The Halfway Point: January Reflections

St. Michaels Church and the kids (serendipity); Istanbul; Germany: Totul la timpul potrivit (family ties that bind); Building community; Life without a car and all the veggies

Reflections...

Buckle up. This is a long one. 🤓

We have now been here five and a half months of our eleven month adventure. Something in my mind clicked like a switch upon reaching this milestone. Part of it is probably because of the linear part of my brain that likes numbers and logic, recognizing that it's all downhill from here, as they say. And surely part of it must be that we were contacted by the immigration office, requesting just one more document from the United States that required an Apostille and delivery in 10 working days: another impossible task that we managed to accomplish by the skin of our teeth. With cooperation from Claire's mother, the North Carolina Secretary of State, UPS, and $110, we have officially completed our temporary residence application. Seemed like a good time to laugh ("you'd cry our eyes out if you didn't"), so we accepted an invitation to the "Mamma Mia, What a Party"event at the After Eight Club in Cluj. We danced to all the ABBA hits, drank a little too much, and had a blast together. We will head back to the immigration office Thursday (when they release residence cards), and if they are not printed yet, as the immigration officer says with her best "meh" face: "Don't worry. Come back next Thursday." 😕 Positive vibes appreciated! 🙏🏻😉

St. Michael's and the Kids (Serendipity) ⛪️

Thirteen years ago I had the opportunity to visit Cluj-Napoca with one of my major professors at The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Kathy Obenchain invited me to join her in Romania as part of her Research in Romania program that had originated when she was at the University of Nevada-Reno. I lived in Cluj for a month in 2011, and I walked from the west of the city into the center every weekday to spend time in the schools. It was May, and by the time I had walked the three miles into the city center, I was a sweaty mess. Oftentimes, I would duck into St. Michael's church where the sounds of the traffic and busyness would disappear. The church was cool inside, and my gaze would soar through the nave, taking in the ancient beauty of the vaulted columns and curved ceiling. I felt something in this church back then; the best way I can describe it is something other-worldly. I felt an immense cooling and calming peace. For many years after that trip to Romania, I had visions of returning to Cluj with my future family, and taking them inside the church.

Before Christmas, we received a notice from the school that the children were invited to sing in St. Michael's church for a special holiday concert. Additionally, the parents were invited to participate in the parent's choir, and to perform in the massive church, which Scott and I excitedly agreed to do. So here's the thing. The definition of serendipity is: an unplanned fortunate discovery, but the definition I like better is: a gift of finding valuable or agreeable things not looked for. THIS moment was my definition of serendipity. A gift. My cup runneth over. This spectacular, peaceful building, the very place I imagined I would someday bring my family, hosted our voices as we sang Joy to the World and Silent Night. I will never forget this special night.

(The Royal School-Year 3)

(The Royal School, Year 9)

(The Royal School, Parent's Choir and Reception)

Istanbul

Istanbul was more amazing than we anticipated. We stayed in a lovely third floor AirB&B in the Beyoglu district near Galata Tower. We were able to shop at the fish market located right off the Bosphorous Strait for Scott to prepare a fresh and lovely dinner, we visited the famed Hagia Sofia mosque, the New Mosque (Blue Mosque), the Grand Bazaar, and the Basilica Cistern. You can see more photos from our Istanbul trip on my Instagram page (lizbellows), but here are a few of my favorites:

Germany: Totul la Timpul Potrivit (Family Ties that Bind) 🇩🇪

After our trip to Istanbul, we sent Scott's mom and stepdad to Budapest while the kids returned to school for a week. On January 13 we met up with my in-laws in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Since Papa Jim (Scott's stepdad) was in the military, we were allowed to stay at the Edelweiss Resort, an Armed Forces Recreation Center, open to military members and their families. Scott and Claire were able to ski the Zugspitze, Germany's highest point, while Max and I went sledding! It was odd to be around so many English-speaking Americans while we stayed in Garmisch! We enjoyed our trip very much and the snowy weather was perfect. ❄️ Thank you Marmi and Jim!

When I was in Romania thirteen years ago, I toyed with the idea of visiting Hans Roth, a German foreign exchange student who lived with my grandparents from 1965 to 1966. I was unable to make the trip to Germany back then, and regretted it all these years. My grandfather (PawPaw) treated Hans like a son, and he quickly became part of their family. Hans, his wife, and their four children visited us in the United States back in the 80s, and again in the early 90s. I remembered him as a happy man, grateful for the love and care shown by my family when he lived in the U.S. My grandparents also visited Hans and his family in Germany every time they had a baby! So, being in Germany, and in possession of a rental car, I reached out to Hans. He invited my family to visit him and his wife in Kunzelsau, Germany, before our flight back to Cluj. We were thrilled to accept his invitation. You see, my grandfather was a Prisoner of War in WWII, and survived a Nazi death march before his liberation in 1945. To think that 20 years later he would invite a young German man into his home, well, that sounds just like something my PawPaw would do. He was a selfless man who loved his family to the deepest depths. Seeing and embracing Hans was like touching a long, lost part of my PawPaw, and feeling the strength of his love hug me tight through the invisibility of time. We ate, laughed, and played with Hans's trains. 🚂

Totul la timpul potrivit is a Romanian phrase tattooed on my wrist that means "everything at the right time," and the timing was definitely right for this visit. We had such a lovely and joyous time, and hope to get back to Kunzelsau in the spring before we have to return to the U.S. 🥰

Building Community and the Fire Pit

We have worked hard to build a community of folks around The Ukraine House, a hub founded by our friend Kseniia and funded by UNICEF, PATRIR, and UNHCR. We have hosted gatherings at our apartment and invited our Ukrainian friends to enjoy food, fellowship, and fire on the rooftop. In return, they insisted to return to our apartment and serve borscht (or, borsch), a traditional Ukrainian soup made with beef broth, beets, cabbage, and other ingredients depending on the region from which folks learned how to cook it. Scott made fast friends with Olksandr, a Ukrainian seaman who returned to Cluj and his wife from a 4-month stint on a cargo ship as head engineer. He insisted on taking Scott to an outdoor market we had not yet discovered while they shopped for the ingredients. I. Love. Beets. So it was a special treat to hang out with the men all morning in the kitchen (eating occasional beet snacks :) while they prepared the evening meal. By 4 pm four more friends arrived bringing drinks, dumplings, and sweets. We had a lovely visit and talked about life in Ukraine, in the U.S., and in Romania. Building community, forming relationships, and living alongside our new friends is what this visit is all about, and we are grateful.

Life without a car and all the veggies

We have been thinking a lot about how we will adjust to our "old life" back in the U.S. Living in such a walkable city and traveling by foot has so many benefits! We walk between 5 and 12 miles a day, depending on the tasks that need to be done. There are multiple parks in the city, all with outdoor exercise equipment where you can always find folks moving their bodies. I have lost about 25 pounds since arriving in August, and our diets have drastically changed. Food here is just... better. It is fresh, has low or no preservatives, and since Scott is not working, he spends most of his time cooking for us. He'll shop and start making broth with beef bones on Sunday, and by Tuesday, we have the most amazing vegetable soup to last us through the week. In addition to the soup, he makes the most delightful tuna salad that provides us lunch for days. Vegetables for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I'm spoiled. We are making plans to carry our new, healthy habits back to the U.S.

The kids have a long break in February and we have planned a trip to Venice and Florence, so stay tuned for more adventures! ✌🏻

(and here's a shot of the most amazing tuna salad)