I have this thing about bears…

His name is Romeo and – as hard as it is to believe – we’ve been together for 29 years now.

I was only three when we first met and yet I remember it. I recall unwrapping this huge birthday present with that pure, breath-taking excitement you only experience as a kid. I remember the amazement, the joy I felt when I realized what was in it: the biggest teddy bear I had ever seen.

It was love at first sight.

He looked just like a real brown bear, I guess that’s why I liked him straight away. He didn’t wear any clothing, nor that fake smile teddy bears often wear. He was just big, brown, soft and cuddly – exactly how I pictured a real brown bear ought to be. As a matter of fact, how I still picture brown bears to be.

We became inseparable. He was my best friend, in that special way Hobbes is Calvin’s best friend. We shared adventures, we shared laughs, we shared tears. We shared a big chunk of life.

And with Romeo, my innate passion for bears grew bigger. I don’t know why I have this thing about bears – I just have. I’ve always had. During elementary school, half the stories I was inventing for my compositions were about me befriending a bear and having some great adventures together in the forest. Few decades later, every time I stumble upon a documentary about bears I end up watching it.

I’ve always wanted to see a bear up close, in the wild. Winning this volunteering trip to help rescued bears in Romania would give me the perfect opportunity. Not only would I get the chance to learn more about bears, take some cool photographs and write about it all – I could actually do something concrete to help these bears while I do.

A child dream come true, with cherry on top.
Wait I tell Romeo about it.