Romania

In 2001, my dear friend Alvin Alexsi Currier offered me the chance (at extremely low cost) to visit Romania with him for two weeks. Alexsi had been back and forth between Europe and America for most of his life, sometimes working as a professional tour guide. This particular trip, however, was a personal visit, and from the time we entered Romania, until the time we left, we were hosted by Alexsi’s friends.

We flew into Budapest, Hungary, and drove across the border the next day. We drove through Satu Mare, and ultimately arrived at the home of some friends in Baia Mare. After spending a day or two there (my memory is a bit hazy now) we traveled on to the beautiful village of Plopsor (near Ieud), where we spent several nights as the guests of another local family. Most of our time during the last week of our stay was spent in Cluj.

The entire trip was a very powerful experience, full of encounters with natural, architectural, artistic, human, and spiritual beauty. It served as the catalyst for a large amount of personal growth. Particularly refreshing to me was the time we spent in rural Romania – an environment where the Christian faith has been lived by the entire community for centuries.

While I have no ethnic background in Romania (if memory serves, I’m probably mixture of German, Austrian, Swedish, Dutch, Belgian, and maybe a few other things, many generations ago), I have developed a deep respect and love for this beautiful country. I’ve been making slow efforts to learn the language, (a process which has been assisted by my growing interest in Romanian popular music,) and I eagerly await the opportunity for another visit.