Oana Chirilă

Some time ago a Fulbright grant seemed like both an invaluable career opportunity and an impossible mission, a sort of fantasy. Then, the stressful application process started and then, before I knew it, I was aboard a plane. And now I am back home.

If I were to sum up my Fulbright experience in just one word it would be “whirlwind”. It will probably be years before I truly grasp the impact this journey has had on me and in my life. It took me whole and forced me to reconsider and question even the most basic structures of my mind. But none of these would have been possible were it not for a few key elements: Lehigh University, the people I met, and the places I visited.

Lehigh University is an idyllic Hogwarts-like campus ruled by deer and squirrels where I had the immense pleasure and honor to work under the guidance of Profs. Christopher Driscoll and Monica R. Miller. Not only did they let me pick their brains and taught me an immeasurable lot about the field, but also warmly welcomed me into their home and family. Indeed, I am grateful to the entire department of Religion Studies for embracing me as one of their own. During these ten months I managed to do ethnographic research vital to my thesis, participate in conferences, have access to literature I would have otherwise not been able to consult, and discuss my findings with like-minded people. I was also presented with a number of once in a lifetime opportunities, such as official visits to the UN Headquarters in New York City.

At the same time, I met and befriended people from all over the globe: Russia, Afghanistan, Germany, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, etc. from whom I have learned so much about both the world and myself. Alone or with them I roamed the streets of New York City, went to a concert in Denver, visited museums in Washington, D.C., ate cheesesteak in Philadelphia, listened to jazz in New Orleans, and walked on the edge of the Niagara Falls. I thank them for all the memories (and for those that are yet to be made).

However, my Fulbright experience is not over simply because I am back in Romania. I would even dare say it is just beginning. The knowledge I have gained is waiting to be put to use and the connections I have made are, undoubtedly, lifelong.