Eastern European Short Stories

Date: July 2007 Location: Gărâna, Trei Ape There is no better cure for the summer heat than attending a music festival deep in the mountains. The yearly Jazz Festival in Gărâna is the perfect weekend getaway in nature. In my teens a longed to get there. All town spoke of the mystical, misty place in the mountains, where half the city gathers for jazz jamming sessions . For me it meant the promise of an adventure away from home, parents and responsibilities. It was a glimpse of freedom. Thus you can only imagine my thrill when S., one of my boyfriends best friends, called us one Saturday morning. "So, you guys are up for 2 days camping in the mountains?" "Damn, sure!" "Great! Get ready. I'll pick you up at noon." So we had 2 hours to pack, get tents, sleeping bags and all the goodies needed for the trip. Needless to say it was a bit of a whirlwind. At noon he picked us up. Another couple joined us too. We filled up S....

Date: summer of 2004 Location: Timisoara -> Constanta Summer holidays while you are in school are the best without a doubt. Yet in Romania the holidays for pupils last for 3 entire months! One could argue they might be too long, but they never are. There's so much to do in these three months. Go to the pool, meet friends, visit grandma in the countryside, watch MTV for endless hours on end, go camping etc. The highlight of the summer is travelling to the seaside. Means of transportation depending on the budget. The train is the preferred choice of penniless pupils, who used to get a 50% discount based on their school id. A two-way ticket cost back then around 35 Euros. We had an open return. Looking back it was rather cheap for 800+ km. But it was an adventure in itself. The summer of 2004 was extra special for me since it was the first summer I was to travel alone to the seaside. On top of that I was accompanied by my first boyfriend and his male bes...