There is a poem by Mary Oliver called "Wild Geese" that reads in part: "Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, / the world offers itself to your imagination, / calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -- / over and over announcing your place / in the family of things" (14-18). I have muttered these lines often throughout my grant as I have been exposed to (and sometimes overwhelmed by) different cultures and traditions. When I arrived in Romania, I had never lived alone, had never taught a class, and had never visited the country in which I would live. I had to navigate the visa and immigration system with workers I could not communictate with, and rent an apartment from another country. Doing all of these new things at once has at times been difficult but always exciting, and it has allowed me to begin to understand my place in things.
I have been welcomed into a unique culture that has made me reevaluate my assumptions of human nature. Romanians are open, hospitable, and family-orineted. The "hustle culture" of America is seen as superflous and foolish, as Romanians generally perfer to prioritize family and religion over long working hours.
