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Robert Minneci: Student Report from 2014 Alternative Summer Break in Romania

Robert Minneci in Romania
Robert Minneci

I’m going to say the name of a country; you think (aloud or silently, I don’t judge) the first thing that comes to mind. OK, ready? Romania.

Robert Minneci Working in Romania
Robert Menneci, above, helped on a project to build a dormitory at at Romanian school during the 2014 Alternative Summer Break.

If you stuttered unsure, I understand. In all honesty, I knew virtually nothing about Romania before I signed up to go for an alternative break trip. What did I actually know? It’s a small, lesser-known country in Europe that is somewhat overshadowed by its European neighbors, Italy, France, Germany, and the like.

Romania is also home to Transylvania. That’s it. You might ask, “Why then did you decide to go there?” Truth be told, I’m not entirely sure. When I get caught up in an idea, I seize it by the throat and run with it. Towards the end of the previous semester, I had been researching programs to fulfill the requirement the Honors program put upon me to have an international experience. My search had been fruitless as most required being fluent in a language, were too expensive, or offered nothing in my major.

Lo and behold, along comes an e-mail in the early summer advertising a trip to Romania! Intrigued by the lower cost and non-required foreign language, I thought over it for a few days before replying to it that I was interested. From that point onward, there was no going back; I would ride this out until I set foot on foreign soil. This was a big step for me because I had never left the country, never flown in airplane, and never was more excited.

When the time came to go, I felt somewhat dulled, as if this was fate, and nothing could possibly change what was coming next. I’m actually grateful for that. I was actually able to get some sleep on the airplane. The first foreign country I stepped into was France, at the Charles de Gaulle Airport, early in the morning. There were few people in the airport, but as time went on, more and more people from across the world flowed in. From one side, I’d hear French; another, Italian. The family who sat in front of me was speaking German. Clustered together, a Chinese family hurried past me. Instructions in Spanish were thrown out from the loudspeakers. I just sat there with a stupid grin on my face, and thought nothing, enjoying the moment.

By the time we got to Romania, it was past midday and fairly warm. We found the driver to take us to our lodgings, piled into an old van, and drove off. We landed in the capital of Romania, Bucharest. It was hot, dirty, the traffic terrible, and advertisements and graffiti littered the buildings. It was just like home. The village we were headed to, Valea Screzii, was two hours’ drive and sat between some of the most beautiful hills I’d ever seen. The natural beauty of Romania totally floored me. I was not expecting anything at all like what I saw there.

Scenic Romania
Scenic Romania

 

The people were all very pleasant. Most spoke some English. We helped build a dorm building of sorts for the high schoolers of the village. The local guys we worked with were quiet and didn’t know English, but through hand signals and a very small Romanian vocabulary of mine, we managed to work efficiently.

Speaking of vocabularies, allow me to share what I learned before leaving and while there. Before: stinga (left), dreapte (right), kit ie che a sul (what time is it), multsumesc (thank you), te rog (please). During: che fach (how are you), biene (I’m good), bon (good), merci (thanks), cumplachare (you’re welcome). While these are rather standard and few in number, just knowing these few words made all the difference. I impressed a few people with them, but I think just being able to say “thank you” to someone in their native tongue can be more than enough.

If someone tried to relay something complicated to me in Romanian, my response was to shake my head and say with an apologetic smile, “I’m American, English.” Looking back, that could have been perceived as rude, but my intent was simply to relay that I was incapable of understanding them. Seemed to me that it worked because they would always smile back and respond with whatever English they might know. I’m still grateful to those people; they were the best.

Romanian Castle
Romanian Castle

If I had to pick a favorite part of the trip, it would definitely be going to the castles. We went to Peles Castle, which had been built almost 200 years ago; and Bran Castle, which was built nearly 900 years ago. Both were astounding. Peles was built as more of a palace for relaxation and Bran was built as more of a fort for function.

Now being back in the States, I feel different. Something happened to me over in Romania. A small part of me sits in those hills, on those castle turrets, in those bustling streets. There’s a tether from me to Romanian stretching thousands of miles, one that I hope will stay with me for the rest of my life. To you, dear reader, if you’ve never left the country, if you have the opportunity, if you have the desire, just go. Carpe jugulum is Latin for “seize the throat” (carpe diem is for sissies), and I encourage you to do just that.

Robert Minneci Working in Romania
Robert Minecci, left, helps a Romanian worker prepare concrete reinforcement in a dormitory-building project in Valea Screzii, Romania.