take up. România iți mulțumesc ca ești minunata!
Again, it’s time to pack my bag and leave the place I’ve been calling home for quite a while. When I think about that, I feel contradictory emotions. Both sadness and happiness. But I’m already used to the farewells. Living in a dormitory with dozens of international students has been an enlightening experience since I’ve got to discover new traditions and customs from people of contrasting backgrounds. That’s why it’s kind of hard to go away. I will miss hearing foreign languages in the corridor and sharing thoughts and experiences while eating bloody spicy Turkish food.
I’ve spent time with Romanians, Ukrainians, Russians, Georgians, Turkish, Algerians, Italians, Spanish, Uzbekistanis, French, Moldovans, Belarusians, Macedonians, Serbians, Bosnians and Indians, among others. All of them have explained me some peculiarities of their countries, which I really appreciate because it’s amazing to receive first-hand information about habits and politics. Did you know that most of Moldovans are able to speak perfectly Russian? Were you aware that in Romanian definite articles are placed after nouns? Have you ever checked how beautiful (and tough) is the Georgian alphabet?
Romania it’s not like you might think. According to what I’ve seen, it’s neither poor nor underdeveloped. Just a normal European country, I guess. It’s quite safe, cheap and, above all, surprisingly beautiful, with fascinating medieval towns and mind-blowing nature. I never expected to fall in love with this nation as well as to find out that Catalan language and Romanian have hundreds of words in common. If you want to break down some prejudices and preconceptions, just go there, hit the road and talk to some locals. You’ll get a great surprise.
This experience would have never been possible without the help of the UAIC Department of International Relations. They allowed me to stay in the dormitory and offered me a Romanian Language course in exchange for a few hours of work. They are a great professional team, very keen on helping others. Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi is the oldest higher education institution in Romania. The center not just brings knowledge to the area but also fills the city with students from all around the world. I highly recommend coming to Iaşi if you want to get what is the real Romania like.
Today, I’m coming back to Sabadell, where I’ll stay for two weeks resting and getting to see friends and family. On July 7, I’ll jump on a plane, again, towards Australia. I don’t know yet what I’m going to do but I’ll try to travel as much as I can and attempt to find a job. As you already know, I love moving and discovering new places. Doing that, I feel free and there’s no more liberating sensation than freedom.
I’ll really miss all the friends that I’ve made in Iaşi, some of them unbelievably kind and affable. I hope you guys come soon to Barcelona so I can show you my country. Love you 🙂
For everything, thank you very much Romania. Îmi vei lipsi!