stranded in this spooky town

   I'm not a patriotic person. At all. I'm the first to admit that Romania has a lot of flaws,most of them having to do with its inhabitants. But I've got to say, we do have a nice country.
   On Saturday I finally managed to visit the Berca Mud Volcanoes. I loved the lunar landscape and the fact that I didn't fall in the mud ( knowing myself,it's something close to a miracle).

                 

The two-hour trip to Berca was spent talking about our country's history and politics ( my sister is going through a phase in which she's obsessed with history and reads a lot about it so I've learned a few things myself ). 

After hiking for about 30 minutes and seeing all there was to see, we got into the car and decided to try and find a vintage clothing fair we had heard about. Of course that after driving for 4-5 hours,we couldn't find it!

So we spent the rest of the day looking for a good restaurant, finding it and then driving home in the pouring rain.

Currently listening to:

summer in the city

   I know! Almost a whole month has passed since I've written a single word. But I did have a lot going on right now so I had to prioritize. My exams have passed and although things didn't go as smooth as I wanted it to go, I'm happy I'm done with them. I do, however, have to wait until mid-September to find out if I got into med school ( there are very slim chances,but I don't want to lose hope ).
    Until then I've decided to leave my anxiety behind and just enjoy these few weeks of holiday. After all, worrying won't solve a single thing.

                           

    As soon as I was done with the exams, I went to Castelul Corvinilor, a castle I had never visited before. I was a little bit disappointed ( maybe just because I had read so many positive reviews about it that I imagined it in a completely different way. also,the fact that I am currently obsessed with Downton Abbey, the tv show in which every episode exhibits so many wonderful surroundings, couldn't help. )

                               

I've also went out with Radu quite a lot, trying ( but definitely not succeeding yet ) to make up for the time I spent home, studying. I'm so grateful Radu is understanding and supportive. I could only wish everyone would find such a wonderful human being as my boyfriend. 

Another thing I couldn't wait to do was go to all the kangoo events that take part every Saturday during the summer. I went to 'Kangoo Rock' and although by the end of it I couldn't really breathe, I was happy I got to move and do something for my health.

I plan on being very active these couple of weeks so hopefully you'll see more posts soon. 

“I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.”

   I don't know if I've ever told you this, but my dad has been very into fishing these last couple of months. Not only does he go fishing every Saturday, but he also wakes up at 2 am because he wants to catch the best place and comes home at 10 pm. I guess that's called passion. Or obsession.
    Anyhow, yesterday he wanted to show us ( and by us I mean my sister&me ) where he spends a lot of his time. We had been home all day,studying, so we thought a little break couldn't hurt.

                     

     We were pleasantly surprised by the natural beauty of the place. Everywhere you looked there were lands of wheat, the place was quiet, the sun was setting and the water was full of fish.

                             

We promised my dad we'll go with him one day this summer and I can already imagine what it will be like to sit all day long on a blanket, surrounded by books and family.

Coming back to reality hasn't been easy at all, but I only have 5 weeks to go!

*

I've been listening to this a lot:

it's time to work a little harder

   My days are so dull nowadays, I'm even ashamed to write here. I basically spend every day either learning home,in my PJs, or learning at school.

                                 

excuse the 'study' face  

The strange thing is that I kind of enjoy this period in my life. I like learning for my Anatomy exam or working for my Math exam,but I hate studying for the Romanian one. We have to learn the essays by heart and I really, really loathe it. I'm pretty sure my worst grade will be at that exam.

To help me focus, I made an 'exam calendar'. You can't even imagine the satisfaction I have at the end of a day when I get to colour a square and know I'm done with it forever. 

The good news is that I still get to spend a great deal of time with Radu (not as much as I would like, though). I appreciate all our little moments together: the lunch date we had when we broke our forks in the pizza ( the pizza was great, the forks were awful :)) ), the mornings we spent cuddling in bed, the random texts and photos, the way we motivate each other to study more. 

"Prom night can be a special night, if you let it be."

   My prom night has been amazing. If you told me a few months ago that I'll actually enjoy the frivolous act of going to the prom, I would have laughed in your face. But, as it turns out, it has been one of the most amazing nights of my life. I made memories I'll never forget with people I'll never forget.

I don't have the official photos yet, 

these are the ones taken with Radu's iphone

Of course,the night started with me being late because, well, I'm a girl. And lazy. So almost everybody was there when I arrived. The place looked great. I had no idea Bucharest has such amazing buildings/restaurants. 

I went to the prom decided to enjoy myself and make the most out of everything. I knew there will be people I didn't like but I just focused on the good instead of the bad. And it really worked. My friends and I had a blast. We danced our asses off, drank wine on the sidewalk ( like the classy people that we are ), cried, laughed and then danced some more.

There were great moments that we shared. But I think my favourite one was when Radu and I danced together towards the end of the whole thing. We were alone on the dance floor and we had a wonderful moment. Even though all the teachers and our classmates were watching, it felt as if we were the only ones in the room. I know for sure this will be one of the most cherished memories. I'll always hold it dear in my heart!

I'm so happy I had a great prom. After four years with lots of ups and downs, it was just perfect! 

*

I would have also loved to dance to this: 

2 more months

   As you know, I'm done with school and I am now trying to prepare for my Baccalaureate. However, today I felt the need for a little break so I went to my grandparents for a family BBQ.

 
   What a change of scenery! Their garden is full of flowers, the air is fresh and the first cherries have already appeared. It was nice to catch up with my grandparents and to spend 5 hours without worrying about Math or Anatomy.

                           

I don't know why but lately I've taken an interest in flowers. I wasn't a nature enthusiast until now but I guess my feminine side is becoming more and more obvious. 

I can't wait to be done with all these exams so I can relax, travel and read. Only 2 more months! 2 more months!

''It was the best of times, it was the worst of times''

   The long-awaited moment has arrived. I finally graduated! And I won't lie, despite all the ugly memories, I was a little bit nostalgic. Because highschool meant so much more than a fleeting period in my life. It meant learning to stand up for myself, losing some friends and gaining others, making my own decisions and being proud of them, falling in and out of love, letting go of the toxic people in my life, accepting other people's flaws, appreciating all the little things.

                             

I'm happy I got to live all those moments because they made me who I am. Because of them I have more confidence in myself and I know I can get over anything. 

Four years ago I was a shy, little girl who was afraid to talk. I had never won a prize, I was never interested in anything that had to do with Academics, all my teachers thought I was a lost cause. Today I proved to  myself I can do anything I put my mind to. I finished second and most importantly, I was surrounded by people close to my heart. 

Excuse the face. Five hours of walking on high heels will do that to you! 

Not every picture is perfect :))

Next week I'll go to the prom and I have to confess, I am just a tiny bit nervous. Because, just as graduation, prom is an important step that once taken leaves behind a whole part of our life. A part that was safe and familiar. A part that hopefully prepared us for the next big thing: university!