Surviving Loneliness | Story Time 😞 & How I Cope | Moving Abroad Ep.21

Did you know 1/3 of people experience loneliness on a consistent basis? I hope that by sharing my story, we can connect and I can help shine a light in the darkness.
In this video, I open up about my experience with loneliness and what helped pull me out of a dark time.
This is not intended to be therapy or medical advice, but my experience and what helped me.
Thank you for being there for me and providing a platform for me to open up and share my story. I appreciate you being here to experience life, learn and grow me. XOXO

[@sierramarie]

Thank you for being here! I am so thankful to experience life, learn and grow with you! XOXO

[@punkkumies1283]

i want to stay single and stay alone. i still have many friends and that is enough for me.

[@sierramarie]

A few good friends will make all the difference!

[@ursdaniel]

Romanian people and europeans, generaly are open and friendly. Also, most of europeans and Romania, especialy in Cluj-Napoca, do speak english very well. Cluj Napoca is full of young people, which speak english. I dont get how you didnt bond with them....I used to live for years in Cluj Napoca, last week I ve been to Cluj Napoca. This city has an awesome vibe. Because of the young student people. So many of them. Its up to you to make your life much easier, enjoyable in Cluj Napoca.

[@sierramarie]

I think I was been holding myself back in several ways without even realizing it. Also, dealing with a new country for the first time and facing deportation was really stressful 😖 Now that we are back in Romania I’m looking forward to building connections and meeting new people. You are totally right, it’s up to me and there are a ton of people that are extremely nice and willing to connect! ☺️ Thank you for the comment!

[@ursdaniel]

@@sierramarie deportation is a strong statement...no american can be deported :) Enjoy your romanian & european lifetime experience, you wont fiind anything similar, is UNIQUE ! Also, enjoy Cluj Napoca. In 5 months you will relive Untold Festival experience!! As you did last year :)

[@sierramarie]

@@ursdaniel I agree! Thank you for following along my journey! ☺️

[@ursdaniel]

@@sierramarie You are welcome. As someone wrote before, I suggest You and your husband visiting some Romania cities. I suggest Oradea and Sibiu,which are near Cluj-Napoca, which are 1h 1 30 h drive. Also, try to lear some basic romanian words. When you will go to shopping, If you will speak few words, even if you dont pronnnounce perfectly, Romanians will understand you are foreigner and they appreciate the effort you ve put . Romanian language is a latin base language. So, it wont be difficult to learn some words. Its not like learning hungarian...LOL. Best regarda from Baia Mare, north of Romania:) close to Cluj Napoca,also :)

[@realjx313]

One of your mistakes is that it seems you haven't traveled in Romania - and there are a lot of things to see. So you want to make local friends, get to know the country, see it, understand it, slowly learn the language. There are some people that end up not fitting in and they spend their time with expats and they are there but they don't really live there and that's not a good idea, there is no real connection to the place, it's never home. And yeah i understand that you didn't actually had much time to settle in since you were forced to travel for 3 month. Also, in Romania is easy to make friends and , unlike in the US, you can go out on any day of the week and you'll easily find people willing to go out. How many words in Romanian do you know? You should know somewhere between 20 and 100 by now - 100 would require a minimal effort to study a little bit. 20 should be before you even arrive, how to say hi, thank you and so on. You have to fully embrace a place to ever understand it and be comfortable. On top of that, the US teaches people to work work work and work is one's identity but that's very US specific, for others it's normal to have a life and do other things. So if you find yourself not busy with work, it's harder for you to find ways to fill your time. Tell you what, try to learn about Romania, you can start with spots you could visit on weekends. Cities- Bucharest, Brasov, Sighisoara, Oradea, Alba Iulia, Timisoara, Iasi, Sibiu, Constanta, Search for info, learn about them, see what you might want to visit. Mountains - Bucegi, Fagaras, Retezat, Apuseni, Ciucas, Piatra Craiului, Rodnei, Ceahlaul and more. Famous spots- Danube Delta, Transfagarasan, Orsova, Maramures, Bucovina and so on. Castels - Peles, Bran, Corvin, Cantacuzino (this one is where Netflix filmed Wednesday). Medieval fortresses lots. Oh also, what's on the UNESCO world heritage list, the fortified churches in Transylvania, Moldova monasteries, the wooden churches in Maramures and more. Foods- this one is a very long list, Romania actually has one of the most appreciated cuisines in the world so don't get stuck eating just what you are used to. Lakes, caves, waterfalls, there are plenty of those too. Life in the countryside is super interesting too. The traditions, the culture, the history,. there is lots of that.

[@sierramarie]

I really really appreciate this thoughtful and insightful response!! I can totally agree that not fully embracing the culture and customs will make it feel less like home. It is important to really integrate and try to become a part of the place you come to; language, food, etc. We definitely have not had the chance to travel Romania yet as we would like, but it is definitely on our list! Now that things are calming down for us it will be fun to look up places to experience here! I have done a little bit of research and watched some documentaries since being back and it makes me really excited to explore! I appreciate your tips and recommendations for travel; I know there is so much amazing history and architecture in Romania that I look forward to seeing and being able to show others. This is great to hear from a native perspective. I feel very encouraged and uplifted by this! Thank you for taking the time to write out all of that and give great tips!

[@adrianceasar5620]

go out in the city :) buy a book ..watch a movies.. pubs :) ....you will go to Untold soon :) and you will forget everything :)

[@sierramarie]

Honestly! This is such good advice 🙌🏻 Just getting out and doing things around town does make a huge difference. I literally can’t wait for untold again!!! 🥳

[@64marro]

p.s. you are a strong woman if you have the strength to talk about all your worries.

[@sierramarie]

That is kind of you 🥹 I think it’s important to be transparent and share how I’m learning and growing- Thank you for your support!

[@64marro]

@@sierramarie ,I imagine . I remember what I lived in America at the beginning and how you feel here...in a world much more complicated than America. I smile when you thank me for the encouragement and support. This is the essence of life on earth, to learn from each other. to give the haters the best of what we have experienced. BUT .. after what happens .. we don't really know how to be human anymore. Keep your head up, breathe in, breathe out because you have a long way to go and you have the strength.

[@64marro]

You definitely have a heavy soul, it's hard for you and you need friends. There's one more thing... You don't have a project, a concern and you have to make a future for yourself, not just to be a wife. After all..america, europe are just definitions, you have to fulfill your life. Much too sensitive, much too disoriented (I watched your videos). So... focus your energy on what you CAN discover that suits you. It is a joy and a privilege to live in Europe (I know this from many Americans. I lived in NY for a while). I think that the fight is in you and that you don't have the courage to slam the door against the wall. (sorry to be harsh)

[@sierramarie]

I agree! I have learned and grown so much through this journey, and still have a-lot to discover! Thank you for the encouragement.