Where in the world is Katie Reed?

That title would be infinitely more awesome if my name was Carmen Sandiego. Didn’t they try to make a TV show about that game once? Anyway…it’s less than 24 hours before I blow this Popsicle stand some people like to call Romania. I prefer to call it the jungle as the guy in the train station said to me yesterday in a very Axel Rose-esque way. But unfortunately, he was mistaken. I’m not coming into this crazy city, but leaving it. I’m feeling a bit nostalgic. It’s weird because sometimes I feel like I just got off the plane and other times I feel like I can’t remember what it’s like to drive my car. I actually answered someone in a meeting yesterday in Romanian.

So, there are definitely some things I’ll miss: the stray dogs (Bill, Cujo, Eddie, and even Oscar and Grover, the mean ones), the crazy comforter swaps, the owner of Café Milano (mmmm, those crepes), tiny elevators, our blue leather couches, plastic money and doing those lovely lei to dollar conversions, the small cars and “anything goes” driving conditions, and of course, my coworkers and this office. It’s going to be really strange not walking up those 100+ steps tomorrow morning.

And, of course, there are the things I won’t miss: ten year old homeless kids ravaging my pockets for money, yellowish brown water, drying my clothes on a heater, pointing and using hand motions to communicate, iceless drinks, my clothes reeking of smoke, and of course, there will always be that ill fated trip to Snagov.


I think I’m ready to throw in the towel on Romania, but I’m ready to see more of Europe. Over the next couple weeks, I’ll be in Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Amsterdam, London and I think I’m gonna throw in Paris just for the hell of it. If I like you, maybe you’ll get a postcard. I’ll post some of my pictures when I get back, but for now, that’s it, la revedere. Peace.


Reed, out