I had planned to celebrate the fifth anniversary of my blog with a special post. A blog post that was meant to be shared with the world on 16 May. To mark the exact five years since my first words went public. I abandoned the small text drafted for the occasion, for months. In the... Continue Reading →
I was silent for quite a while. In spite of not being active on the blogging world, writing remained present. I wrote. I kept recording. My notebooks received without hesitation my words. My journals are my silent, non-judgemental friends, my therapists, my confessionals. The safe place where I pour out my frustrations, my fears, my... Continue Reading →
My first encounter with Valentine’s Day came with the US TV-series and movies. At the beginning of the nineties, television was the window opened towards the world, particularly focused on the West. The place most Romanians believed all the good in the world lies and absolute freedom is. I was mesmerized. I felt I could... Continue Reading →
In August of last year, I relocated from Poland to Belgium. It was my third time coming back to Brussels, with the hope to finally make my stay permanent. The latest decade of my life is undeniably linked to this city which I call, without hesitation, my home. This relationship is an ongoing developing story.... Continue Reading →
For a moment life stood still and everything looked prettier. It snowed in Brussels. After endless grey days some sprinkled with invisible rain (the one you feel, but you cannot see) pouring out of anywhere, it finally snowed. Nature was generous. The big, white fluffy snowflakes falling out of the sky were a delight. Glued... Continue Reading →
2020 was a challenging year, to say the least. A year that has already written pages into the history books. For some, 2020 will be remembered as the year of a generation. It was unpredictable, unforgiving, cruel, and difficult to navigate through it. Looking at the overall 2020 context, it may be hard or even... Continue Reading →
Food is one of our basic needs. To survive we need to eat. As a species we evolved once we managed to diversify our meals and the sources of our calories’ intake. (Dear vegetarians and vegans I do respect all the personal choices out there, but please remember that meat and animal fats did play... Continue Reading →
(Happy birthday to me) There are two kinds of people in the world: those who fear their birthdays, deliberate diminish the importance of the moment and complain that they are getting older, and the ones who celebrate the special day and are joyful on their anniversary. I belong to the latter group. Why? For all... Continue Reading →
My favourite podcast is The Moth. Its principle is simple: people sharing personal stories in front of a live audience. Setting aside the idea behind it, there is a complex preparation process with many persons involved in delivering the stories in the form that reaches the audience. Why do I love it so much? For... Continue Reading →
It is autumn in the Northern hemisphere. You can breathe the crispy air and notice nature’s changing colours. The transition from the lively green to the earthy amber leaves is almost magical. In this ongoing certain uncertainty we all have been living in the past half-year, nature gives us a healing escape. Even though we... Continue Reading →
My connection with the books goes back a long way. It started long before I learned how to read. I was born during communism in a country well accustomed with the dictatorship. People had little means for distractions and hobby was a non-existing word in the common vocabulary. At least on the surface. At second... Continue Reading →
Most of the year 2020 is gone. Where it went? I do not know. I guess it vanished into the place where all memories go, and time exists only in the past tense. The problem with 2020 is that forced us to make memories of a year that so far feels like it never happened.... Continue Reading →
In times of hardship we react. We adapt. The survival instinct will dictate the course of our actions. The direction might be questionable sometimes. One of my biggest concerns linked to the whole pandemic situation is that these peculiar circumstances will affect in a negative manner the way we interact. I would not want to... Continue Reading →
A few months ago, I bought a notebook. What made that notebook more special that other notebooks I had to choose from? What was written on the cover: “Life is simple. Sometimes not easy”. Felt like discovering the words of contradiction best describing our reality. Yes, life is simple. The governing principles are natural and... Continue Reading →
Make a wish! In stories these are powerful, magical words. Door openers towards possibilities and fulfilled dreams. In fiction and in reality these words are the equivalent of hope! Hope for the better and synonym of saving resolutions. If you could have one wish come true, what would you choose? With the mention that wishing... Continue Reading →
Half of humanity is in lockdown. What is happening in the world right now could easily be part of a utopian story written in front of our eyes. We are the main characters and the villain is a virus. Half of world population is in confinement not having an exact idea when it would be... Continue Reading →
Weeks ago I started to write a post about jobs. The main line was around my disapproval towards the easiness people put on identifying themselves with their jobs. I was pointing out how our society determines if you are a successful person or a failure based on your pay slip and on your job title.... Continue Reading →
We make plans and heavily rely on them To give to our lives some sort of direction, To give us the feeling that we are in some sort of control. And in spite of the preparation, We constantly fail at being prepared. We make plans because we are afraid not to be overwhelmed By what... Continue Reading →
Love in time of cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez was the first big, well-known book I have read in French. Setting aside the language comprehension efforts (my French wasn’t yet polished😉), the topic itself tortured me and the ending has left me completely puzzled. Looking at what is going on in the world right now,... Continue Reading →
Two weeks ago, I had a girls’ night out. Do not imagine a wild one. We are well behaved ladies. It was a spontaneous decision to enjoy a Saturday evening which transformed in quality time spent in good company and brought a walk down the memory lane. Why I wanted to mention this in the... Continue Reading →
“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”(George Santayana) What do you do on a quiet Sunday evening? You chill on your comfortable couch, watch TV and enjoy a cup of tea. This is what I was doing yesterday evening. Until I’ve heard a chant. Or something that sounded like a... Continue Reading →
When I was a kid, year 2000 felt like a mysterious far away date. A SCI FI moment into the future, almost intangible and unimaginable. I was 17 when this enigmatic and feared year arrived. And to many, brought great relieve – the world didn’t come to an end, like some predicted. Not only the... Continue Reading →
A Post Christmas Card December came slowly and left in a rush. December brought along Christmas, the long-anticipated blast Which loves making a grand entrance and masters the art of amazingly fast walkout. And now this Christmas is already a memory, and a part of the recent past. Each Christmas is the same and completely... Continue Reading →
We are moments in time Defined by infinite energy And limited by life. We are divine creations, Breathing as long as a blink of an eye, Feeling tormenting emotions Questioning the reasons of our limiting existence. We are universal children, Having Earth as a playground Moulding ourselves in shapes that eternally hurt us Not knowing... Continue Reading →
I had in mind, for quit some time now, the idea of writing about acceptance and about the power of saying NO. Couldn’t motivate myself enough to sit down and write. What caused the change of heart? A vacation. I booked an all-inclusive week in a five starts hotel. I was looking forward to my... Continue Reading →
How would you describe your relationship with the airports? I see mine like a mystery story coupled up with Alice in wonderland. Airports are places where time and space disappear. Airports are portals between worlds, bridges between what was and what will be. Secret doors towards the unknown. Airports are the starting point of so... Continue Reading →
Ode to the brave ones, To the courageous ones, The ones who jumped from the highest cliffs Right into the deepest abyss. Ode to the ones who were not afraid to take the fall, Knowing that salvation lies in front of them, That their rescue is in the plunge. Ode to the ones who grew... Continue Reading →
I wanted to write about jobs, passion, finding your calling and the idea of making a successful career out of these ingredients. And I did start, completely forgetting about the importance of making a successful living, independent of the accomplishment of a well marketed idea, preached all over the media. I poured the words, one... Continue Reading →
What do you do with the dreams that don’t come true? Hide them away, put them in stores, And never question where they might have gone? What do you do with the infinite worlds wrapped inside you? The worlds you keep for yourself, The ones that we all know must not be shared. What do... Continue Reading →
How willing are you to become vulnerable, to let your guard down, to give up all your safety nets and step into unknown territories? This is how Change begins. With a decision to expose yourself and with a decision to embrace whatever life, and the new circumstances, will bring you. Change! Only six letters for... Continue Reading →
One of my oldest, closest, and dearest friends revealed to me that I played an important part in her attitude towards school, learning and education. She told me that one of the most striking memories she keeps until today from her first day of school involves me, and the way I tried to comfort her.... Continue Reading →
Be happy! Create your own destiny! Look on the bright side! Stay focused! All is possible! You must believe! Keep going! Be positive! Eat healthy! Get enough sleep! Exercise! Do what you love! Follow your heart! Settle down! Start a family! Have children! Take care of yourself and of your family! Let go of the... Continue Reading →
“Have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it!”. Those were the words of Salvador Dali. I wish I knew them (and their meaning) in my childhood or in my adolescence years. I come from a culture where image is everything and where perfection is the norm. In all you do. Perfection is displayed in... Continue Reading →
We label. Far too easy. We attach tags to people’s foreheads. We glue classification stamps on the standard images we have predefined. We put people, just like us, in boxes. And we go even further, we classify and catalogue not only human beings, but situations as well. And please, do not get offended! We ALL... Continue Reading →
Some time ago, I wrote a letter. A letter to self. A letter where I was asking myself to be kinder, more patient, more loving, not with others, but with my own self. I still read that letter. I realized that appreciating myself more, is a lesson I still struggle to learn. Why it is... Continue Reading →
I go to concerts. Often. Very often. More often than I thought a few years ago that it would be possible. I go to concerts because I love music. I enjoy discovering a band or a solo artist. I go to concerts for the pure pleasure of surrendering myself to the power of art and... Continue Reading →
Last week a simple question came to me. As the question came to me three times, I couldn’t ignore it. And as simple as the question might be, the answer is not as easy as it might seem. Do you question yourself? Do you ask yourself who are you? I took the challenge and I... Continue Reading →
Let’s talk about the F word. Even better, let’s talk about two F words: Fear and Failure. They go hand in hand, don’t they?! Fear. That invisible little monster inside of us that we nurture and feed. That voice we listen who manages somehow to diminish (sometimes until complete erasure) our boldest, wildest dreams. Fear... Continue Reading →
How often do you clean? How often do you clean your life?! How often do you assess what you need to keep and what no longer serves you? How long does it take you to have a look at your friends, habits, negative thoughts and decide it is time to turn the page?! It’s a... Continue Reading →
Where do you focus your attention? On the things that work or on the ones that don’t?! I like to consider myself a positive person with a good sense of humour and enough self-irony. I am a person who trains herself to see the good part of the story all the time. Well, this is... Continue Reading →
Music is my friend. Music lifts me up in my saddest moments. Music makes my inner child dance. Music frees my wildest dreams and gives me courage to pursue them. I turn to music when I need an urgent energy boost. And music never lets me down. Have you ever noticed that there is music... Continue Reading →
Some time ago I started a gratitude journal. I took it as an exercise of reminding myself all the good things happening during the day. After 11 months is one my daily habits. I have coffee in the morning and writing in the evening. What I noticed was that the way of putting on... Continue Reading →
I am grateful! I am grateful for what I am and for where I am. I am grateful for the roads that I took, roads that made me what I am today and roads that took me where I stand today. I am grateful for the love that I give, and more grateful for the... Continue Reading →
Have you ever noticed how a simple smile can take you a along way?! A simple smile can brighten not only your day, but the day of others. A smile has a life of his own and can multiple. How?! Simple. Smiling is contagious. Yes, it is. Is like "pass it on". You smile. Others... Continue Reading →
What do you do when you feel like sh*t?! What do you do when people around you (well-intended) point out all the good parts in your life and you still feel like crap? Actually they make you feel worst, although their intention was to make you feel better. Why?! Because now the guilt takes up... Continue Reading →
It is a fact. We get attached. To people, to places, to memories, to superfluous things. If the first three mentioned here are justifiable and understandable, is the later that bugs my mind for a while now. I did some travelling lately. All I had in a small backpack and a suitcase was enough. This... Continue Reading →
Twice a year the sales madness strikes Europe....Terrifying moment (for me at least). Every January and every July I mentally prepare myself for the bargain of the season. Usually I choose the last weekend of sales, when I naively imagine that everyone else bought everything that they had to buy. Before going on chasing the... Continue Reading →
Have you ever wondered what is the story of the person next to you? I do this exercise from time to time. I stop, look around and I question. What’s the story of that beautiful rushed, exhausted mother? What’s the story of the young teenager wearing way too much eye-liner? Or the story of the... Continue Reading →
How would you define family? By social standard norms?! By blood ties?! My own definition is by love! Family means above all, love! Unconditional love. Love, even when you haven’t seen your family in days, weeks and even months. Love, even when you feel that the communication between you and your loved ones is not... Continue Reading →
Communication is the base of any relationship. The common problem is that not every time we communicate the message is clear. But why the lack of clarity ?! In my case I can think of wrong choice of words, fear of not hurting and being hurt, self-censoring, only to name a few. The result: misunderstandings,... Continue Reading →
Sharing Simple Words 