Home

Living here for the last couple months I have met and lived with some pretty amazing people. My host family whom I lived with for about two months are the most caring and hospitable people, I have ever met. My host family gladly invited me in. Their hearts are very pure, and their focus to serve God is bar none. I feel that I have been made a part of their family. They are very loving, and this shows in all that they do. There has only been a couple times in my life where I can truly say I have felt at home. To me home is where you have family. Family to me, are people I feel close to, since I do not have any biological brothers or sisters I consider my close friends my brothers and sisters. I have found this within my host family and even with the friends I have made here.

Who knew that this small town in the Jiu Valley would become another home to me? I had no clue what to expect when I first arrived, but my mind has been blown for all the hospitality that people have offered to me. I heard about Romanian hospitality, but it is one thing to hear about something, then to experience it first hand. Even though times have been hard for the people here, there is a sense within the people of strong perseverance. Family here is a priority, and they show it in how they raise their kids. One of my host brothers is one of the kindest people I have ever met, but yet he is still a quirky teenager, and he also is one of the best cooks I know. He is a great example of the hospitality here in Lupeni, and how great someone can become when they have great parents.

People here in the Jiu Valley look up rather than down, and can be very optimistic. I have seen this through several of my friends here. This is also one of the reasons I feel that is a home, I know no place is perfect and I understand that Lupeni has its flaws, but I can accept them as they come. This is a second home to me, and I am glad that I know I have a family here.

-Val