I just vanished… Poof!

Yep, exactly like that.

2 months ago (where did that go?!) I moved from Bucharest, Romania. To Austria, the mountain side, Tirol. I am at the end of the world, in a village of max 1000 inhabitants. I tend to believe that’s the number of tourists over a whole year.

Let’s just put it this way – there is just one sidewalk, one way. Nope, no 2 sidewalks, one on each way of the road. Basically, because even if it was, I’m not really sure there would be enough people to use it and walk on it.

So yeah, I’m here in a place that’s got nothing. No coffee shop, no doctor’s office, no pharmacy, no supermarket to buy stuff. And no internet connection. I’m lucky when traveling cause I enjoy other people’s internet. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, not anymore. I was, at the beginning. Oh, I was really annoyed! But then, I looked at is as a challenge. You know, I am a Social Media & Online person, and now I have to deal with no internet connection. But it helped me see things differently.

First of all, I started paying more attention to the people around me. I started enjoying more having a real conversation and I am more into stories. I laugh like I really mean it, finally! I am peaceful with my phone not having to vibrate all the time – messages, phone calls, emails! I enjoy this mountain air and the white view with lots of snow! I feel like I’ve discovered things in me I didn’t even know I had.

My friends here make fun of me, a ‘princess’, a big city girl moving to a village. And the thing is that it wasn’t even that bad. I mean yeah, I miss the comfort of craving for french fries in the middle of the night and just hop in the car and go to McDrive. Now, if I wanna meet someone or buy basic stuff, I need to hop on the bus for half an hour and go in the next town and shop there. At least, there’s something there, like 2 mini-malls with some stores and coffee shops and supermarkets.

All of this helps me live really basic. Me, the people around me, nature, emotions and moments.

soll-skiwelt-austria-mountain-winter-snow-ski

Life here is so unmaterialistic (if that’s even a word) that a few days ago I had this happened to me – my phone died. It just died. It shut down by itself and I couldn’t turn it on again… I wasn’t even panicked. I was just thinking that I’ll have to live without my phone on top of the internet thing. I was just trying to think of ways to let my people know so they won’t get worried. I left it alone, and after some time, my phone recovered by itself and started working again. I wasn’t even feeling relieved… It was just a thing, an object and I wasn’t gonna be mad cause of that.

One of my Bucharest people asked me at some point if I miss home. It didn’t take long to say I don’t.  To me, home is a feeling, not a place. As long as I am happy and peaceful, home is where I am. Yes, I do miss my people, I admit it. But that is easy to work out when they’re the right ones. They know I think of them and I miss them, even if we don’t talk everyday.

I truly believe that we got used too much to all this comfort the technology gives us. It is helpful, not gonna deny it, but somehow we let it replace life. Because when that is not in the picture anymore, it’s still us, humans. Us, with our thoughts, emotions, feeling and all that surrounds us. I found out this way that we forgot how to live… And I speak for myself also, my past self.

This same time last year, I couldn’t even picture my everyday life without internet, my phone, my laptop. And somehow, I feel that like this I exist more than ever. 🙂

3, 2, 1… 24! [en]

One year ago I started early with my preparations for that time of the year. You know, when your birthday is right around the corner and all you can think about is how you want it to be this year, and you can’t wait to see all the people you love under the same roof and just enjoy your time.

Last year, I made my wish-list one month before, just in case. I enjoyed special moments with my people then. And, even if some relationships have changed since then, my memories stay beautiful, and the surprise they gave me – unique. I was really sorry for letting them wait for me in front of the door, for 2 whole minutes, while they had my ice cream cake ready and the candles lit on it. They were so cute, and when I played the recording and saw that they were so close to losing hope, aww………….. But all is well when it ends nice 🙂

anamariapopa.com blog post ziua mea 16 decembrie sagetator happy birthday princess ice cream bubblegum marshmallow cake tort inghetata

Now, one year later? My wishes remain the same. I don’t wish for material things. My most precious present are my people, the people that I have in my life. If some of them decide to be a part of it for a long time, I appreciate them. And for those who leave, that’s it, it’s their end in my story and I become happy for the experience I had with them. Anyways, I am gonna add to my last year’s wish also – I’d like to get to know people that know the meaning of being human, and not in how they look. But in the way they act, people who are open-minded, who know how to make best use of the soul they’ve got, who like to communicate, who know what respect is.

And I would also like to add one more thing! At 23 years old, at the end of the most screwed up year of my life, I realised that no matter what happens in this life, no matter what I win or lose, nobody can take away my experiences, the stories I’ve lived. So I set a goal in this life – to live a life full of experiences worth telling, no matter the closure.

Unlike last year, I now find myself in Austria, far away from my lovely people. But they somehow manage to make me not feel the distance, and to still feel them close to my soul. These are my people, the people that hold a special place in my heart. And I only wish for them to stay there as much as possible, because I really like it the way I feel now.

As to the rest, happy wishes to everyone, no matter the age or place! 😀

Happy bday, Mickey!

I hope that everyone here knows who Mickey Mouse is! If so, your childhood was awesome! 😀

 

anamariapopa.com mickey mouse bday ana maria popa blog post

 

So, Mickey is the official mascot of Disney. He is a an animal cartoon and was created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. He is part of a gang, along with his girlfriend – Minnie Mouse, his dog – Pluto and his friends – Goofy and Donald Duck with girlfriend, Daisy.

 

anamariapopa.com blog post mickey mouse disney character and friends pluto goofy daisy donald minnie

 

Mickey’s body is made out of circles, to make the character easy to animate. And that is a reason why Mickey is easy for the audience to recognize, his ears being an unofficial trademark. There is even a symbol used to represent Mickey – Mickey Mouse

The original voice of Mickey is Walt Disney himself, the co-creator of Mickey and founder of the Walt Disney Company! It turns out even more cute – starting from 1977, the voice of Mickey Mouse was Wayne Allwine, who was married in real life to Russi Taylor, the voice of Mickey girlfriend, Minnie Mouse!

Mickey Mouse is so famous that he’s received ten nominations for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and in November 1978, in honor of his 50th anniversary, Mickey became the first cartoon character to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Being Turkish

‘I wanna go back’ – the first words that came out of my mouth as soon as I arrived from Istanbul.

First thing – God, they’ve got so many shopping malls! I got there in the evening, around 18h, so there wasn’t much to do besides dinner and a walk – after all, I was on holiday 🙂

Aqua Florya – shopping mall near the sea. Perfect place to relax…

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul aqua florya pelit priveliste wonderful view

…and for something delicious (and sweet, ofc)…

Wet Heart-Shaped Chocolate Cake @ Pelit

Wet Heart-Shaped Chocolate Cake @ Pelit

…and for watching the incredible sunset.

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul aqua florya pelit apus de soare sunset

The traffic in Istanbul sucks. What it’s like in Bucharest, oh well – there it’s like dying bit by bit! And I was told I shouldn’t be too surprised, it was holiday – Kurban Bayramı – and everybody’s was out of town so the traffic was like 1/3 of the usual. I was that close to driving in Istanbul, but apparently I had a fairy who made me think twice. As soon as we left the parking, going on a narrow-one-lane-for-every-direction-up-hill-street, there comes this crazy taxi driver. I really don’t know how I made it out of there alive, I jut closed my eyes and hoped for the best, and I thanked God I wasn’t the driving and that had this great driver!

Oh, and don’t get me started about taxi drivers! Again, Bucharest is crazy but these guys are loonatics! Yeah, they’ve got great infrastructure, lots of highways to make the traffic better, but really, you just can’t keep calm when driving. At some point, we were close to having an accident at 120km/h, just because one taxi driver thought of racing when changing the lanes, and hitting the brake every 5m.

About pedestrians, yeah, well there’s not smarter either. Why use the effin’ zebra crossing when it’s so much easier to just jump in front of the car and ask for priority?!

But, one thing that I appreciated was the special lane in the middle of the highway – for buses. It looked so well thought of and……………useful!

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul highway bus traffic autobuz pe autostrada trafic infernal

Istanbul is a city of cats – like you see stray dogs in Bucharest and maybe other cities, they’ve got stray cats. It’s not a problem for them to find a place, even if it’s a store, restaurant, art gallery or car.

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul stray cat 3anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul stray cat 4anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey stray cat 5anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul stray cat 1anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul stray cat 2I was looking at their registration plates and I was asking myself why do they use that number – 34 – and what’s the connection with the city.

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul parcare placute inregistrare registration plate

And I found out that Istanbul is the 34th city of Turkey, in alphabetical order. The other numbers and letter are random or they can be personalized.

Oh, I almost forgot. The most delicious thing ever: it’s called Oreo Magnolia and it’s vanilla pudding and Oreo, from CookShop. It looks like this.

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul budinca oreo mangolia pudding cookshop

When it comes to sightseeing, well I’m not much into that. It’s not my style to stay in a line. And yes, Istanbul’s got a mosque everywhere you look. And honestly, they all kinda look the same to me.

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul suleyman mosque

Sultan Ahmet Mosque

But what really got my attention was Basilica Cistern, the largest covered cistern in the city, that dates back to the old Constantinople, built by Emperor Justinian in 537.

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul basilica cistern

And there I took advantage of the tourists corner and I got dressed up in this Turkish costume, letting myself be photographed 😀

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul basilica cistern turkish costume

And if you are there, you really have to try this thing – Uludağ, I’m only gonna mention it tastes like bubblegum!

anamariapopa.com blog post turcia turkey istanbul uludag drink bubblegum aroma

In the end, here is a tiny dictionary with the words that I learned in my 5 days there:

Yakamoz (iacamoz) – Moon reflection on the surface of the sea

Harika (haarica) – Wonderful

Așk (ashc) – Love

Çok yaşa (cioc iasha) – Bless you

Teşekkürler (teshechiurler) – Thank you

Rica ederim (rija ederim) – You’re welcome

Merhaba (meraba) – Hello

Günaydın (ghiunaidîn) – Good morning

Iyi günler (iii ghiunler) – Good day

Iyi geceler (iii gejeler) – Good night

Afiyet olsun (afiet olsun) – Enjoy your meal

Evet (evet) – Yes

Hayır (haiîr) – No

Efendim (efendim) – What? What did you say?

Yavaș (iavash) – Slow

Yıldız (iîldîz) – Star

Șerefe (sherefe) – Cheers

Su (su) – Water

Pasta (pasta) – Cake

Makarna (macarna) – Pasta

Satılık (satîlîc) – For sale

Kiralık (chiralîc) – For rent

Salak (salac) – Stupid

Havalimanı (havalimanî) – Airport

Canım (janîm) – My dear

And, because all of us wanna learn this stuff:

Sikecem (sichejem) – Fuck 🙂

Overall, it is a beautiful city, I’m gonna be back.

P.S.: You can find nicer and edited pics on my Instagram account.

Golden Retrievers – Your reason to smile today

Now, did you know that I love dogs?

I don’t make any difference if it’s a puppy or an adult dog, if it’s stray or purebreed or if it’s a Golden Retriever or a German Shepherd (it’s just a coincidence that they are both fav of mine).

Today I came across this video here and it just made my day, so I wanted to share it with you!

 

They are so silly and cute and adorable and sweet and funny with their noses like that, I just can’t!

That reminds me of a friend’s dog, also a Golden Retriever. Man, that dog is awesome! His name is Koss and he should be about 8yo now, but he’s so playful as a puppy! Just look at him:

 

This is Koss getting in a fight with a sprinkler in the park...

This is Koss getting in a fight with a sprinkler in the park…

 

And this is me, trying to bite his head...

And this is me, trying to bite his head…

 

Here he tries to look dandy...

Here he tries to look dandy…

 

His reaction when it comes to receiving cuddles...

His reaction when it comes to receiving cuddles…

 

He even takes care of his teeth by visiting the dentist!

He even takes care of his teeth by visiting the dentist!

 

Yeah, he is really something else 🙂 I love him, I love Golden Retrievers, I love dogs. Look in their eyes and you’ll see the answer why.

 

www.anamariapopa.com blog post golden retriever silly portret funny fun park

10 Lovely Quotes about Spring

The amazing season called Spring is officially here! It’s time for the sun to shine and the flowers to blossom. It’s the time to be happy for the days that will get longer and the rainbows (so what if they follow the April showers). Also, perfect moment to be in love with anything and everything! Oh, and Goodbye winter jackets – Hello to the walks in the park!

I feel like Spring brings out the optimistic side of people, it makes them more happy and beautiful. As it does to the nature, also. People and trees both, are blooming! Since it’s my fav season of the year, I’ll leave you with my top random quotes about Spring 🙂

 

1. anamariapopa.com blog post fav season cummings in love flowers spring quote

 

2. anamariapopa.com blog post fav season christina rossetti life alive flowers spring quote

 

3. anamariapopa.com blog post spring quote fav season seneca end beginning ana maria popa

 

4. anamariapopa.com blog post fav season carew papritz life alive flowers spring quote love bouquet

 

5. anamariapopa.com blog post spring quote robin williams sweet fav season lets party

 

6. anamariapopa.com blog post spring quote george herbert sweet season

 

7. anamariapopa.com blog post fav season john muir life alive flowers spring quote love bouquet joyful enthusiasm (1)

 

8. anamariapopa.com blog post pablo neruda spring wuote fav season lovely cherry trees

 

9. anamariapopa.com blog post spring quote fav season lovely cherry trees state of mind

 

10. anamariapopa.com blog post spring quote french proverb sweet fav season believe in roses

 

Let us have a wonderful one!

2014’s Lessons

My Facebook newsfeed is full of these ‘X’s year’ and ‘It’s been a great year! Thanks for being a part of it!’… Really now, you’re only fooling yourselves. Facebook is only showing you the most popular things throughout this year. And since you only post the good stuff, how can you honestly be proud of what Facebook mixes from your profile?

Still, this made me think of my year. So I took it as a personal challenge to look back at my 2014. I met so many people that taught me things and I’m really grateful for that. I can think of any month of this year and recall a person that touched me, one way or another.

 

2014 my year anamariapopa.com blog post lessons learned beautiful people ana maria popa

 

I remember that my January started with the Maroon 5 concert in London (ah-mah-zing). Once I returned, I had to concentrate on my bachelor’s degree so I closed my Facebook (it was a big deal to me!). So I had more time for Instagram and Foursquare, lol.

At the beginning of February I fell in love, the kind of feeling that makes or breaks you, that turns and changes you. It wasn’t the first time I fell in love, but this… this really was something. I was so fascinated by him that I used to look at him and think – this is the type of man I want for a husband. Kind of silly, I know, but he was magic to me. He had me wake up in the morning while having a smile on my face. It was that kind of thing when you lie awake just to see him sleep. But it ended, just like that.

My March was divided between getting back on my feet and my trip to Vienna and seeing my friends and doing my job. So, I got on a plane to Vienna for a few days and had a wonderful time with Couchsurfing friends, Tommi and Chris. There’s where I got my Green Hat from Chris, on Saint Patrick’s Day.

photo 5

 

In April I met someone whom I really loved and not necessarily in a romantic way. It was just the way that we were so alike that I felt him like a part of me, even if we had just met. We would even finish each other’s sentences or know what we were about to say before we even say it. It was so real that I would call him ‘my person’ (like in Grey’s Anatomy).

My May was full of activities with ‘my person’, until something wasn’t the way it used to be. We were just so alike, that we were bothered by the same things and we would react in the same way. It was kind of freaky…

So in June we distanced ourselves. June was also my month when I visited Belgium. Whole story, here. Aaand, that is also the month when I had a car accident… It was my fault and luckily there were no victims, but my car got hurt kind of bad (it hurt me also because I love my car) so I had to take it into a car service and leave it there. It was bad to see it like that… She’s my little dragon.

 

amp blog anamariapopa.com ana maria popa blog post 2014 lessons car accident nissan almera silver

 

July was the month I was car-less, and I had to suffer because of that. No more trips to the gym, no more going out. I’m kind of a princess in that way, it is very possible that I was born in a car. Or conceived there, don’t know. All I knew this month was to work and go home and work again.

Well, in August things started to get more interesting. I met a lot of beautiful people, and I mean A LOT! I loved them, all of them, for everything they were. And, at some point, a crazy dude broke my knee :)) But that also was fun, in its own weird way, it hurt like hell!

So, August and September were my off-months from work, since I had to only stay in bed… And afterwards I had to move around in a crutch to go to the hospital. September was also the month when I started this blog. It was a really big deal to me and it’s this year’s biggest accomplishment. It had been on my mind for some time but only then I had the time to start it. Also, this was the time I got really close to a friend I now appreciate and respect immensely.

October was the month that I had to catch up with my work and the changes that have been made in the last months that I spent in bed. I don’t even know how this month passed, really. I was super busy, as a bee. But I still had time for a concert and also to re-do my wrist tattoo and get a weekend off to go to the seaside!

 

anamariapopa.com blog post ana maria popa seaside romania constanta marea neagra black sea smile happy

 

Then came November and had my head in my work also, but I also started seeing things from other perspectives. I started having dreams and getting interested on how to make them real. More about that, next year!

Oh well, and December… December is my month, since I’m born on the 16th. And still, I am spoiled enough to have not only a birthday, but a whole birth-week! So, I took advantage of it and celebrated it every day. And since my plan wasn’t enough, my friends surprised me and made me start my celebration even earlier, 2 days earlier. So they made me Princess and got me a diploma that says that I’m the happiest girl alive!

 

anamariapopa.com blog post surpriza birthday friends cake cutting orange bubblegum picture tiara princess diploma

 

Oh, they also got me a Princess birthday cake made out of Bubblegum and Marshmallows Ice-Cream!

 

anamariapopa.com blog post surpriza birthday friends cake cutting orange bubblegum picture tiara princess diploma marzipan

 

My end of December brought me a biiiiiiig disappointment, but I guess I had to leave this one here, in 2014, so I can start fresh in 2015. I thought I had met someone really special, only to find out that I have been lied to. It was my first time when someone actually admitted to my face that he’d been lying to me. It was a shock at first, and then I was just happy it was over and that I no longer had a person like that in my life. The sad part? I thought he was something else. I think my douche-radar is broken or something, I usually sense this, honestly…

But overall, I am really happy. I’ve loved, I’ve lost, I’ve fallen in love and have been disappointed, I met new people – some good and some not so nice, I learned new things and how to deal with certain situations. Oh, and I saw Adam Levine live in concert! I got this blog that started as a place to gather my thoughts and stories of life, but I receive messages from my readers that are inspired by what they find here… It’s really impressive, so this one is about you, my readers. I’m planning something nice for 2015, promise! We can keep in touch on Facebook also, here.

At the end of 2014, all I can say is that I am really curios about 2015 🙂 Because I’m sucker for endings and beginnings.