Autumn Quest: Exploring my Heritage

Name 5 Brothers: Family Tree

Hello from Romania. It has always been a dream to discover my family’s heritage, and I finally made it! I am half Romanian, albeit distantly— my great-grandparents immigrated to the USA circa late 1920s. Nobody in my immediate family has ever visited, so I’m doing the preliminary research and connection making. The spontaneous aspect of the trip makes it even more interesting to me. Rather than doing research before the trip, I have been finding things out on the go— drawing and redrawing the family tree, discovering new parts of the family, and meeting up with them. 

Regardless of the last-minute nature of my plans and how closely or distantly we are related, my relatives have offered warm welcomes and wonderful Romanian hospitality. They want to show me everything, feed me all the traditional food, share stories, tell me about the history… It has been amazing so far! 

I arrived to Romania in a rush to meet with my relatives John and Ana. When I started reworking my plans for September, my schedule was completely open and I didn’t have the slightest idea of what I wanted to do or where to go. I reached out to see if they could share any familial connections in Romania or offer advice for a potential trip. When they invited me to stay with them in Sibiu, Romania, where they would spend 10 more days, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

John and Ana live in the USA and visit Romania every other year together. John is my grandpa’s cousin, born in the USA; he met his wife Ana through mutual friends while visiting family in Romania. I had met them only one time before arriving at their home in Sibiu, where my parents, grandpa, and I shared dinner with them. My mom told me that it’s important to make connections like this, because maybe I would meet them in Romania in the future. I could only laugh, because something like that felt so far out and impossible at the time, especially without my family! But look at how far we’ve come…

Name 5 Dishes: Culture & Food

Growing up I didn’t know much about Romania. I did not learn the language or hear about the current events or history here. My grandpa would even claim that, no, we don’t have any relatives there anymore. Naturally, one part of the culture was passed down each generation through shared meals: the traditional food. Consequently, the food has been the most meaningful part of the cultural experience for me.

Ana told me she enjoys cooking, and I really hope she wasn’t stretching the truth since in anticipation of my arrival she prepared many dishes. There were homemade stuffed cabbage rolls, stuffed peppers and chicken papricaş all ready to bake in the fridge; chicken soup, sausage, cookies, and more.

Even just hearing the name of each dish sparked up memories of my childhood as she showed me what she had cooked. I was reminded of my grandma’s cooking and the recipes my dad still rotates through. And let me tell you, the flavors did not disappoint— it was Christmas in September! I could not give enough thanks for the wonderful food and hospitality offered to me by John and Ana.

Name 5 Landmarks: Exploring Sibiu

The town of Sibiu was a great introduction to the country. I was happy to have flown into Romania from the west over a seemingly endless range of mountains, thinking to myself maybe this is why I’m such a mountain person. Sibiu is located in Transylvania, the central region that is known for beautiful views in the Carpathian Mountains, its very high population of brown bears, and the legend of Dracula. When I found out our ancestors were from this area, I was happy to learn that I could make vampire jokes!

The historical information that follows is collected from my relatives and a free walking tour, with a little bit of History with Becca.

History with Becca

There is a rich history in Sibiu, as can be expected due to the key location in Eastern Europe. Places in this area were conquered and reconquered by various empires over the centuries. There is also German influence in Transylvania because, with the temptation of tax breaks, they settled the area and helped rebuild the cities. The Germans, Romanians, and Hungarians would live in separate parts of the city and the historic division is still visible today if you know where to look.

In Sibiu specifically, there are small windows on the roofs of the houses that look quite suspicious. Although made for ventilation, their shape is no coincidence: the “eyes” made it feel like you were being watched and were thought to help mitigate crimes. Talk about pre-internet big brother! ((During the walks we took around town, I was told countless historical pieces of information that I’m sure the history buffs would love but honestly, that’s the end of this edition of History with Becca. ))

There is also a Bridge of Lies, offering great views of the town and also, supposedly, some lie detection witchcraft. The mystic qualities reminded me of the bridge in Lima, Peru where you can make one wish if you cross the bridge while holding your breath [Bridge of Sighs]. 

Currently, Sibiu is quite hipster. There are nice parks filled with people during the weekends. At the main square on Saturday there was a special sporting event featuring many yard sports such as table tennis, spikeball, CanJam, basketball, rock climbing, football, and more. There were quite a few kids and young adults taking advantage of the afternoon with the sporting activities in the square. I heard that this event was a part of the outdoor week here to encourage outdoor activities and biking.

I was also put in contact with other relatives, who I met for a day. We visited Alba Iulia Citadel, a famous fortress near Sibiu. There, we also enjoyed a Hungarian dish Langos: fried dough with sour cream and salty cheese.

Here’s some more photos I like from Sibiu:)

Thanks for reading!