There is nothing more pleasing for me than overcoming language barriers and the kindness of strangers. We were near Sibiu when we began to worry that we might run out of gasoline before getting to the next town. In a small village we stopped to consider our options, and we saw a group of three young women hitchhiking by the side of the road. It is not that they were hitchhiking because they were rebels, but rather because this is a normal way of getting around. We spoke with one of them who was conversationally fluent in Italian, and she told us that her uncle had some gas we could buy. We bought two liters of his gas, but we thought we might repay the woman for her help. We asked where she needed to go, and when she said Sibiu we told her we could take here there.
We began to drive towards Sibiu. We spoke in Spanish and she spoke in Italian. She asked why we were in the area. We had been looking for a certain landmark and she told us she would guide us there. We spent an hour checking out this site before we continued to her city.
The reality for us was that we did not have any place to stay, and we were hoping she might invite us to stay with her. We were not let down. We went to her apartment where she lived with her sister. We spent the evening doing our best to get to know each other. We ate dinner together over a conversation in two languages.
The next day we said our goodbyes and parted ways. To this day this experience is one of my favorite memories of Romania. It is amazing the connections you can make.
