So. Another year. Such a big year, so many changes. It was good and hard and also lonelier.
I've been thinking about a post like this in the back of my mind the last week or so and I'm still not sure what to write. It ended nicely, this year. I went to Bucuresti for Christmas after much debate about staying here in Pitesti or not and I'm so glad I did. I stayed with some friends/a family and visited my old roommate, generally relaxed and got to be among other families, got to celebrate with them. Really it's the best Christmas present, and I know that sounds cheesy, but seeing other families love one another and love God--it's not something I've seen much of and it's such a wonderful thing. He's been teaching me so much about family and his love this year.
And then back to Pitesti for a few days before leaving for Timisoara for a very Romanian New Years. Revelion is their word for it. When I first learned the word two years ago I associated it with reveling and completely missed where its meaning really comes from. From the French verb to wake up, and so now, as a noun, I always think New Years and awakening in the same breath. There's room for that, I think.
We stayed up till almost seven in the morning in the ''day between years'' (as I read it described). Probably the most epic part was the rubber band battle which I am proud to say my roommate and I started. My poor thumb is still skinned but there were plenty of boys with welts to make up for it. And Timisoara is a really nice city. I think my favorite as Romanian cities go, although we didn't get to see much. It's not Ebbe's cabin in Rasnov, but nice. More Western than any city I've been in here, but still very Romanian.
What else is there? There really aren't any summaries, any overarching thing. That's something in itself. This year has been fully unlike any other. Not the best year by any means but, somehow, I don't mean that in a bad way. It's been hard, but it feels intentionally so, and I see God in it. Pure and simple. So I'm thankful for that.
Here's to another one. A full one, lots of new things.
So you found Timisoara more western than Brasov or Sibiu? Interesting...
ReplyDeletei should say that brasov and sibiu look more western in terms of the city centers and that sort of thing, but that the romanians in timisoara i met were much more western. so brasov and sibiu definitely look way more western but i got the feeling of being in western europe in timisoara even while everything still looked romanian. just a general observation.
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