Surprise! I have a new raw podcast for you.

From somewhere behind the streets to your Inbox. Not my best choice of place, but definitely authentic.

Just like Ubud, where nature meets the messy street, this content will be a mix of the beautiful and the messy.

To my English-speaking community: Because it is recorded in Romanian, I know the translation/transcript (hopefully it appears, let me know in the comments) might not always capture every nuance, but I hope the essence of our shared human experience will go through.

If not, I can give you the context/resume right here:

This is an exploration of how deep self-abandonment can go, from a human who has spent the last six years knocking on the doors of the soul using alternative tools for healing…from sacred medicine, to intuitive writing, to the medicine of Bali and others….to the most relevant one: the inner voice.

In these years, I’ve been navigating the layers of my own identity, moving between the “true self” and the “false self,” often negotiating away my own alignment.

I recently realized that this negotiation was so deep it became visible in the length of my hair. A physical weight that was pulling down my vital energy because it was kept for someone else’s ….love, not my own.

(at the moment you’re receiving this in your inbox, that “weight” will no longer exist)

This is another exploration about the humility and integrity it takes to peel back those layers, pointing out that healing isn’t a straight line but a repetitive cycle of forgetting and remembering.

It is an invitation for us all to stop the internal negotiation and to start honoring the fragments that make us whole.

We are moving beyond compromise into a place where we no longer lose ourselves just to fit into someone else’s world.

Reclaiming the WILD takes time.

But we are walking together on the path.

Walking the path with you,

Simona

P.S.

Ready to change your energy and to change your life?

Step into my online sanctuary: https://2beseen.carrd.co/

This was my question to him... a rather un/usual presence in Sayuri.

People here are wearing different identities in their search for the truth of who they are.

Some of them… they are simply expressing their uniqueness, their weird-wild beautiful soul.

This one got my attention. But not because …

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Today I celebrate your presence here with a late gift (check it at the end), and I am bringing a reflection I’ve had in my notes some time ago.

In my journey, I had moments of being consistent and structured, and I had moments of being deeply in the flow.

I don’t believe it is right or wrong.

I’ve come to realize that st…

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The only instruction we’ve had?

Be ready to take action.

I loved that. It was exciting, uncomfortable, playful, and revelatory.

And I realized:

There is something so powerful about choosing to…

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In today’s video, a new format filmed in the intimacy of my home with Martin, we dive into the healing power of the written word.

I’m sharing the story of a project I recently discovered called “A Reason to Stay.” It’s a movement that collects letters for those who are struggling to find hope when all they want is to give up on life.

This touched the very core of my “Letters from Bali” project. I have always believed that writing from the heart is a form of medicine.

During our conversation, a small heart-led challenge was born:

I want to hear your real story.

Not the curated version, but the raw truth of your journey.

Leave a comment

I will choose the stories that touch my heart the deepest, and I will answer three of you with a personal letter of my own.

I will always ask for your blessing before sharing your words with the world.

And if you only wish to write a letter for those seeking hope, here’s the website: https://www.reasonstostay.co.uk/

Ever on the path,

Simona

Ascension – Descension.

And sometimes, only sometimes, something moves in both directions at once.
Saturday was that moment.

I felt an explosion inside me. From the base of my spine rising upward to the sky…

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Let the light hiding in the dark touch you for a moment.
Let the questions rise.

• Who are you?

• Why do you move the way you do?

Sometimes it takes only a small sparkle to shift an entire life.
So… step into the mirror with me.

Yesterday, in my online program Let’s Play and Shine, we opened the Gate of the Sun: our inner light, the essence beneath everything we pretend to be.

And being inspired by the idea of light in the dark, I created two ceremonies, one in Romanian and this live with a prayer for the people in the mirror (one of my early texts from Letters Before Bali) mixed with energy work.

The text is here (EN & RO):

I’ll be honest; this time I felt myself more emotional, more vulnerable, even a little nervous.

The theme of being seen touched a deeper chord, and for a moment, I questioned why I was doing this at all.

My mind tried to interfere… but somehow I made it through to the other side.

May this offering land exactly where it is needed, for whoever is ready to receive it.

Ever on the path,

Simona

Get more from Simona T. in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

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Yesterday I did something different.

I decided to choose progress over perfection.
(Thank you, , for your letter “009. Do it scared” )

Action over procrastination.
Being of service instead of waiting for someone to ask for my help.

And so I jumped, fully, into the unknown, as someone I had never been before.

Me, the forest, a little circle of yellow leaves, and my phone.
One take. No plan. No filter.

1. THIS imperfect English Live on Substack:
   with a short intro about myself, my gifts, Sufi Tarot reading for those who entered live plus one for the collective (Dunya - the World), a bit of energy work, around minute 15 for those who want to skip directly there,
   and some wisdom weaving itself through my words.

2. I also recorded a video in Romanian, reading The Dialogue with the Shadow (posted here two days ago) as an intuitive writing ritual, followed by energy work that will be available today on my YouTube channel.

3. And… I finally said yes to something I’ve been circling around for a while,
   The Conscious Coaches Accelerator with Aaron Doughty & Victor Oddo.

   I tried before, but my inner clock wasn’t ready for that level of commitment. Now, everything inside whispered the same message my Higher Self kept repeating during the meditation from the first opening session: Finally, it’s time.

I love that kind of timing, when the inside and outside finally meet.

November feels like a good month for change.
For stepping forward.
For saying yes to the next version of myself.

So here’s to change.
To courage over comfort.
And to giving ourselves permission to shine, even when it’s messy, imperfect, beautifully human.

Sufi Tarot Reflections from the Forest (if you don’t wish to watch the full video)

FIVE OF STAFFS: The Fire of Challenge
The dance between drive and peace.
Learning to play, not fight.
The mirror of ego softens when met with awareness.
Contemplation: What does competition reveal about the way I treat myself?
Affirmation: I move with courage, not comparison. I let my fire fuel creation, not conflict.

MURSHIDA: The High Priestess
Stillness that speaks louder than words.
The unseen teacher within.
When I stop searching, truth begins to echo.
Contemplation: Where am I being asked to listen instead of act?
Affirmation: I trust the quiet wisdom rising through me. My heart knows before my mind understands.

SABR: Temperance
The sacred art of balance, where patience becomes devotion.
Where the extremes dissolve and the middle path reveals its light.
Contemplation: Which parts of me are ready to meet in peace?
Affirmation: I breathe in harmony. I give myself time to unfold at my own divine pace.

DUNIYA: The World (Collective Message)
The circle closes, the journey opens.
Fulfillment not as an ending, but as a returning to Self… of coming Home.
Contemplation: What old story is complete, and what new rhythm wants to begin?
Affirmation: I celebrate my wholeness. I walk forward with gratitude, free and complete.

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video, and to you if you feel like receiving!

Do let me know in the comments if you’d like me to do more lives in the future.

“I want to receive more!” - you might say.

So, here’s how we can walk the Path Together:

• MIRRORSHIP (from €333)

  3–10 days | In-person / Online

This is not a program.

It’s a container, a sacred mirror space between souls.

A living field where resonance speaks before words.

For 3 up to 10 days, we travel together: not to fix, but to remember.

Not to do more, but to be with what is, in clarity and acceptance.

• Soul Recalibration: Light Language

  Sliding Scale: €111–€444

This is for those who always felt different.

Too sensitive, too deep, too much, or not enough.

The ones who hid their magic.

If you’re tired of hiding, this is for you.

You don’t have to do it alone.

Come home to your energy, your voice, your truth.

Let yourself be seen.

• The IN-BETWEEN SESSIONS

  Sliding Scale: €222– €444

Let’s meet in the in-between.

No map needed.

A space between word and silence, energy and presence.

We don’t follow a format.

We follow the energy.

This is a hybrid 1:1 space where we move gently between intuitive writing, energy work, sound, silence, and movement, depending on what your body, and soul are asking for.

• LITTLE Bridges

For those who feel the call but are not yet ready for a full immersion:

• Intro Session: €111

A soul-to-soul touchpoint to taste the field (online or in-person, when possible).

• Community-Supported Space

One free session per lunar cycle for a soul that is fully ready but whose financial resources may not be.

At first, I felt fear, as if something apocalyptic was unfolding within me.
But then, I chose to listen.
To let the shadow speak.
To allow light and darkness to meet, to make love, to tell the truth together.

I gave myself permission to feel it all.
To let the force …

Read more

And yesterday, I went through it, with patience, curiosity, smiles, and emotion.

I met Simona the dreamer, the romantic Simona, the traveler, the one from the corporate world, then the photographer, and later, the entrepreneur.

And among them, I found the Simona who once dreamed of writing a book so tender, so full of emotion, that people would want to hold it close at the end.

I know that the dream was never meant to end. The book came to life in more books: Letters Before Bali, Letters from Bali – Vol. I, Day 0? Wake Up, Love!; digital stories, alive, imperfect, just like me.
They’re not final, but they exist.

They are breaths, alchemies of a journey still being written, of this Simona who continues to complete herself.

It’s not about closing a chapter or leaving those books “as they are.”
It’s about allowing them to keep transforming along with me.
Because with this maturity comes more responsibility, and a deep desire to do things differently.

I keep remembering that this sacred spiral of writing is my strongest anchor in this dance between ascension and descent.

For a long time, I thought I had to throw everything away to make space for a new version of me, as if nothing from my past was “good enough.”

And yes, some things, photos, and memories needed to be released.
Just as some parts of me were no longer alive, real, or aligned with love.

But then, unexpectedly… among all those versions of Simona, I found my essence.
The Simona from back then is still the Simona of today.

I met her again in an old story I had written for the company magazine Kaufland, back when I was part of the editorial team.

It was an essay inspired by The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. I had asked my colleagues to share what the title meant to them.
At the end, there was my text, my perspective.

And do you know what I discovered?

Even back then, I was standing for the same things.
Even back then, I felt deeply what I still feel today.
Even back then, I held space for other truths, other perspectives.
Even back then, I wished people would just pause for a moment…look within,
and ask their soul how happy and how free it truly is.

It was 2015 when I wrote that piece.
Ten years later, I look back with tenderness and infinite gratitude for that version of me.
I bow to her, for I am here because of her.

Carrying the same essence: a soul longing for freedom, for truth, for stillness.
A soul that still writes itself into being.

Today, I bring the same invitation for people, but from a more grounded, mature place of living and feeling:

I invite you, with an open heart, to slow down, to return to yourself,
and to listen to your soul.

I’ll be there beside you, holding a safe space for your truth to unfold.

Where? How? When?

Through my private personalized experiences for you and your needs.

In Bali.

We’ll honor the past, hold what the present needs, and plant seeds for the future that’s already unfolding.

Because yes, I truly believe it’s important to romanticize our lives,
to keep little pieces of ourselves inside a tiny box of mysteries.
That box can be a physical one,
but it also lives within us, in our hearts.

We never know when we’ll need to return there,
to that part of us that carries the essence of our truest Self.

Until then, I leave you with the text written by Simona from 2015. May it be of service to your heart.

Beyond Words…

Eckhart Tolle, born and raised in Germany (later settled in North America), helped me, through sharing his experiences in The Power of Now, to look at my life from another perspective.
A new perspective that seemed to dissolve the rigid definitions my mind had built around words.

He awakened in me the curiosity to ask myself questions such as:
How present am I in my own life?
How much do I truly live in the moment most of us ignore — the present?

Our mind is an extraordinary instrument, but we must learn how and when to use it.
It never stops thinking, except, perhaps, in those rare moments of contemplation in nature.

I remembered the joy that floods my soul and the sense of inner peace that arises when I find myself in the middle of a forest, or when I watch a colorful sunset.
And I realized he was right.
In those moments, all I do is breathe and observe.
To be fully anchored in that moment.
To be present.

And I understood, especially after reading the reflections of my colleagues, that we must each choose for ourselves what we want to live — and live it as we truly feel it.

Whether it’s about religion or spirituality, choosing friends who resonate with us, joining a meditation class, learning to release the past, or planning tomorrow, what matters most is to be aware of our choices and fulfilled by them.

In closing, I want to thank those who responded to this invitation, and also to share a thought of my own on this theme:

I wish… that, for just a few moments, everyone would simply stop.
Forget about stress, work deadlines, marriage, and the first child...
Forget the constant running, the lives displayed on social media.
Forget society and all the conditioning it imposes, and the labels that come with it.
To simply stop thinking. (That’s the hardest challenge of all.)

To breathe. To observe. To look at the sky.
And then, to look within.

And to ask their soul: How happy and how free are you?

With love,
Simona

October 2015

More reflections between past and present:

“I Beg for Money to Free Myself from Self-Importance. Help Me Heal.”

At first, I bowed my head to receive the message, then walked a few steps away.

However, something in me made me turn back and ask if I could take her photo.

Her message had entered deeper than I real…

Read more

Each piece in this Write to Wake Up series is a pause along the inner path.
And each path is different.

Between sky and earth, between thoughts and heart, between hopes and fears, each of us chooses our own ways, people, methods of transformation and healing, according to our needs, our inner calling, that unique blueprint of the soul.

There is no better or worse way.
There is no universal rule that fits all.

The time spent with my cousin, with new and different people,
and the conversation below, all helped me see more clearly what spirituality truly is.

They reminded me how beautifully diverse we are,
and how essential it is to create space for one another; a space of acceptance, of listening, of personal truth.

Spirituality is not a concept to be learned by the mind,
but an experience to be lived, breathed, and shared.

Just like love.

A Conversation with Cezar

For those of you who haven’t read the article What Would Someone Do for a Free Coffee?, Cezar is the guy I shared free coffees with on Victoriei Avenue.

Two days ago, he sent me a message.
He wanted my opinion, thinking I am more “advanced”, on something he had written for his partner, to explain what spirituality truly means.

He wrote:

Cezar:
“Spirituality is not a religion; it’s the rediscovery of the Self, of our true nature, and implicitly of God.

The Source, the Absolute, God, Father, Creator, these are just labels.
He is the One who cannot be named.

The process of enlightenment is not a hobby.
It’s exactly what we need in our times to avoid self-destruction as a species.
Because all these rapid changes and their outcomes will overwhelm us, and we’ll end up completely under the control of the sick mind, which is, in fact, a servant we have allowed to sit on the throne instead of us.

We can all be different, and that’s the beauty of it.
We can have different interests, opinions, hobbies, diversity.
But beyond all that, we all meet in the same place, and that is a huge evolutionary step, maybe the greatest one, in the development of our consciousness.

So, rediscovering the true Self is essential to living consciously in the present, in love, joy, spontaneity, and presence.
Everything else is optional.

It’s a process of letting go, not of adding.
Letting go of what we’ve gathered over our intrinsic light, until we can no longer shine as we once did.
It’s about returning to being children again, but this time consciously. 🙏❤️💜”

My answer was:

Simona:
Each of us is exactly where we need to be.
There is no such thing as “more advanced.” ;)

From my point of view, everything you’ve described makes sense.
It’s part of your truth and of what your soul needs as a “definition.”

Maybe for her, it won’t make sense.
Maybe it will.
It depends on where she is on her path.

Spirituality can also be found in her tea ritual, as she stirs the spoon with agave syrup.

Or in the silence between you,
when neither of you feels the need to add anything…
but simply to be.

Or in the intimacy between you and her,
when, before undressing your bodies,
you allow your souls to undress and meet in Truth.

It can be found in a tiramisu eaten with pleasure and presence.
Or when she’s in her photography studio (if I remember correctly),
letting herself be carried by the creative process.

Spirituality is not only about “ascending” to heaven,
about seeking enlightenment, but also about “descending” to Earth,
meeting our shadows.

What I bring here is simply another perspective.
Not the right one,
not the wrong one.

In the end, she will find her own definition,
the one her evolution needs.

Reflection: Living Spirituality

Spirituality isn’t found in books, but in the way two people truly listen to one another.

In the way one truth becomes a mirror for another.
Not in what we define it, but in how we live it.

For me, spirituality is no longer a search, it’s a remembrance.

Writing Ritual: Journal Prompts for the Soul

Let the soul speak, not the mind.

• What does spirituality mean to me: lived, not defined?

• Where do I feel it in my everyday life?

• What part of me reaches for the sky? What part longs for the earth?

• Which simple things, activities could become a prayer?

• What do I want to release from the image of the “perfect spiritual being”?

Write not to explain, but to remember your own truth.

Closing: The Invitation

“To be fully aware of the present moment has become something frightening.
We are distracted from the very experience of living.”

After two months of pause from social media, though not a complete break from digital consumption, I can now recognize more clearly the trap of the scroll, the escape from the present moment, the subtle numbness,
the disconnection from reality and from one another.

Partly, the idea for this journey, “The Space Between Worlds”, came from this very need:

• the need for reconnection, for grounding, for being together again in a living space, flexible, moving, transforming.

We’ll explore spirituality not as a theory, but as a living experience, each of us in our own way, each honoring our truth in presence.

Through breath, cooking, writing, silence, listening, rest, nature, and being.

A journey where spirituality is not something to seek,
but something to live.

Together, we’ll slow down.
We’ll write.
We’ll remember what it means
to simply be human and divine, at the same time.

Will you walk the path with me?

Simona

Related articles:

You can read more here.

Also, the concept of this journey will remain. There will be a second edition in January 2026; more details soon.

Read more

Intro

I feel very comfortable in cafés, taking in the movement of people, listening to the espresso machine, and breathing in the scent of ground coffee mixed with hot, frothy milk.

That’s how a September day began for me at Meron, one of my dear cafés in Bucharest: the lines above written in my journal and the best cold brew in the city.

Today, as I send this story out into the world, it’s already October. But I’ve chosen the perfect moment: International Coffee Day.

What I didn’t continue writing back then, too distracted by the joy of that cold brew, were a few scattered thoughts that I now choose to lay down here.

I asked myself, realizing how comfortable I felt there, as if at home, whether perhaps I had become too comfortable spending my days in cafés, writing. And maybe it was time to change something.

To do something different.

“I am doing things differently” is my new mantra, one I’ve only recently begun to practice, a shift that led, in fact, to the creation of this text, first written in my sweet mother tongue.

For now, let’s return to my thoughts, and what “doing something different” might mean:

What if I worked in a café? Or, even better, what if I opened the café of my dreams?
My café at the end of the world.
In Bali, of course.

I know, I know. Many people dream of opening a café that’s more than just a café: a tearoom, a mini photo gallery, a little bookshop, dance classes, creative writing workshops, maybe even a flower shop (with dried flowers, of course).

Still, the essence of each creator is what gives a brand its soul. And that means that among thousands of cafés, there could still be mine, an artistic café, with a romantic twist, at the end of the world.

But I’m getting lost in the details.

Anyway, the subject of this story is actually about something else. Or perhaps about several things. Because lately I’ve come to enjoy exploring topics in layers.

And so I ask this question:

What will people do for a cup of free coffee?

I crossed out the word free, because there are really two parts to this.

PART I: What do people do for an Instagrammable coffee (or matcha)?

Over the past two months, my cousin and I have turned into hunters of cute spots with Instagrammable coffee and matcha.
Well, let me rephrase that, for the sake of truth.

Since I’ve been off social media for two months now, it was my dear cousin Marina who did the hunting, finding the loveliest cafés in Bucharest, especially those serving coffee and matcha in creative ways.

And so I noticed this very clever trend:

If a product is Instagrammable, people show up. They come to be part of the trend, to belong, and to keep the story going.

Is that good? Is it bad?

I don’t want to be the judge here, only an observer. And, of course, a lover of both coffee and matcha.

I believe one of the most widespread trends rituals in the world is drinking coffee.

Artists, office workers, everyday laborers, women and men alike, so many begin their mornings with coffee.

Coffee gathers friends, lovers, and families around it.

These moments, seemingly simple, become precious especially when shared.

Coffee may be the reason for the gathering, but it’s the memories that remain.
And, of course, the photos on Instagram.

PART II: What do people do for a free coffee?

This might just be my favorite part.

Alongside her hunt for Instagrammable cafés, Marina also has a talent for attracting little freebies. And so she discovered two spots that were offering free coffee.

The first: on September 25th, Tucano Coffee from Plaza Bucharest celebrated their reopening by giving away 1,000 free cappuccinos and espressos.

The second: between September 23–26, from 8:00 to 10:00 in the morning, Il Tacchino on Calea Victoriei was offering free coffee—no strings attached.

And this is where things get interesting, with a few more layers.

Back on September 7th, I had walked past Il Tacchino and their message had caught my eye: Yes! You can have it all!

I took a photo of it and sent it to a dear friend, Jeff, who often repeated that very phrase to me.

Fast forward to the present, and I saw the connection as a sweet synchronicity.

I felt I needed to be there—not for the cappuccino, but for something else.

And indeed, it turned out differently.

Marina and I had agreed to go together early in the morning.

For her, it was an extra challenge to wake up earlier than usual, stop by Il Tacchino, and still make it to the office on time.

We both noticed how much difference a good motivation can make when it comes to doing things differently.

Not only did she enjoy her cappuccino, but she also arrived at the office on time. More importantly, she started her day with calmer energy. Usually she’s rushing, but this time she allowed herself a slower rhythm.

Sometimes, just 15 minutes less of sleep can completely change the start of a day.

As for me…

Because the autumn air at that hour was too cold and intense, I chose to stay inside, cappuccino in front of me, waiting for inspiration for a new story.
But that wasn’t what was meant to happen.

I began quietly observing what was going on around me.
A kind woman was working the espresso machine, while a young man stepped outside to hand cappuccinos to passersby.

The chilly wind kept pushing him to alternate between indoors and outdoors.

And then, my inner voice whispered:

What if I handed out free coffee, too?

Alright then: do things differently.

I gave myself permission to step out of my comfort zone and asked the two employees if I could help.

I had no expectations. Or maybe just one: to be nourished by the smiles of the people receiving coffee from me.

For about an hour, I handed out cappuccinos alongside Cezar, the young guy.

We talked about spirituality and about my journey to Bali. I spoke about the freedom of expression and the ease of communication I had gained over time.

Nothing is random. Maybe the purpose was simply to remind me how much I love working with people.
Or maybe it was something beyond what I can understand right now.

And because life has its own sense of humor, just as I left and stepped onto the crosswalk, right there in front of me lay a piece of Palo Santo—holy wood—resting in the middle of Bucharest like a small sign of confirmation.

When we listen to what comes from within and allow life to surprise us, unexpected blessings always appear.

I believe that beyond the taste of coffee, what we are really seeking is the encounter: with others, with ourselves, with the small signs life leaves along the way.

And when we allow ourselves to do things differently, even a free cappuccino can become a doorway into something greater.

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that my story about coffee and synchronicities also closes with another free cup of coffee.

Last night, Marina sent me a screenshot from Instagram about a tasting of Single-Origin Sumatra coffee at Starbucks.

I had imagined a tiny espresso shot that would have ended the story and these lines right here.

But once again, life offered me something else.

PART III – the romantic twist: A Match of Flavors

I arrived at Starbucks with no expectations. I asked about the tasting, and received not only a positive answer, but also another question:

Do you have about 20 minutes?

Of course. I was planning to finish my coffee story here anyway.

The lovely young woman there, named Iulia, began bringing out different things: the package of Sumatra coffee, a French Press, filtered water at 98 degrees, a glass with 45 grams of coarsely ground coffee, ready to extract aromas over four minutes.

“The cleaner the water, the more intense the flavors of the coffee,” she explained.

Then came the surprises: a slice of chocolate cake, later some butter cookies, and a glass of water.

She briefly introduced me to the idea of pairing.

We began the tasting.

First, we inhaled the freshly brewed coffee, covering the cup partially with one hand.

The first impact: burnt, then earth, then chocolate.

Next came the big slurp, with a warning that it might burn the tip of my tongue. I was fine; it seems I have a decent resistance to heat.

We described the flavors, the sensations in the body: burnt chocolate, dry earth, bitter. So bitter. The heaviness of the coffee lingering somewhere in the throat. The acidity brushing along the sides of the tongue, and right on the tip.

With each sip, the flavors shifted and revealed themselves differently.

Then came the pairing.

Surprisingly, this coffee goes beautifully with cheese. Cheese? Yes. Even with prosciutto crudo.

Since they didn’t have cheese here, I was given a slice of chocolate cake and butter cookies instead, to help me experience the contrasts.

It was important to take a sip of coffee before finishing the bite of cake.

And in that moment when the coffee met the chocolate: BOOM.

My taste buds were delighted, curious, awakened to new flavors. The taste became rich, creamy, slightly sweet, aromatic, intense.

A similar story unfolded with the butter cookie, though in a gentler way, without the inner explosion. It wasn’t so much about the flavor of the coffee, but about its texture, which turned more milky, smoother, less acidic, though not necessarily less bitter.

For someone who had never attended a coffee tasting before, I was deeply impressed.

I had stepped into a new world of coffee.

What did I take away from this experience?

Coffee transforms through pairing.

Just like in life, the right people and places can amplify different aspects of who we are.

Sometimes sparks fly, and we are changed completely. Other times the process is gentler, less intense, perhaps less transformative—but still meaningful.

Between September and October, between intimate cafés and global chains, the same lesson remains: beyond the coffee, what truly matters is the moment of encounter.

And sometimes, a single encounter can completely change the trajectory of our lives.

“You must remain open to surprises, let go of where you want life to take you, and trust in a force beyond your control.”

- Richard Rudd, Gene Keys (46)

Ever on the path,

Simona

Intro

Mă simt foarte confortabil să fiu în cafenele, să simt mișcarea oamenilor, să ascult espressorul, să inspir mirosul de cafea râșnită, amestecată cu lapte spumos și fierbinte.

Așa mi-a început o zi de septembrie la Meron, una din cafenelele mele dragi din București: rândurile de mai sus scrise în jurnal și cel mai bun cold brew din oraș.

Azi, când trimit această poveste în lume, este deja octombrie, dar mi-am ales momentul perfect: Ziua Internațională a Cafelei.

Ce nu am continuat atunci să scriu, fiind prea distrasă de bucuria acelui cold brew, au fost câteva gânduri amestecate pe care aleg să le așez acum, aici.

M-am întrebat, devenind conștientă de cât de confortabil mă simt acolo ca și cum aș fi acasă, dacă nu am devenit totuși prea confortabilă să fiu prin cafenele scriind, și poate că ar trebui să schimb ceva.

Să fac ceva diferit.

“Fac lucrurile diferit” este noua mea mantră, pe care am început s-o aplic recent, lucru care a dus și la crearea acestui text - în dulcea mea limbă maternă mai întâi.

Pentru acum, revenim la gândurile mele, și ce ar însemna “fac ceva diferit”:

Cum ar fi să lucrez într-o cafenea? Ori, și mai frumos: cum ar fi să-mi deschid cafeneaua visurilor mele?

Cafeneaua (mea) de la capătul lumii.

În Bali, desigur.

Știu știu, mulți visează să deschidă o cafenea care să fie mai mult decât o simplă cafenea: ceainărie, mini expoziție de fotografii, mini librărie, cursuri de dans, workshopuri de scriere creativă, eventual și magazin cu flori (uscate).

Totuși, esența fiecărui creator este cea care dă sufletul unui brand. Și asta înseamnă că, printre mii de cafenele, poate exista și cafeneaua mea artistică, cu un twist romantic la capătul lumii.

Dar mă pierd în detalii.

Oricum, subiectul acestei povești este, de fapt, despre altceva. Ori despre mai multe lucruri. Căci așa îmi place mai nou să explorez subiectele, în straturi.

Am această întrebare:

Ce fac oamenii pentru o cafea gratuită?

Am tăiat cuvântul gratuit, pentru că sunt două părți aici.

PARTEA I: Ce fac oamenii pentru o cafea (& un matcha) instagramabile?

În ultimele două luni, eu și verișoara am devenit vânătoare de locuri drăguțe cu cafea și matcha instagramabile. Mă iertați, să reformulez pentru un adevăr complet.

Având în vedere că eu nu mai sunt pe social media de două luni, draga de verișoara mea pe numele ei Marina, a fost cea care a vânat cele mai simpatice cafenele din București. În special pe cele care serveau cafeaua & matcha în moduri creative.

Astfel, am putut observa trendul acesta extrem de inteligent:

Dacă un produs este instagramabil, oamenii vin pentru a fi parte din trend, pentru a aparține și pentru a continua povestea.

Este bine? Este rău? Nu vreau să fiu judecător aici, ci doar observator. Și, totodată, iubitor de cafea și matcha.

Cred că unul dintre cele mai răspândite trenduri ritualuri din întreaga lume, este băutul cafelei.

Artiști, corporatiști, muncitori de zi cu zi, femei ori bărbați, mulți își încep diminețile alături de cafea.

Cafeaua adună în jurul său prieteni, îndrăgostiți, familii.

Momentele acestea, aparent simple, devin prețioase mai ales când sunt împărtășite.

Cafeaua poate fi motivul întâlnirilor, dar amintirile sunt cele care rămân. Plus fotografiile de pe Instagram.

PARTEA II-a: Ce fac oamenii pentru o cafea gratuită?

Aceasta s-ar putea să fie partea mea favorită.

Marina, pe lângă vânătoarea de cafele instagramabile, atrage și mici gratuități. Astfel, a descoperit două locații care ofereau cafea gratuită.

Prima locație: pe 25 septembrie, Tucano din Plaza, cu ocazia redeschiderii, au oferit 1000 de cappuccino & espresso gratuite.

A doua: între 23-26 septembrie, între 8:00 – 10:00 dimineața, Il Tacchino de pe Calea Victoriei oferea cafea gratuit, fără obligații.

Aici lucrurile devin interesante și pe mai multe straturi.

Pe 7 septembrie trecusem pe lângă Il Tacchino și îmi atrăsese atenția mesajul lor: Yes! You can have it all!

L-am fotografiat și i l-am trimis unui prieten drag, Jeff, care îmi repeta des această frază.

Revenind în prezent, am privit legătura ca pe o dulce sincronicitate.

Am simțit că trebuie să fiu acolo, nu pentru cappuccino, ci pentru altceva.

Și într-adevăr, a fost diferit.

Am stabilit cu Marina să mergem împreună dis-de-dimineață.

Pentru ea a fost o provocare în plus să se trezească mai devreme decât de obicei, să facă oprirea la Il Tacchino și apoi să ajungă la timp la birou.

Am observat amândouă cât de mult contează o motivație bună pentru a face lucrurile diferit.

Nu doar că s-a bucurat de cappuccino, dar a și ajuns la timp la birou. Și, mai important, și-a început ziua cu o energie mai calmă. De obicei se grăbește, dar de data aceasta și-a permis un ritm mai calm.

Uneori, doar 15 minute mai puțin de somn pot transforma total începutul unei zile.

Acum, despre mine.

Pentru că toamna la ora aceea era prea rece și intensă, am ales să rămân înăuntru, cu cappuccino-ul în față, așteptând inspirația pentru o nouă poveste.
Dar nu avea să fie asta.

Am început să observ discret ce se întâmpla în jur.
O doamnă simpatică lucra la espressor, iar un tip tânăr ieșea să ofere cappuccino trecătorilor.

Vântul rece îl făcea să tot alterneze între interior și exterior.

Atunci, vocea mea interioară a spus:

Cum ar fi dacă aș împărți și eu cafea gratuită?

Ok, fac lucrurile diferit. Mi-am dat voie să ies din zona de confort și i-am întrebat pe cei doi angajați dacă pot să ajut.

Nu aveam nicio așteptare. Ori poate una singură: să mă hrănesc cu zâmbetele oamenilor care primeau cafeaua de la mine.

Timp de o oră am împărțit cappuccino alături de Cezar - tipul tânăr.

Am povestit despre spiritualitate și despre călătoria mea în Bali. Am vorbit despre libertatea de exprimare și despre ușurința de a comunica, câștigată după tot acest timp.

Nimic nu e întâmplător. Poate scopul a fost să-mi amintesc cât de mult îmi place să lucrez cu oameni.

Poate a fost ceva dincolo de ce pot înțelege acum.

Și pentru că viața are umorul ei, imediat după ce am plecat și am dat să traversez strada, în fața mea am găsit o bucată de Palo Santo (lemn sfânt) așezat acolo, în mijlocul orașului București, ca un mic semn de confirmare.

Atunci când ascultăm ce vine din interior și lăsăm viața să ne surprindă, vor fi mereu binecuvântări neașteptate.

Cred că, dincolo de gustul cafelei, ceea ce căutăm este de fapt întâlnirea: cu oamenii, cu noi înșine, cu micile semne pe care viața ni le lasă în cale.

Iar când ne permitem să facem lucrurile diferit, chiar și un cappuccino gratuit poate deveni o poartă spre ceva mai mare.

Poate că nu întâmplător, povestea mea despre cafele și sincronicități se închide tot cu o ceașcă de cafea gratuită.

Seara trecută, Marina mi-a trimis un screenshot de pe Instagram despre o degustare a cafelei Single-Origin Sumatra la Starbucks.

Îmi imaginasem un mic pahar de espresso care ar fi încheiat povestea și aceste rânduri cam pe aici, dar din nou viața mi-a oferit altceva.

PARTEA III - the romantic twist: Potrivire de gusturi

Am ajuns la Starbucks fără așteptări. Întreb despre acea degustare, și primesc un răspuns pozitiv, dar și o altă întrebare:

Aveți cam 20 de minute disponibile?

Desigur, oricum intenția era să finalizez articolul despre cafea aici.

Domnișoara drăguță de aici, pe nume Iulia, începe să aducă diferite lucruri: pachetul de cafea Sumatra, French Press, apă filtrată la 98 de grade, un pahar cu 45 de grame de cafea râșnită mai grunjos, pentru extragerea aromelor în timp de 4 minute.

“Cu cât apa este mai curată, cu atât aromele cafelei sunt mai intense.” - mi-a spus.

Continuă cu tortul de ciocolată, ulterior cu biscuiți cu unt și un pahar cu apă. Îmi spune scurt despre “pairing”.

Începem degustarea.

Mirosim cafeaua proaspătă acoperind cu o mână parțial cana.

Primul impact: mai întâi ars, apoi pământ, apoi ciocolată.

Continuăm cu un “big slurp”, cu atenționarea că e posibil să-mi frigă vârful limbii. Sunt ok, pare că am rezistență la fierbinte.

Descriem aromele, senzațiile din corp. Ciocolată arsă, pământ uscat, amar. Atât de amar. Greutatea cafelei care rămâne undeva la nivelul gâtului. Aciditatea care se simte pe lateralul limbii, și pe vârf.

Pe măsură ce beau mai multe sorbituri, simt aromele diferit.

Începem cu potrivirea de gusturi.

Surprinzător, cafeaua aceasta merge foarte bine cu brânzeturi. Cu brânzeturi? Da. Chiar și cu prosciutto crudo.

Pentru că nu au brânzeturi aici, mi-au adus acest tort cu ciocolată, și biscuiți cu unt, pentru a mă ajuta să experimentez diferența.

Este important să iau o gură de cafea înainte de a înghiți complet bucățica de tort.

În momentul în care cafeaua întâlnește ciocolata, BOOM.

Papilele mele sunt fericite, curioase, interesate de aromele noi. Gustul devine bogat, cremos, dulceag, aromat, intens.

O poveste similară, dar cumva mai blândă, fără explozie interioară, se întâmplă cu biscuitele cu unt. Acolo nu este atât de mult despre gustul cafelei, cât despre textura care devine mai lăptoasă, mai fină, mai puțin acidulată, dar nu neapărat mai puțin amară.

Pentru cineva care nu a mai fost la o degustare de cafea, am rămas profund impresionată.

Am pășit într-o nouă lume a cafelei.

Ce am înțeles din această experiență?

Cafeaua se transformă prin potrivire.

Ca și în viață, oamenii și locurile potrivite pot amplifica aspecte diferite din noi. Uneori, iese cu scântei și ne schimbăm total. Alteori procesul e mai blând, mai puțin intens ori transformator, dar tot important.

Între septembrie și octombrie, între cafenele intime și lanțuri mari, rămâne aceeași lecție: dincolo de cafea, contează momentul întâlnirii.

Iar uneori, o simplă întâlnire ne poate schimba complet traiectoria vieții.

“Trebuie să rămâi deschis surprizelor, să renunți la controlul asupra locului în care vrei ca viața să te ducă și să ai încredere într-o forță dincolo de puterea ta.”

- Richard Rudd, Cheile Genelor (46)

Ever on the path,

Simona

it wounds and heals and opens at the same time.

In that strange tension, pain becomes our teacher.

With every ending, there’s always a beginning, intertwining a little back, a little forth.

And here, in this in-between where nothing looks resolved, we meet some of the most transformative …

Read more

Disconnected.

Somehow, without direction, without a clear vision of what comes next.

I felt that this return to my roots, to my family, and my purpose of spending the summer here in Romania feels almost complete.

I anticipate a major shift in my life, but I still can’t see anything.

Maybe I’m just delusional.

Some wise ones say that people like me have more to gain in life because they allow themselves not to be limited, they allow themselves to believe in infinite possibilities. Well, time will tell.

I asked myself:

• If I had 40 more years to live, what would I choose to do?

  Silence.

  No answer.

Ok.

Then I asked again:

• If I had only one day to live, what would I choose to do?

  I’d drink a coffee. And I would figure the rest later.

Oh well, everyone has their own priorities.

Then I wondered how I could better build my present for the future, in case it does come.

So I went to a small neighborhood café. I said I’d be more frugal and get a less pricey coffee.

I ordered an iced latte, sat at a table, and started writing about my “success” on Substack in almost two years on this platform.

The text is here:

Then I thought about the concept of desire, about how humans are beings with strong instincts for connection and procreation.

I thought about myself and the lack of a procreation instinct, or what might be “wrong” with me.

I also thought about my ongoing search, since childhood, for the perfect partner to fulfill me. A search that seems to fade more and more, especially since I became aware that there are no perfect partners, couples, or people. But that’s for another article.

Oh. I think too much about myself.

On the way back, I looked around, especially at women with children.

I had a vision of myself working with mothers and children. So maybe I’ll be some sort of aunt for more kids.

These days, I’ve been thinking a lot about fear.

About how sometimes I use fear as an excuse not to take bigger risks, not to trust more in my own powers, in life. I am quite tired of this story already.

And, in perfect timing, this message appeared to me:

“What if I forgot what I feared, and remembered what I don’t know (about the situation)?” -

If I could forget what I fear most and remember what I don’t yet know about this situation?

Aha…feels like it’s touching something, not sure what.
It stayed with me, still settling in layers, gradually.

I got home and started browsing job platforms.

I didn’t find anything.

At least, nothing that gave me the feeling I could belong somewhere.

Or that truly excited me.

Or maybe it’s just fear of the unknown.

Or the rebel in me that wants something else.

I jumped from LinkedIn to Upwork to Reedsy…

I asked myself what I love most: writing, traveling, doing my witchy magic of clearing stuck energy, dancing, connecting with people, and holding space for them. And? Why am I still hiding? Or what am I waiting for?

Then a notification popped up from YouTube, from an astrologer I admire. She posted an update about today’s planetary movements:

Wherever Virgo 18 degrees falls, there is a purging.

Oh well, this could be interesting to see - I said to myself.

I am (and always have been) fascinated by the connection between us and the planets.

So…

I asked my poetic assistant, ChatGPT, to help me identify where this process is happening in my chart.

Astrology Corner (you can skip this part if you wish)

In short:

• House → 9th (close to 10th cusp).

• Themes → spirituality, travel, teaching, publishing — feeding into career.

• Aspects → strongly tied to your Moon (opposition), Saturn (square), and Chiron (square).

That’s a potent axis: it touches your emotional body, your structure/discipline, and your wound/healing path.

In essence:
You are in a soul recalibration between what you feel (Moon in Pisces), what you believe (Virgo 9th), and how you build structure in the world (Saturn in Sagittarius/Aries).

This is a major pivot moment that will ripple into your career, writing, teaching, and spiritual service.

Superb.

I laughed and cried at the same time.

I have no idea how this recalibration will unfold, but I definitely feel it.

For those curious like me: Astro-Seek Chart Generator.
Enter your birth data, scroll to the “AI-ChatGPT - Astrology Data Export” section, and you can copy-paste it for extra interpretation. Ask about the current date or eclipse portal, and take the answers with discernment.

Closing note

Some people don’t have it all figured out.

They don’t have a clear direction or a five-year plan.

They move step by step, clearing away mental projections and society’s expectations of how life “should” be, so they can follow their inner intuition.

I am one of those people, walking into the unknown with my heart as a compass.

I’m not afraid of discomfort; I’m more afraid of living a false dream that doesn’t belong to me.

Now, before I go, if you are still here, a quick question for you (stolen with permission from - How We Grow):

• If I could wave a magic wand and solve ONE problem for you this following week, what would it be?
  Hit reply and tell me — I’d love to hear.

Meanwhile,

I will be as usual…

ever on the path.

Check my previous article if you wish to work with me:

Maybe what you need isn’t another program.
Maybe what you need is a space to stop, breathe, and remember that you are enough.

Today, I am sharing the ways of …

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Could it become an art, a rhythm, something lyrical… could it be a dance?
Could remembering who you are be like writing poetry?

A wound doesn’t close in a straight line; it spirals, it ebbs and flows. That’s rhythm.

Each stage of healing: the silence, the pain, the breakthrough, the release, carries the cadence of verses.

Cadence is the rhythm of life itself: the rise and fall, the pauses and returns, the way words or breaths or feelings flow into one another.

Just as a poem is not only made of words but also of the spaces between them, healing is not only made of progress but also of pauses, spirals, and returns.

In healing, there are pauses (like commas), regressions (like ellipses…), and revelations (like exclamation marks).

Just like a poem, healing doesn’t always “answer” everything.
It reshapes the question, opening new doors of meaning.

And sometimes, both healing and poetry remind us that not every wound, or every verse, or every question, needs understanding, healing, or an answer — it simply needs to be felt, and lived.

Between poetry and healing, between love, life and death, between play and authenticity, there you are.

Between silence and word, between soul and truth, there you are.

Between sunrise and sunset, there is darkness; there you are.

Between endings and beginnings, there is the unknown; there you are.

Between truth and ego, there are layers of pain; there you are.

The wild in you is everywhere. In me as well.

In all of us.

But, for now, allow me to return to poetry.

Recently, I watched this cheesy movie (My Oxford Year) where poetry and love, life and death, present and future danced together: a little romantic, a little dramatic, with a bittersweet ending, of course.

Touched by the story, and especially by the words used in the film, I wanted to create this text as an invitation to more poetry.

So here I am, standing before your heart with a call to the wild in you.

I bring words as offerings, romantic quotes from the film, fragments of my own Truth (which may also resonate with yours), and a touch of psychology.

Take what you need, leave the rest aside.

Now, when I say poetry, I cross beyond the classical definition.

Poetry is sometimes, or often, beyond words.

“To truly experience a poem, you need to feel it.

A poem is alive, it has a voice.

It is a person. Who are they? Why are they?

Hearing her words, as she speaks to you, you think and feel certain things. Just as, hearing my words now, you think and feel certain things.

Reading poetry is a conversation of feeling between two people.

It shouldn't answer anything, it should only create more questions, like any good conversation.

What did she make you feel? That's what I wanted you to examine.

Maybe, once you come to realize that there are no answers, you learn to live with the questions.”

- My Oxford Year

Poetry is born between two people, between human and nature, between human and divinity.

Poetry is in everything that is and is not, everything that has been and will not be, everything that has not been and will be.

Poetry waits in those spaces where there are no answers.

But beyond the poetry that moves the Universe, there is one more poetry that might move us, leading us back to the Self, to childhood, to purity, to play, to love.

As I mentioned previously, I am reading The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté and his son.

From there, I am discovering puzzle pieces that might be, or might not be, relevant to my hopeful belief that free poetry (mixed with some movement) could help a lot in healing (returning to the True Self).

This is a summary of a few paragraphs from the book:

“Illness is not a fixed “thing” but a flow of energy, a process of evolution or involution that happens when we are not awake and connected, allowing trauma to quietly lead our lives.

Many traits we believe define us are, in fact, scars from moments when we lost connection with ourselves long ago.

For example, the absence of unconditional attention and love can lead us to build identities around charm, achievement, or attractiveness — defenses against early wounds.

Play is highlighted as an essential human need, rooted in our biology, crucial for brain development and emotional maturity. True play is not about results but about joy in the act itself.

Yet modern culture often sacrifices free play to consumerism and digital distractions, undermining the natural tasks of development, which are based on real, face-to-face interaction rather than screens or devices.”

And so, as I’ve said before, poetry is more than just romantic verses; it is a powerful therapeutic tool that blends self-expression with deep emotional healing.

Free poetry carries a playful essence while reaching deep layers of the soul that may not otherwise be accessible.

By engaging the inner child in this process, we unlock doors to the past, shed masks, and access repressed emotions, ultimately allowing for healing and reconnection with our authentic selves.

"In many ways, healing from trauma is like creating a poem.

Both require the right timing, the right words, and the right imagery.

When these elements align, something meaningful is set in motion

— something that can be felt in the body."

— Mark Wolynn

The same is true in life, in love, in death… everything has its right time, its words, its people, its place.

For now, I am leaving you with the following quotes, but if you stay until the end there’s one more invitation.

The Quotes from the movie “My Oxford Year”:

On Life

1. “When you feel more than you can say, when words fail you, when syntax and grammar and well-constructed expressions are choked from your mind, and all that's left is raw feeling, a few broken words come forth.

   I'd like to believe those words, when everything's stripped away, might be the key to it all. The meaning of life.”

2. “You should never regret the things you do. You should only regret the things that you don't do.”

3. “It turns out, the act of making a choice, of choosing a path, doesn't mean the other path disappears. It just means that it will forever run parallel to the one you're on. It means you have to live with knowing what you gave up.”

4. “If you don’t open yourself up, how can you ever be surprised by life?

   And if you’re not surprised, what’s the bloody point?”

On Love:

1. “The hardest thing is love, with no expiration date, no qualifiers, no safety net. Love that demands acceptance of all things I cannot change.

   Love that doesn't follow a plan.”

2. “I'd like to think it's possible to remain so devoted to someone's memory that fifty-nine years later, when all the noise of life is muted, the last gasp passing over your lips is that person's name.”

3. “To know and love another human being is the root of all wisdom.” —Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited

On Death:

1. “Looking into a loved one’s eyes, seeing the knowing there, the inevitability, and telling them, I love you. My love is with you to your end; yours will be with me until mine. Because the love doesn’t die, does it? What Cecelia said at Oliver’s funeral: Love well those who are dying, so that they may die in love. In love.”

2. “Losing someone is hard enough.

   But death without the process of dying is an abomination.

   It takes nine months to create life; it feels unnatural, a sin against nature, that the reverse shouldn’t also have its time.

   Time to let go of the known as we take hold of the unknown.”

💌 My final invitation

I return, again and again, to poetry: as play, as medicine, as a way back to the wild truth of who we are.

I invite you to join me in one of my step-by-step guided writing workshops on Substack (you can unlock it with a paid subscription):

Or you can work with me directly. Preferably in person - if you are in Europe (Romania ideally).

Together we can explore poetry not just as art, but as a mirror to your soul, a bridge back to yourself; a remembering of your Wild.

And, as always, a romantic twist: it will not be only poetry, but also intuitive movement and energy work.

If you are ready to live poetry and allow it to change your life, join me here:

2 BE SEEN

Ever on the path,

Simona

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It was subtle, but I smiled; I knew what it was.

I recognized the shift of seasons.

Since then, summer has begun to intertwine itself with autumn.
They started their dance between green leaves and dry ones, cold mornings and still hot days, bringing new scents…harsher, more intense, more alive.

Autumn wa…

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