Wo/anderers Daniela Dandes

Ever wondered what a syllable square is? What about a fib poem? And what do these poetry-meets-math verses have to do with Romania? Our latest Wo/anderers guest, JoAnne Growney from the United States, untangles all these mysteries by inviting us on her rich, artistic, and science-inspired journey. A professor of mathematics at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania, JoAnne brought her unique passion for math-infused poetry unknowingly to Romania when she first visited the country during a teaching exchange experience in Deva, Hunedoara. There, she started out by teaching English to middle school students at the local “Andrei Mureșanu” high school. But her experience in this new land expanded exponentially (alliteration intended) with the help of a group of Romanian mathematicians, who introduced JoAnne to a new world of unconventional math poetry from this side of the world. Together with her new friends and her dedicated students, she published the results of an elaborate translation project of Romanian authors such as Ion Barbu, Ileana Mălăncioiu and Nichita Stănescu, among others. JoAnne’s sensibility and love for her Romanian adventure also inspired her to write original poems about those unique encounters with locals and with the land itself from her visits, poems that she brought home, to the United States. Enjoy this creativity-first discussion with JoAnne Growney as she takes us on her inspired journey to Romania in this episode of the Wo/anderers podcast.

What is love? What is your soul? What mission have you come here, on this planet, to fulfill? These important questions have inspired Andrew Kenneth Fretwell from the United Kingdom to direct his entire energy into bringing their content closer to home. Or more specifically, as a spiritual space holder, he took it upon himself to help others connect with their higher, truer selves. Romania played a pivotal role in refining Andrew’s life mission, which is closely linked to the ancient Daoist philosophy, through the unique openness of its people and the deep sacred energy contained within the land itself. His entry point into the country’s heart happened through friendship, growing from one special connection to the other. Today, even after having closed his Romanian life chapter, Andrew still carries all the lessons and special moments he picked up from his 5 years in the country, not to mention that he continues living the Romanian spirit through his thriving relationship with his Romanian girlfriend. The legacy that Andrew left in Romania is vast, from introducing spiritual teachings such as the Gene Keys to touching people on a personal level with his example and mastery. Enjoy a light and lovely conversation about life’s deepest topics with Andrew Kenneth Fretwell in Episode 18: The Dao, the Brit and the Dacians of the Wo/anderers podcast.

Romania’s history regarding its national anthem has been as knotty as its own shifting path, especially in the last 150 years. Top the status quo with a continuous mystery surrounding certain important past events, and you get the questions that Matthias Ruijgrok from the Netherlands has been asking himself, particularly for his dissertation back in 2015. A musician and trained historian, Matthias had become interested in unravelling the veil of enigma off certain places that felt so far from his own culture (and even land). He took advantage of his university years in Utrecht and Amsterdam to explore Romania, to which he felt an unexplainable attraction. The result of his curiosity is transposed in his master’s thesis, which dealt with the origins and evolution of the striking, solemn, yet vibrant national anthem, "Deșteaptă-te, române!". In Episode 17 of Wo/anderers, Matthias generously shares his research process and personal findings around Romania’s most important song.

What secrets does our past hold? What magic can be found in our ancient roots? Stephen Aube from Canada has taken these questions to heart and ended up transforming them into the prima materia for his life mission. He has travelled the world from Peru to Turkey, from Ecuador to France, to learn from treasure thieves, shamans, star readers, and historians everything he could about ancient civilizations. All this preparation led him to his discovery of the Getae and their advanced culture in the heart of Romania. But truth be told: he had no clue what adventures were about to unfold. Dive deep with Stephen into the ancient Dacian civilization and find out more about his efforts to revive the old giants in the memory of humankind in Episode 16 of the Wo/anderers podcast.

When spiritual teachings collide with scientific knowledge and ancient writings, that is what you’d call a breakthrough. Richard Rudd from the United Kingdom is no stranger to such a wonderful coming together, as he is the soul behind the Gene Keys, a wisdom-infused synthesis that helps people from every corner of the globe know more about themselves and the world. His encounter with Romania has a special seat reserved in his heart, since this is one of the places that have embraced the teachings of the Gene Keys so early on and so eagerly. Fast forward to the present day, Richard’s interactions with Romanians have been a cauldron of continuous growth and transformation for both parties. Find out more about how the people and the culture touched Richard, what he observed in the Romanian people and what are his hopes for this special place in episode 15 of the Wo/anderers podcast.

Felipe and Janelle Silva, the first couple on the Wo/anderers podcast from Brazil and Canada, started their Romanian adventure back in 2012, when they got involved in developing youth projects for children in Jiu Valley. Little did they know that their heart would not let them leave this corner of natural paradise and that this would be the place they would settle, and even where they would start a family. A dream of Felipe kept both of them focused and determined to remain in Jiu Valley, to strive towards their noble cause of putting together a youth climbing gym, where children could learn valuable life skills like will power, teamwork, discipline, and commitment. Many years and a huge collection of stories later, the Fără Limite climbing gym is a thriving, lively hub for the entire Jiu Valley community, a place that adds its much-needed good vibes to the place. Find out Felipe and Janelle's Romanian stories in this episode of the Wo/anderers podcast.