My first plane ride was a much needed time to reflect on what I was leaving behind. As I always do, I did that in writing. This time, in the form of a letter.

I’m looking for stories on the world. This is why I left. Still, there’s more to it. As I look ahead at all of the countries I will be exploring over the next months, I can’t stop but wonder what lessons they may hold for the one I left back home, the one I will return to.

As I was getting father and farther away, I wrote a letter to Romania and my fellow Romanians. The piece was published in Republica.ro, in Romanian.

READ THE LETTER HERE (ROMANIAN)