2007 February Vancouver just to get away

School breaks are a time for recharging my batteries from uni work. It's exhausting for me to wrok through my summers but I'm sure it will all pay off once graduation time comes. I was lucky to have Granny staying in Europe and Marcus and Erin in Vancouver. This way I always had a place to go and release my daily commitments.

Since I enjoyed staying with Marcus and Erin two years ago, I asked them if I could come to visit them once more in Van city. The environment there was chill and relaxing. Erin and I would go for runs and go shopping when she wasn't working. Marcus was super busy with school so he prepared me that time was limited for him. I didn't mind as long as I was welcomed. I enjoyed time alone as it gave me time to think and process my accomplishments and life directions.

(This trip was almost 5 years ago from when I'm writing this story, so I don't quite remember what we ended up doing during my week's visit. I do remember the painting incidence.)

Erin has told me about a debate over painting the kitchen which concluded in Marcus agreeing to Erin painting it green. I told her, let's get it done. So we started to work. Once we purchased the paint we were deep involved in moving furniture and the rest. There was on very important thing in the way of the wall we wanted to paint. A fish-tank. Since we used to have a tank when I was very little, I told Erin to trust me with the moving process. I did what I remembered from seeing Mom cleaning the tank. I grabbed a bucket, put some water into it, and scooped the fish our. Then I emptied the tank water into another bucket and moved the empty tank. Easy !

Erin and I painted for about 4-5 hours and we were almost finished!

Then, Marcus enters the kitchen, coming straight from school. He looked surprised. And then, a little more upset then we have hoped. At first he only just said, why we did this. Erin and I felt the tension but we didn't really know why. It turns out that Marcus was more upset over the fish-tank then the actual painting. He explained what he was upset over.

I felt terrible. (definitely reminded me of being little and ruining something that was his)

Oh well. We both apologized. I left the two of them feeling extremely guilty.

Later that week, Marcus told me that most of his fish died, and they also happen to move into the apartment across theirs. Which meant, Erin and Marcus had to repaint the calming green kitchen into a white one just like it was before.

Since then I have stayed away from offering much help when it comes to house renovations. Just in case :-)

But babysitting I'm excited about !!!!

(written Jan 27, 2012)

R :-)

2008 May Gone to tango Texas style

My dear friend Roxana and I have known each other since before we were even born. She has been in my life that long, since our parents also grew up together. Roxi happen to arrive into this world 2 months before me, and I feel that is why she was always the older and more mature one :-) Smarter too!!

Roxana is a committed student which caused her to follow her professor where ever he went. Germany, Netherlands, and this time, I was visiting Roxana in Texas as she was deep in school work. She was following her professor, I believe, who was her supervisor for her PhD. Since Texas is on the same continent as Canada, I did not want to miss out a trip to visit a long time dear friend. Roxi wasn't able to get a visiting visa into Canada, so I decided that I would make our reunion happen.

Houston was pretty, but mostly large concrete buildings which are not my cup of tea. The Rice University campus was also nice, but nothing out of the ordinary when judging a campus for the appearance.

However, while visiting Roxana, I had the chance to hang out with her friends, see where she lives and works. This was definitely my most favourite part of my trip. She even took me to her tango class where she took regular lessons. It was so lovely to see her life and activities in the city. It's hard to fit into a new place when you don't know many people, but she had her little community all figured out by then. I really enjoyed our time together.

We also had a little time to visit Galveston. There, we enjoyed the beach, sun, and the water. Of course, when 4 Romanians hit the beach, all we bring with us is towel and bathing suit. Since it was windy, none of us thought about sunscreen. By the end of our beach day, all of us were burnt like lobsters. I think I may have been burned the most. On our way home, we drove by the Huston NASA station, but we didn't have enough time to go inside. On our final day, Roxana purchased ticket to a performance at her uni, which was wonderful. It was mostly middle-eastern drums, music and dances.

Overall, we had a short but sweet visit together. I usually just surprise her, either in Romania or this time in Texas. I truly enjoy our time together, and even though we have been living on two separate ends of the world, I hope we keep in touch as much as we can :-)



(When I wrote this blog post -Jan 26, 2012- I am also happy to announce that Dr. Roxana Ionutiu has successfully completed and defended her PhD, and now she's trying to fit into the lovely rural part of Switzerland, where now she's residing and working hard in her field)

2004 To Eastern Europe we go !

Home for the first time in 8 years ! I am over whelmed with emotions, I feel like telling everyone that "I'm from here" and "It's so great to be back" and "check it out, I don't have much of an accent when I speak English" !! Well the latter is a tad on the bragging side :-)


Is this actually true? I have wanted to come home every year since we left Europe with my family, thinking this was my norm, this was my 'home' still ! I had a smirk on my face, I smiled to myself every time I thought about the people I will be seeing and re-uniting with. I tried to think of what these people looked like when I left at the age of 12.

I convinced myself that people will remember me, and by the looks of the place, not much has changed. I didn't think much has changed with me either, however, I did find it strange at first that the sent of the streets, people around me, inside the bus was both bothersome yet it felt comforting inside. I recognized this smell and it did not bother me (which may have bothered others who are not native to this city) because it was where I grew up, and it brought pleasant memories back to me. Ever since I got off the plane, my senses were alive and made my hear beat faster! I kept thinking about how people will look like to me: now that I was 20 and considered and adult.

On my long bus ride from the Hungarian airport to Romania I had enough time to think, re-live my memories, and create my own expectations. Once crossing the boarder I finally saw my most favourite people in the world waiting anxious to meet the new me. Overwhelmed and excited I jumped out of the bus forgetting about my luggages I threw my arms around old friends and teared up (very unexpected from me)!

My friend's parents in fact have changed, not in a bad way, but time and everyday stress has left some marks on their faces, and my friend Roxy ...wow she has grown up to be a beautiful woman ! I was too excited to think from here on, not until my plane ride home I questioned: so do I look much different too ?

The rest of my trip was wonderful: spending time with Granny and my long lost cousins. I re-created family ties and re-united with long time friends ! Making memories ...which at the time I already knew it wouldn't be my last.

This was my first time traveling alone over a large distance and I caught the bug....the traveling bug ! I felt so comfortable traveling that I promised everyone that I will be back to visit when time and finances permit. But this was the time where I realized that I was meant to go, travel, experience, learn and give back to many different worlds.

Note to self: I feel comfortable no matter where I go so I need to see more, experience more and see how far I will go before I am tired out :-)

Granny with her purple pride


Lesu: Vivianna and Renata


Roxana and Renata reunited for the first time in 8 years


Budapest castle


Budapest from the castle

2005 February Vancouver for Slack-Week

As a tradition for me: traveling during school break, I headed out west to visit Marcus and Erin in Vancouver for the first time!



I don't actually know how to snowboard (still !) but I did give it a good try on Cypress hill that year. I have never seen bruising (of all my nursing career) the colour that was on both of my knees: black with no hint of any other colour lol! But I had a blast and am still hoping to gain some skill in this winter sport (someday lol).

Once I arrived at the airport, Marcus and Erin picked me up in a limo, which was awesome (we had a choice between cab and a limo, but the guy gave a deal to Marcus so we jumped in!) and made it to their cute apt! I imediately knew this was the place for me. I do love Ontario (both urban and cottage country), but Vancouver is so hip that I hope to be there again someday!

Marcus was in school at the time and also working for Chill, which is why I got free admission on the hills! Erin had to work during the day but I would meet up for lunch here and there. They were amazing at accommodating me and trying to show around. I got 2 days of solid snowboarding lessons from Marcus, a few days of shopping on my own, and meeting Erin down town for lunch here and there.

At the time I was there, Erin was into running on a regular basis. I don't mind it either, but unless I have someone motivating me to run I don't do it often. So Erin invited me to run one day, with her group, and told me that it's going to be their first long distance run: 20-some km. You have to remember that Erin has been training, and for me it would be a first time deal to run, and not just run but do it for a long period of time. But I said YES! because I thought it would be a great way to take pictures and see around the city. I mean come on, I used to do triathlons without any training lol.

And so it was beautiful to run on the beach shore, the running path was right by the water and away from the busy city noise, and the city buried itself into my heart! I love this place and felt at home. While running, I would always fall behind because I was mesmerized by the mountains and the ocean view at sunrise. The fresh air and the friendly people all around. I really did plan on finishing the entire run with Erin, but after 19 kms and one bathroom stop I had to say no for more running. I believe we were close to the end, but after the run we still had to walk home. It was an amazing experience and I'm glad I had the chance to see the city from up close. Stanley park was beautiful at that time, before the storm ripped it apart, I can't remember when exactly.

When I spent the day with Marcus, I helped out with the Chill program. I couldn't really do much, but did keep the kids entertained while they were selecting their gear for the day. I helped with finding the right clothes for the kids, matching them with the right equipment, and keeping their spirits up when on the slopes! These kids were from broken homes with difficult living conditions.

Jake Burton, the founder of Chill, created this program to share the excitement (which comes with the sport) with those who are less fortunate and cannot afford to participate in snowboarding otherwise. These kids came from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Once on the hill, I really got to see their true nature. They had to learn something new, deal with the frustrations of a beginner, and help each other succeed. All the participants, no matter how tough they looked or sounded in their conversations, very much appreciated Marcus and all the other staff members' for taking the time and giving the attention which might not happen in their homes. I also tried to show some of the kids who were finding it though on the slopes, that it takes practice and patience, however deep inside me I was thinking: just let me sit in the chalet drinking hot coco :-)



One weekend, we also rented a car and went up to Whistler for the day. Only a 2h drive on a beautiful sunny day was worth the money! By this time, the Olympics were coming to Whistler, so the preparations were on their way. I just remembered that I did see the clock in Vancouver city counting down the days to 2010. And to think that was almost five years ago! Crazy how fast time is flying by!


There we checked out the village, shopped in the stores, had a wonderful dinner, and watched some of the night entertainment: snowboarding through circle of flames. Again, very fun place to be if you have some appreciation for the cold climate and the white fluffy stuff. I enjoyed the visit to Whistler very much, but I think I would have found it much more of a tease if I knew how to board, or ski. I will tackle the winter sports one of these days because BC is a place I would like to see more of!







Marcus also took me to the UBC campus which was an experience in itself. It is huge with beautiful architecture and culturally rich exhibits. The picture below is of the rose garden, but there is a Japanese garden, a First Nations park, and so much more, all on campus!




One of our many delicious lunch dates !



The end
R :-)

2003 Dominican

It's time!!! We are finally done (or near done) high school and graduation is just 3 months away !

What better graduation gift is there than having 21 of your close friends head down to an all-inclusive resort in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Only a 4 hour flight and we go from the arctic climate to the tropics :-)

The day of departure was interesting (lol) but we made it to the airport, snow storm and all. I remember sitting around for a while and taking loads of pictures once at the departure gate. We all had matching shirts reading: Canadian Drinking Team (lol) all had a number and our names on the back. I still have that shirt!

The rest of the trip was awesome! Everywhere you went, there were people you knew since there were so many of our friends there (lol). We did some activities during the day but mostly we just ate and drank for 7 whole days. There were activities during the day time, performances after dinner, and the club stayed open till 4 am!

I think most people have experienced the all-inclusive getaways however, having 21 of your friends be there with you makes the vacation a whole different experience!

Good times all around,
R :-)

1996 Canadian adventure !

Canada has been my permanent residence for the passed 13 years and have enjoyed ALL my experiences while living in the great white north ! So much so that when I try to think back to when my family first arrived here it is not an easy task.

Florida Keys

Some of my travel memories are like Swiss cheese: what was I doing in the Key's back in 2001. This is a great exercise for me to refresh my memories :-)

This trip happened during March break while Jess and I were still in high school and also participating in Synchronized swimming at the time (this would have been our last year of synchro !). The only reason I remember this because both of us were sewing beads and sequences on our bathing suits for regionals. It was a crazy amount of work and our moms have given up on our synchro costume :-)

So, the gang: all of the Read family: Mark, Leah, Jess, Andrew and Krista, in the fake-wood Buick station wagon (red leather interior), then out the back window sat Sandy (their dog) and myself !! Oh and there were 2 coolers stuffed with food and drinks :-)

We had a roof rack on the car which held most of our luggages since there were little to no more room in the car. However, I was ecstatic to head out to a warmer climate because I have not traveled anywhere outside of Canada since we immigrated :-)

Now, I cannot trace down our exact routes on the way there and back but we did make our first stop over the boarder in Miami at a beautiful hotel, where we took advantage of the pool and Jess and I did some synchro practice while the other Read's joined us in the pool as well. From there we made it into the Key's and I believe we stayed in a place on Key Largo or some other Key but not the main Key West. However, we did travel to the farthest point on Key West, where you could swim to Cuba lol.

Some of the activities which were my first time (for all): swimming with the Manatees in Miami at the beach, going snorkeling with a catamaran by the reefs, checking out a dolphin conservatory (still waiting to swim with them!), walked through the Everglades National park in the day time, and then the Read's wanted to see the crocodiles and alligators hunting at night with their mouth open, however Andrew and I stayed in the car reading instead :-)

On the way home we also stopped at many different places: The Everglades where we walked a large section of it, Fort Lauderdale I think was just a breakfast stop, Daytona beach was another favorite - long beach, sand, and a ton of hotels everywhere. I guess it's the collage kids playground for their collage break. This is also the place where we were running around through a fountain and Andrew cut his foot (ouch!).

Daytona beach was calm when we were there, but in March I guess is the jellyfish season because there were tons just washed up on the shore line. I got to poke one around to see what they look like from up close. I think I'm ready to face the box jellyfish once in Ozi but then again I don't need to see them since I had enough at Daytona lol.

On the way home we also stopped and camped out at a natural spring, just AMAZING, where I remember the water to be just FREEZing but we went swimming anyways ! There were only two eels swimming in the spring ....nothing else! Crystal clear under water (not like the murky ocean) and just amazing forest all around us. Wish I remembered the name of this place !

I think this is all that I remember form the trip. I wish I could remember more but I do know that I had a blast with the Read's and they too helped reinforce my travel fetish.

R :-)