Have you ever wondered what influence our place of birth has on us? How does it shape our tastes, smells, habits and sometimes even our decisions?
About 18 years ago, when my daughter was only a year and a half old, I visited Romania. It was an unexpected experience that really got me thinking and changed my perception of where we are born.
But before I tell you about this experience, let me give you some context.
At the time, I was living in Qingdao, China, where my baby girl was born in a local hospital. I was extremely impressed by the conditions there and the professionalism of the doctors. Chinese hospitals are very rigorously organized and the care we received exceeded our expectations – but that’s a story for another time.
My daughter spent a lot of time with her Chinese housekeeper, who was in charge of her meals during the day and our family dinner. So she was accustomed to Chinese tastes and foods and traditional meals were already part of her routine.
This was the moment my little girl arrived in Romania.
She had already started to eat solid food, and our relatives rushed to spoil her with the most wonderful treats. But to our surprise, she didn’t touch a thing. She refused whatever was offered, and the only thing she accepted was milk. After a couple of days, we began to worry – it wasn’t fussiness; she simply refused food.
While we were in a restaurant in Suceava, we came up with a scrappy idea. We asked the waiter to bring us a bowl of plain rice, cooked without salt, butter or other condiments. The waiter was polite and, after a few minutes, came back with a bowl full of steaming rice.
I can’t forget the face of my little girl, a little blond with blue eyes. Her eyes lit up and her face instantly transformed into an expression of pure joy. They doubled in size and filled with amazement. There followed a “Uaaaaaaaa!!!” from all of her little soul.
He didn’t stop until he’d eaten half the bowl! Eat with your mouth and eyes!
It was an image that stuck in my mind and made me reflect on the importance of where we are born and its influence on us. It made me realize how deeply connected we are to our place of origin. It’s not just a cultural influence, but also a sensory connection – the tastes, smells and textures of food from home are etched in our memories. The concept of the ‘seven years at home’ is more than a metaphor for education; it also encompasses our sensory habits and the subtle preferences we acquire during that period.
These sensory impressions, formed in childhood, are like landmarks that can give us comfort and stability throughout our lives. Often, whether we realize it or not, we feel the need to reconnect with our birthplace, to rediscover the tastes and smells of childhood. They remind us of our roots and give us a deep sense of belonging.
Recent research has shown that the earth and where we are born have an energetic impact on us. It is said that the vibration of where we are born can have an effect on our emotional and physical balance, giving us a sense of ‘grounding’ and reconnection when we return. It’s not just a sensory effect, but a deep connection to the energetic frequencies of the place of birth.
I think this is also the reason why, after 15 years as an expat living a comfortable life in the Philippines, I felt an inner calling to return home. Although I had all the necessary material conditions, the desire to breathe the air of the place where I was born became stronger and stronger.
Coming back to Romania, I realized how much energy and inner peace this reconnection brings me. I feel that the place where I was born is more than just a geographical point – it is a place of regeneration, where I feel whole and reconnected with myself. The air, smells and landscapes of home have a special power to bring me clarity and inner peace.
It’s no coincidence that many traditions encourage connecting with the earth, walking barefoot in the grass and visiting birthplaces to ‘recharge’ the soul. These practices can give us a mental and emotional stability we rarely find elsewhere.
What do you think?
Do you think that the place of birth has an imprint on us or is it just a romantic notion, linked to nostalgia? Is this connection real, transcending the material, or is it an illusion constructed by those who are drawn to esotericism and tradition?
Write to me and tell me what you think about this deep connection!
Claudiu
