Travel Blogger in Romania | Episode #9: Lauren

 

Hi everyone :). I hope you enjoyed this ride with the travel bloggers who came to Romania and expressed their thoughts about their experience here. We had lots of inspiring moments, things to learn and free tips & tricks earned. Lauren is our last blogger from the campaign so let’s have one last taste of this beautiful trip along a travel blogger. Without any further ado, meet Lauren Juliff from the United Kingdom. Even though everybody told her she would do a mistake, in 2011 she quit her job, sold everything she owned and left the U.K. for a long trip around the world.

 

Interview with Lauren from Never Ending Footsteps:

 

1. How long have you been travelling for?

Four and a half years until now.

 

2. Are you a backpacker/long-term traveller/business traveller, or do you live and work abroad?

I’m a budget traveller and long-term traveller, and I work online as I travel.

 

3. How many countries have you been to?

60 until now.

 

4. Quickfire questions:

Favourite season?  - Summer.
Beach or mountain? - Beach.
Urban or rural?  - Rural.
Next destination on your list?  - Melbourne, Australia.

 

5. How did Romania find its way on your list of destinations?

I was traveling through Eastern Europe over the space of a month and Romania seemed like a logical stop. I like to visit countries I don’t know much about so that I don’t have many expectations, and Romania fitted that description perfectly.

 

6. Expectations vs. reality in Romania

I really didn’t have any expectations around Romania – I knew very little about it. I was very impressed when I arrived, though, and I found myself wondering why more people don’t visit!

 

7. How was your experience with the traditional Romanian food?

I loved it! I especially loved the fried pork from Sergiana’s in Brasov. So good!

 

8. How did the Romanian people seem to you?

Everyone I spoke with was friendly and welcoming.

 

9. Regarding this, did you make any friends in Romania? Do you keep in touch with anybody from Romania?

Sadly, I didn’t make any friends in Romania. I don’t think I was anywhere for long enough to really bond with anyone.

 

10. Do you have any funny travel stories from Romania?

I actually had a bit of a mishap on my journey into Romania! I was travelling from Belgrade to Timisoara and then catching a train to Bucharest. We arrived in Timisoara and, as we had a few hours to wait for our next train, went to a nearby bar to get some work done.

We somehow managed to forget about the time zone change and were sat happily drinking our beer without realizing our train had just shot past us. Whoops!

 

11. Did you convince anyone to travel to Romania?

Yes! A couple of my readers got in touch after I wrote about my time there to say that they’d booked a trip there after reading about how much I loved it.

 

12. What is your least pleasant experience in Romania?

I didn’t fall in love with Bucharest, but I didn’t hate it either. It just wasn’t somewhere I connected with. There wasn’t anything majorly negative I didn’t like about the country!

 

13. Could you ever live in Romania?

Probably not. I’m looking for a long-term base right now and high on the list is a community of friends. I don’t know anybody in Romania, which doesn’t make it as appealing as other cities in Europe.

 

14. Do you have any pieces of advice or tips for aspiring travellers?

Get out of Bucharest and see some of the colourful towns, like Brasov, Rasnov, and Sighisoara. And try all of the food!

 

15. Do you believe in vampires?

No, I do not.