Five homes in six months
On life in Bucharest, embassy housing, the World Happiness Report, Netflix recs + travel news
Life Lately
In an unexpected turn of events, I’m writing to you now from our new (temporary) apartment a bit further out in Bucharest.
In my last note, I shared that the embassy housing board here wouldn’t allow us to switch apartments until the summer sometime.
However, after taking another look at the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) which dictates embassy procedures, my husband and I realized the board’s decision was based on incorrect information.
After bringing this to light and pointing out the relevant section of the FAM, things quickly changed.
Last week, movers packed up our belongings again and moved us to our temporary accommodation, where we’ll stay for three weeks or so.
In mid-April, we’ll finally move into our “permanent” housing assignment for the duration of our first foreign service tour in Romania.
Thankfully, our temporary apartment is in the same building and apartment community as our permanent one, so we feel much closer to being settled already.
I’m liking this area so much more than our unsafe, dark, noisy and polluted apartment downtown.
I feel thankful to now have access to cleaner air, more sunlight and a more serene, welcoming home environment. The doggies will benefit so much from living in this location, too.
When I look back on the last five months, I feel relieved it’s almost over. Living with such impermanence, instability and anxiety has been draining. The nine months in D.C. before that were no cake walk, either.
I occasionally look back at my photos of our life in London before joining the Foreign Service, and I almost don’t recognize myself. Everything feels so different now.
I miss that happiness, freedom and autonomy.
Here’s to hoping spring brings some brighter experiences.
What to Watch
We’ve found so many good foreign language dramas and thrillers lately.
We’re currently streaming The Asunta Case (Spanish), a TV series loosely based on the disappearance of 12-year-old Asunta Basterra—a Chinese-born orphan adopted by a wealthy Spanish couple.
With unexpected twists and turns, The Asunta Case is so bingeworthy, it has a perfect score of 100% on the review site Rotten Tomatoes.
I also recommend German Netflix series Dear Child, which follows two children and their mother-figure as they escape captivity and navigate the subsequent police investigation. This one will keep you guessing until the very end.
Lastly, Woman of the Dead (German) is the gripping story of a woman’s quest for vengeance after her husband’s murder. Set in the snowy Austrian alps, this dark drama pulls you in from the opening scene.
In the News
The World Happiness Report for 2025 ranked Finland, Denmark and Iceland as the happiest countries in the world. Australia was ranked number 11, the U.K. number 23 and the U.S. number 24.
Top influencing factors this year, as most years, were social connectedness and faith in others.
Lebanon, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan took the bottom three slots.
In other news, the U.K.’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) requirement goes into effect April 2 for Europeans. Anyone traveling to or through the country without British or Irish citizenship will need to apply in advance and pay the £10-£16 fee.
This same policy was implemented for Americans, Australians and other nations back in January. You can find the full list of ETA countries here.
With new immigration and border policies in effect, many nations are issuing advisories to those considering travel to the United States.
Border crossings from Canada were down more than 20 percent in February, and experts worry about the potential cumulative economic impact.
Even a 10 percent reduction in Canadian visitors could result in $2.1 billion in lost spending and 14,000 job losses, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
New Blogs
I just added a new blog to the site about common scams travelers should look out for when visiting Romania.
The blog was unfortunately inspired by personal experience, as you’ll see if you read through to the bottom.
Overall, the country is incredibly safe, but there are cheeky tricksters to look out for everywhere unfortunately!
Top Travel Accessory
These Sony headphones have gotten me through many long haul flights. The noise-canceling technology is unparalleled, helping you to arrive fresh and energized after a lengthy travel journey.
In fact, I even use them on a daily basis to help drown out background noise while I work!
That’s all for now! Feel free to comment on anything I mentioned or whatever has been on your mind.
Cheers,
Michelle Altenberg
Connect with me on Instagram or Threads.
Destination Guides
Hungary | Italy | Romania | United Kingdom | United States
“We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place. We stay there, even though we go away. And there are things in us that we can find again only by going back there.”
― Pascal Mercier, Night Train to Lisbon