Where it all began…
A bit over 30 years ago, on a snowy winter afternoon in northern Transylvania, Romania, I came into this world. It was a harsh, impoverished place, yet Eastern Europe was on the brink of political change. A change that would open the gates to the West in the coming decade.
Growing up, I always dreamed of adventures and exploring the world. Yet, never-ending financial difficulties kept me mostly grounded in my small region. During my teens, I felt increasingly out of place, and I began bicycling and hiking alone—sometimes across local hills and mountains, sometimes from town to town. I was ever driven by the need to keep moving, to see new places, to experience new things.
This love for discovery and the outdoors heavily influenced my path when it came time to apply to university. In Romania, public universities are free, which made it possible for me to attend even on a tight budget. I ended up studying geology. An exciting and fascinating career, though with limited opportunities at home. By that point, my mind was already set on leaving. My eyes were on Canada, where I had family—two cousins who I hoped would make the transition easier. Everything seemed like it would fall into place once I graduated.
However, as I would learn many times over, life rarely goes according to plan. My first attempt to leave Romania was unsuccessful.
The years following graduation were full of challenges. For a while, I closed myself off from the world, retreating into self-reflection. I returned to my solo walks across hills and mountains, lost in thought, driven by an ever-growing desire to leave, to find my place in the world. To find… a home.
