Janna Damigeana is a household name in the vibrant Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca by now. She left the United States and moved to the city right before the pandemic with her Romanian spouse. During lockdown, she started vlogging her life and journey to learning Romanian, and quickly amassed a large following.

Her natural and funny videos offer an outsider’s perspective on living in Romania, and range from activities in Cluj-Napoca to beautiful landscapes and local food recommendations for foreigners. They also often feature bits of her stand-up routine. 

For Americans and others looking to visit or find out more about Romania from someone on the ground, Janna is an invaluable guide. Romanians embraced her content as well, encouraging her attempts to speak the language and the way in which she portrays living in Romania.

Romania Insider: You moved from Nevada to Cluj-Napoca right before the pandemic. Why did you do it and how did your life change?

After living in Nevada for 10 years, we realized we didn’t want to raise our children there. Upon deciding where to move, we had several options, but the best one seemed to be Romania. We had been visiting for many years and we knew that we were always the happiest when we were there. Once we made the decision to move, it happened very quickly. I began calling Romania “home” in 2018.

Once in Romania, my life changed dramatically for the better. One noticeable difference was that I no longer worried as much about my safety and that of my children. Cluj Napoca is a very safe city. I don’t have to worry about guns at school or at a neighbor’s home. I know my neighbors very well. I feel safe at night and on public transit. Additionally, I know that if one of my children becomes sick or injured, I can get very good care for them at low or no cost. I realize that this is a privilege of living in Cluj Napoca and that other communities are under served. I encourage readers to check out “trip to misery,” who are raising money for Caravana cu Medici. 

@jannadamigeana

What other rumors should I address?

♬ original sound - JannaDamigeana

You quickly amassed a large following on TikTok with content about Romania. How did you start doing it?

I amassed a large following on TikTok quite to my surprise and by accident. I started, like many others, making videos during the first weeks of the pandemic. I don’t actually remember deciding to make my first video, but I remember it garnered 5,000 views. Speaking no Romanian at the time, I decided to make videos in Romanian to help me learn. My first videos were not about Romania, rather they were little skits and jokes that I did in Romanian. 2,000 videos later, I make videos about my life and whatever I want to share. 

These days, of the 2,000 videos I have created, I keep a limited number active on my profile. I do this for two reasons. First, because who I am today isn’t necessarily who I was 5 years ago. I want to make sure my current active content reflects my current stage of life. Secondly, TikTok does not compensate Romanian based creators. The more videos I have active, the more videos TikTok has to generate revenue for THEM without compensating me. People have watched my videos for MILLIONS of hours. To this day, TikTok has never even acknowledged me as a unique creator. Many people believe that I am receiving compensation for my videos, I am not. 

One of your most-watched videos is on dispelling rumors about Romania. What would you tell a foreigner thinking of visiting or living in Romania?

I love telling people about Romania. I always encourage people to visit, especially with a tour or local guide. While Western Europe is overly touristy, Romania still offers an opportunity to enjoy and explore. Amazing food, people and scenery, it is everything you can ask for. 

On the other hand, living permanently in Romania isn’t for everyone. If you don’t have a Romanian spouse, bureaucracy can be difficult. In addition, salaries are lower than Western Europe and especially in cities like Cluj salaries can be low for the comparative cost of living. When people are expressing a desire to live in Romania, I always try to find out what their expectations are and see if they are a match. 

@jannadamigeana #onthisday ♬ original sound - JannaDamigeana

What would you say are some of the differences between the United States and Romania that people don't usually think about?

As I mentioned before, I have a better sense of security in Romania. I feel very safe. 

Learning the culture here has been fun. I feel like I am still learning new things all the time! For example, I only learned this past spring that Romanians send packages to one another on the bus. Parents do this especially, sending their university-age children food. I love learning about these things because often I can incorporate them into my new hobby, stand up comedy. 

One thing I struggle with is the frequent smoking. In the States, very few people continue to smoke as laws are becoming more and more strict and the habit is VERY expensive. In Romania, it is still very common. As a non-smoker, I sometimes struggle when exiting a building and walking into a cloud of smoke. Normally this cloud is accompanied by a “no smoking” sign, but those are frequently ignored. Seeing so many teenagers that smoke openly is alarming to me. Especially when I see that they are doing it on school trips! 

Like many people who live very far from their family, I miss my family often. However, I am fortunate my mother loves Romania and comes to visit frequently. 

What can you find in a re-used container in a Romanian household?

In Romania you can find absolutely anything in a reused container. My favorite reused container is a purple ice cream one in which my mother-in-law often puts meatballs. Chiftele are one of my favorite Romanian foods, especially hers. 

(Photo: Istvan Vlădăreanu, courtesy of Janna Damigeana)

radu@romania-insider.com

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