Around 10 years ago I had an epiphany: I realized that the reason why it just doesn’t come together my emigration from Romania, following about 3 years of sending CVs and imagining a better life somewhere abroad, was quite simple…I just wasn’t suppose to leave this country! It hit me one day that I was born here for a reason and I can do many things in my natal country. Starting that day I came to realize, even walking on the streets of Bucharest, that this is a beautiful city, that the people around me are valuable and that all the foreigners I’ve met until that point (and after) wanted and found a reason to remain here. Then why do I want to go?! This is when I transformed into an advocate of Romania….it came naturally! I remember the passion and the frustration I felt few years back, while talking to an Italian guy in London about the discrimination against Romanians. I explained to him why I don’t consider to be fair any type of generalization regarding people, nationality, origin, religion etc. together with the negative influence of the media upon public knowledge regarding Romanians, especially (but not limited to) the ones leaving in Italy. Even if they openly express it or they keep it hidden, foreigners that come to visit Romania have a distorted perception about this country…you know, the typical: women are either whores either looking for men with money, men are either thieves (applicable also for women) either poor beggars. To all the foreigners I have talked with, I just advocated the non-generalization idea, to be open to SEE the people, to see the landscapes and to act with the same precaution they do while visiting any new country, to be open to the idea that it might be different than what they think they know. Starting from this point, they can have a glimpse of what this beautiful country has to offer and of the native hospitality and openness of it’s people.
I consider myself quite an objective person, able to present different facets of a story, without trying to influence the audience, in one way or another. Therefore, I decided to do more than just talking to one person here and there, and to organize tours of Romania for foreigners, who are really interested in new cultures, new traditions, new experiences, to help them discover the Real Romania and it’s people! If you are one of them, come join me in any of the trips suggested in this website!
