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. 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.
Why did you do it and how did your life change? 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. 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 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. 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. 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.
