By Jackie Phillips
Executive
Henry Ford II HS
Years passed, family miles away and various lengths of time between trips: it had been seven years since senior Adrian Romanel had seen his hometown.
This past summer, Romanel went back to his home country of Moldova for a month and a half to visit his family members. He hadn’t been able to see them in years since moving to the United States at the age of seven.
“My favorite part about going back to Moldova was seeing my old friends and family again,” Romanel said. “It was great to see how things had changed from when I had last been there.”
Prior to moving to America, Romanel came to the US during the first grade and took a year of first grade here, and then had to repeat it in Moldova because school starts later there.
After permanently moving to America at the age of 11, Romanel was told that he had to repeat the fifth grade to keep up with language skills. After learning English, Romanel adapted to the ongoing courses.
“The hardest part about being away from Moldova is that I rarely ever get to see my family that’s there,” Romanel said. “The last time I had seen them before this trip was seven years ago.”
Romanel still has various family members that stayed in Moldova after his move, which is the reason he stayed there for a month and a half. Both his grandmother and grandfather on his mother’s side are still back in Moldova along with his aunt and two cousins. It was an important trip to him because it’s the place he was born and where all of his family lives.
“The things I miss most about Moldova is how simple life was there,” Romanel said. “It’s not as developed as America and when I came here I had to majorly adjust to life in the city.”
Moldova’s terrain is full of forests and rocky mountains and it’s economy relies heavily on agriculture. It is an Eastern European country and a former part of the Soviet Republic and is home to the world’s largest wine cellar. The country is full of rich history.
After years of being miles away from his family, Romanel finally got to visit his family in Moldova.
1st Place
Division 3, Yearbook Verbal
Y-06. Personality Profile
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