It looks like it is about time for the slightly depressed and lonely blog post. I have been here two weeks (I can't believe that is all...it definitely feels like at least 3 weeks), and I think the newness and excitement is starting to wear off. Although there are a few other fulbrighter's in Cluj with me, it is very easy to feel alone.
I read somewhere that being in another country where you do not speak the language is like being a child again. I can completely relate to that concept even though I have been surprised at how well I have been dealing with the language. Last night when I went to get my key at the hotel, I asked for it in Romanian (just to practice), and the person said that I did perfectly! (Am nevoie de cheia camera sapte suta sapte, va rog - I need the key for room 707, please). Still, being able to cope with some of the language doesn't mean that I know very many people here. It is times like these when I wish I were one of those people who could be perfectly happy spending the day alone, reading and working (see the sad look on my face as I am reading alone in the picture above!). Alas, as those of you who know me understand, that is not how I am at all. Hopefully once things are all settled with my apartment, I will be able to come up with a routine. I definitely have lots to be doing - work on getting an article out, complete job applications, etc. It would just be a lot nicer if I was able to struggle on these things with someone else. You know what they say, misery (aka work) loves company!
It certainly would be so much easier to not do something like this and just stay home (but what is home these days?), but at the same time, that would mean that I would miss out on so much. It will be my goal not to have this turn into another London, where even though I managed to take advantage of a lot of opportunities and events, I was pretty sad and lonely. Things I would like to do and to work on:
1. The idea of travelling to other countries alone kind of scares me because most of the people/places around here definitely speak other languages and often have completely different looking alphabets - talk about intimidating. My grasp of Romanian is tenuous enough, so the idea of tossing in other, way crazier languages is just too much to bear! But, let's hope I can overcome some of my fears to get a little travelling figured out - even if it waits until my sister or someone else comes to visit.
2. Take advantage of just being here. Work on my project with museums (ahem, start by contacting them!!) and work on my own academic stuff. Since I am only teaching for a couple of hours a week, I should take full advantage of all my other time.
3. Find a balance between saving money to travel with and spending money to live comfortably here, like taking a taxi when I want to. In London, I didn't spend any money on me and on living because I just didn't have enough. I don't want to do that here since I do have the money. I will force myself to not live like a complete student/hermit person even though that is what graduate school has trained me for :)
4. Maybe take a Romanian language course. This would help me a lot with speaking and probably would be a great way to meet other people (hooray for the concept of built in friends!). I definitely need to look into this. I found one place that looks pretty interesting, and apparently there also are classes at the university.
Okay, that is everything I can think of right now. I just need to focus on experiencing things and taking care of everything that I need to do and don't let myself get bogged down with these feelings of loneliness. Fingers crossed....
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