We settled in Bran for a month, but settle is a strong word. Halfway through our stay, Lucas jetted off to Italy for Speak Teens, a week-long language and culture immersion program for Italian teens. He went with his worldschooling friends, and they were all buzzing with excitement (and a little nervous energy) as we moms dropped them off at the airport in Bucharest. Watching them head off together—passports in hand and backpacks on—was such a proud moment. It’s incredible to see them becoming such independent, globally-minded young people.
With the kids on their way to Italy, the moms seized the opportunity for a little weekend adventure of our own in Bucharest. Let’s just say… it was memorable from the moment we arrived at our accommodation. The apartment itself was clean and spacious, but the surroundings were sketchy. There were gentleman’s clubs everywhere, and the used condoms in the stairway were an… unwelcome surprise. On top of that, the fridge made a strange phantom humming sound at random intervals. It was a good time and a good story.
But we didn’t let any of that stop us from enjoying the city! We wandered through the Bucharest Botanical Gardens, and we ate some truly amazing meals. One highlight was exploring the beautiful Cărturești Carusel bookstore, a dreamy multi-story space filled with books, art, and cozy nooks. A booklover’s paradise.
We enjoyed wandering the streets. We came upon a rally for Ukraine prisoner’s of war. It was a peaceful protest. We also found an umbrella street and a Squid Games street advert.
We also made it to the city’s famous fountain light show—but not without a little drama. We first tried to see it on Friday night, but a massive thunderstorm rolled in and completely derailed those plans. So we regrouped and went back Saturday night—and it was so worth it. The 45-minute show was stunning, full of color and music, and felt like the perfect way to wrap up our time in the city.
Our journey home took longer than it should have because a tree fell on the train track. We spent three hours hanging out at Sinaia station waiting for the track to clear, but it flew by because we were in good company (and had no kids with us!).
Meanwhile, Henry had a fun weekend of his own with the dads and other kids in Bran, enjoying some quality time in the mountains. Michael went to the U.S. juggling rental properties— not as exciting as Italy or Romania, but we appreciate him working hard.
All in all, it was a week full of adventure, independence, and unexpected moments. I will share more about Lucas’s experience at Speak Teens in a later post. Something tells us he’ll have plenty of stories to share!
