What it is.

It isn't the work nor the hours spent in the office. It's not the teaching, the explaining, the advising nor the assisting. It's not the projects and it's certainly not the progress. It's not what you were thinking it would be.

It's the first roasted marshmallows and the shared peanut butter M&M's. It's the preciously rare smile from a stranger and the curious, jaw dropped stare of a toddler. It's the little girl who eagerly lets you practice your lousy Romanian with her and holds your hand while doing so. It's that one woman in the piatza who tosses in an extra tomato and a comforting wink for free. It's the homemade zacusca and the hand delivered blueberries and the watermelon break during tutoring and the gift of freshly baked nutty cozonac. Cheers of tsuica, sips of afinata, saluts of polinca. It's the drama kids saying hello to you on the street and the office ladies who always smile when they see you. And if you can train your eye to look at it the right way, it could be beautiful.