My dear Cristina.

Cristina from Oradea. My blonde curly hair friend. My roommate. One of the people I admire deeply.

We met in 2008, at the beginning of my fourth year in University. We were supposed to share the same room: me, her and three  other girls. Yes, you read it right. Five people in a 12-14 square meter room. We were all students and we were sharing a bathroom with other five girls. It wasn't the most exciting plan of my life, to be honest. But that was that. If you live in a dormitory, you get to share. 

I don't know how or why, but I knew from the first moment I saw her that she was going to be a friend. And what an amazing friend she is...We spent three years living in the same room - and when this happens, you really get to know a person. You see each other without make-up on, you hear each other's conversations on the phone, meet each other's friends - there's not a lot of intimacy left. 

All of my friends loved her. "She's sooo pretty! She's so kind. What a beautiful smile this friend of yours has. She's so funny. She is such a good person. She's got a new haircut, she is so cool!" And she is all of this, yes...and more. 

During those years of living together, we had a few disagreements. But even when we had an argument, she was the kindest person ever. She never called me names. She had this diplomacy when explaining things that I had no other option but to admit my mistake. "You said you will do this, Ioana. Please respect your promise." So I did. 

Our last year spent in Timisoara had the bigest impact on me. She finished two university studies, prepared for the English exam and got accepted in a master program in Denmark. Cristina was so hard working that year, that she made me wanna be hard working. She had this positive energy around her, that one month after I finished university, I decided to enrol in an English master program in Austria. And guess who has fringes now, like Cristina used to have? That's right, I do. Not hard to guess, huh? 

Today is about you, my dear Cristina. You were such an inspiration...and still are! La multi ani, fata draga!