From China to Living in Romania: A Personal Story of Love, Challenges, and Discovery (Our Reader’s Experience)

Here at Romania Experience, I’m always happy when our readers decide to share their personal experience about living in Romania, traveling here, or any opinion/experience they might have.

Today, I’m bringing you a special article from our reader Levi, a Chinese national who moved to Romania to be with his Romanian partner and, to my delight, had a pleasant experience overall.

He initially posted this as a comment to my article talking about the Romanian culture, but he accepted having me post it as a standalone article – hopefully, this way it reaches and helps more people wondering what it’s like to live in Romania as a foreigner (and non-EU national).

Before we begin, I want to mention that I will sprinkle some observations here and there, but the core of the content – and the opinions/experiences shared here – are Levi’s, as well as all the photos in the article.

Levi’s Romanian Experience

Hello, Calin. I started browsing your website in 2023 because at that time I was planning to move to Romania with my same-sex partner. He is Romanian, but he has lived in the UK since childhood, while I am Chinese. Now, I have been living in Timisoara for six months.

During this period, I also visited some other cities, such as Cluj, Sibiu, Brasov, Bucuresti, etc. (I like Brasov the most. My partner promised me that he would take me here for skiing in winter. He used to be a skiing instructor. That’s so cool!)

(Calin’s note: Brașov is indeed a favorite place among expats due to its beauty, chill atmosphere, and the nearby sky resorts.)

I would like to share with you, from my personal perspective, my feelings about my time living in Romania.

Firstly, the people of Romania, without a doubt, are very friendly and talkative. I lived there for six months and never encountered anyone who was unfriendly.

When I first arrived here, because I couldn’t speak Romanian and my English wasn’t very good, going out alone was a challenge for me, whether it was going shopping, having meals, or going to the immigration office to handle some procedures.

In the first month, I never went out alone; my partner accompanied me everywhere and he handled almost everything. Later, when he had to return to London to deal with work, I had to go out alone. But everything went surprisingly smoothly! Although we didn’t speak the same language, every person I met was very warm and kindly helped me.

For example: When I first went to the immigration office, I didn’t know the way and when I asked for directions, people immediately offered to show me the way. For someone living in a foreign country, this was a great comfort and inspiration.

(Calin’s note: I’ve heard more and more stories like this, and it makes me happy. Romania, while always appreciated for its friendliness towards foreigners, was not a country to shine in terms of customer service. Pleasant experiences like this prove that we’re moving in the right direction.)

Also, I would like to talk about the food in Romania. I think most of the Romanian food is delicious, especially the traditional Romanian soup. Only a few kinds I don’t like, such as a food made from sheep’s internal organs (I forgot its name).

When I went to the restaurant for a meal, even if I had never eaten this food and just looked at the menu and randomly ordered, most of the time it didn’t disappoint me.

(Calin’s note: The dish you probably mean is “drob de miel”- a traditional Easter specialty made with lamb organs. It’s definitely an acquired taste and I prefer it made with chicken liver instead. We also have beef tripe soup – appreciated by many, hated by some. But I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed, for the most part, traditional Romanian dishes – I’m yet to find somebody complains about sarmale or mititei.)

We spent most of our time cooking ourselves, my partner and I both like cooking, he cooks great Romanian food, and I also cook some Chinese dishes. We enjoy sharing the food we make together.

As for the scenery in Romania, when I first arrived in Romania it was winter. To be honest, at that time I felt a bit desolate.

Because the trees and flowers had all withered (in China, because the climate is relatively warmer, even in winter, the trees are still green), but soon after, spring came, and everything became beautiful.

First, it was peach blossoms and plum blossoms, and then almost every week, there were some new varieties of flowers competing to bloom.

Therefore, even though the temperature was still relatively low at that time, I often went for walks and took photos. Now it’s summer, and from time to time, I go to the park for a picnic or just lie down quietly. I enjoy these leisurely moments.

(Calin’s note: Winters in Romania can indeed feel gray and dull, especially compared to warmer climates. However, the transition to spring is truly spectacular, and it’s probably better that you arrive when things were gloomy, to see them get back to life and become more beautiful, than the other way around.)

Regarding transportation, most of the time my partner and I traveled by car, but I also experienced trains, Uber, Bolt, etc. Overall, everything was quite good and very convenient, but the train’s running speed was a bit too slow.

From Timisoara to Sibiu it takes 7 to 8 hours. But I discovered a problem: in Timisoara, people drive more civilly, at an appropriate speed, and know to give way voluntarily, while in Bucharest, the drivers become more impatient. I find it strange. Why is there such a big difference between different cities of the same country?

(Calin’s note: You’re not alone in noticing this! Bucharest is indeed very aggressive and chaotic when it comes to driving, while the cities in the Western part of the country, but also Brasov, for example, are all calmer. As for trains… I love riding them, but the huge times they require getting from one city to another, plus the constant delays, make them a nightmare.)

In terms of accommodation, because my partner and I didn’t like noisy environments, we rented a two-bedroom apartment in a place far from the city center.

The rent was 700 euros. I was very satisfied with this place because it was close to a large natural forest park. Walking along the forest for 20 minutes would lead to a beautiful lake.

This was the perfect route for us to walk and walk our dogs every day. Of course, there were more affordable options. I learned that in our surrounding area, some one-bedroom apartments had rents of only 400-450 euros.

(Calin’s note: These are the general prices I’ve been sharing on the website, too. It’s good to hear that there are budget-friendly options available, but in the end, it’s also important to find something that you can call “home” from all your heart, even if it’s a bit more expensive. And even the 700 euros/month is difficult to beat in other European cities.)

I have made some great friends here. We go fishing, walking, cycling, have meals together, go to clubs, and also go to church for worship. The pace of life here is relatively slow. When I lived in China, people were usually cold, I often felt anxious, and I rarely had time to relax and have fun. But here, I feel very relaxed and comfortable.

Finally, since there are no policies related to same-sex couples in Romania, I had to use another method to obtain my visa. Now, due to some issues with my visa, I will have to leave Romania for a period of time. It’s even difficult for me to return here.

This makes me very sad. Because I must honestly say: I have fallen in love with this place! I will leave in the middle of September.

Before that, I have to deal with many things: the rented house, our dog, the furniture we bought, the freshly harvested peppers and tomatoes in the backyard… The most worrying thing is that I will have to be separated from my partner for a period of time!

Please bless us. I believe that, no matter what, lovers will eventually be reunited!

(Calin’s final note: Your story deeply touched me. Romania still has some way to go regarding equal rights and policies for same-sex couples. However, I share your hope and optimism. Your love story deserves a happy ending, and I sincerely hope you’ll be reunited soon, back here in Romania.)

Final Thoughts

It’s stories like this that show us how charming, but also challenging, moving abroad can be. I think they are more helpful than any generic “guide,” as it’s exactly the personal experience that makes the difference.

Thank you for sharing your heartfelt experience, Levi! We’re all rooting for your reunion and look forward to welcoming you back to Romania soon!

If you want to read more from our readers, check these out:

• Ana’s story moving from Brazil to Timisoara.
• Kevin’s story moving from the US to Brasov (and a follow-up interview).
• Angela’s Summer in a Transylvanian Village.
• Stuart’s Romanian School Experiences.
• Stuart’s Funny Stories about Living in Romania.
• JC’s thoughts on why expats, retirees, and digital nomads should move to Romania.

Feel free to share your thoughts or similar experiences in the comments below – or send me an email using the Contact page if you want your story/experience published here on the website.