I was at the Soundscape workshop in my hometown, in the park of the Curtea de Argeș Monastery. We were supposed to record the sounds around us with a professional recorder.
Together with my colleagues, we recorded the bells of the monastery. We sat and listened to them very carefully. I realized that I had never done this before, even though I lived right next door and I could hear them every day.
The workshop teacher suggested that we also record the ambiance, that is, the atmospheric sounds of the place. We went to a more secluded corner near the Bishop’s Palace. I put on the headphones. We laid down on the green grass, set the microphone level and hit REC. Three minutes, just with myself.
I realized that I had never really paid attention to the sounds around me: the chirping of the birds, the crowing of the roosters, the buzzing of the insects. I sank into a state of stillness. Not a single thought crossed my mind. I felt so calm as if nothing and no one could ever bother me again.
From where I was lying, I had a good view of the monastery. It was as if I was seeing it for the first time. It was extraordinarily beautiful. I felt blessed to live in this town. I felt alive, as if for the first time.