There’s this couchsurfing story where I was the host and the couchsurfer asked me something about Budapest. With a delayed eye blink and a careless smile, I kindly recommended this video: Bucharest is not Budapest. Funny enough, I’ve always thought this question is just addressed to others.

After a while, the couchsurfer asked me: Is there still communism in Romania?

I mean I can understand (still with difficulty) that a taxi driver assumes I’m gypsy (I assume he‘s not a “well-traveled man”), but for someone who’s well- traveled, I take a deep breath and ask you: what do you travel for?