Ana Around the World

30/03/2026

Sakura Season in Kyoto 🌸

⛩️What makes this season in Kyoto so special?
While in Tokyo you can enjoy delicate cherry blossoms amidst a modern city setting, or in natural environments like gardens, parks, or by rivers, in Kyoto you can experience cherry blossoms in more traditional settings, alongside historic architecture in Gion or Higashiyama Districts, at shrines and temples.

Here are some of my favorite spots in Kyoto:
🌸Rokusonno-jinja Shrine 六孫王神社
🌸Yasaka Pagoda 八坂の塔
🌸Sannenzaka 産寧坂
🌸Takenaka Inari Shrine 竹中稲荷神社
🌸Fushimi Jikkokubune 伏見十石舟
🌸Keage Incline 蹴上インクライン
🌸Fushimi-Momoyama Castle 伏見桃山城
🌸Philosopher’s Path 哲学の道
🌸Chion-in Temple 知恩院
🌸Kodaiji 高台寺
🌸Heian Shrine 平安神宮
🌸Maruyama Park 丸山公園
🌸Nijo Castle 二条城
🌸Ninna-ji Temple 仁和寺

Are you visiting Japan for 🌸 this year?

27/03/2026

Memories from 9 sakura seasons in Japan 🌸

⏳ Time flies… and what makes sakura season so special is how it reminds you just how fleeting everything is.

Often, Somei Yoshino are in full bloom for only about a week, and then they’re gone.

I tried to enjoy each season as much as I could, never knowing when it might be my last. So every year, I went to as many places as possible, trying to take it all in.

That’s also why I still have hundreds of unedited photos… 🎞️
But this is a collection of my favorite ones 🫶🏻

*2017 is missing because I was back in Romania finishing my studies.

I want to make my 10th season a very special one.

What are your memories of sakura season in Japan?

26/03/2026

Primăvara începe în Japonia… cu cireși înfloriți 🌸

Alătură-te canalului meu: https://www.youtube.com//joinPrimăvara în Japonia începe cu cireși înfloriți 🌸În acest vlog vă arăt cm am petrecut două zi...

25/03/2026

A peaceful morning in Tokyo 🌸

When my friend and I woke up at 5 AM to enjoy the beauty of this cherry blossom tree, located at the perfect spot right at the entrance of Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, before the crowds arrived 🙌🏻

It truly is the most magical time to be in Tokyo ✨

📍 Sensoji Temple, Asakusa
🗓️ March 16, 2023
📸 Thank you so much for these amazing photos of me 🙏🏻

23/03/2026

https://youtu.be/-bZjNBtlNyo

Alătură-te canalului meu: https://www.youtube.com//joinÎn acest vlog mă întorc în timp, acum 10 ani, când am ajuns pentru prima dată în Japonia. Vă po...

23/03/2026

Sakura, a first love 🌸

⏳ Ten years ago, I saw 桜 sakura (cherry blossoms) in Japan for the first time.

🗾 I came to Japan as an exchange student, thinking I would only stay for a year… so I tried to hold on to every moment. I remember traveling alone for two weeks during my first spring break, following spring from one place to another, and checking off as many spots on my bucket list as possible.

My last stop was Kyoto ⛩️

👘 That’s where I wore a kimono for the first time, choosing a hakama style because it was graduation season. I was quietly watching the girls around me, wishing I could be part of that world, even just for a moment.

Looking back now, it feels like a different life…
But somehow, that version of me is still there—and that first year changed everything for me. 🌸

Thank you, Japan, for all the beautiful memories I cherish close to my heart 💖

17/03/2026

Harumeki-zakura are in full bloom 🌸

Not far from Tokyo, in Kanagawa Prefecture, you can find this special type of early-blooming cherry blossom called 春めきHarumeki which means “a sign that spring is coming” 🌸

What makes them unique? Their soft pink flowers bloom in clusters at the tips of the branches, and unlike most sakura, they have a sweet, delicate scent (I couldn’t stop smelling them 🥹)

A quiet reminder that spring in Japan starts earlier than you think ✨

🚃 Would you travel outside Tokyo to see them? 🌸

📸 Thank you so much for the photos of me &
🗓️ March 20, 2024 & March 20, 2025
🎨 Edited by me

10/03/2026

Beijing Photo Walk 📷🚶‍♀️

It’s been a while since I last took my camera (Fujifilm X-T200) out 🥹

🎥 Lately, I’ve been focused more on video, and even when I take photos, I usually end up using my phone. But this time, I wanted to slow down and truly enjoy photography again.
It turned into such a lovely day exploring a few beautiful spots in Beijing 🏮

First stop was 📍Yonghe Temple, also known as the Lama Temple. It’s one of the most important Tibetan Buddhist temples outside Tibet and a very special spiritual place in the city. Walking through its courtyards, with the smell of incense and people quietly praying, felt very peaceful 🙏🏻

Later, I visited 📍Beijing Botanical Garden, which feels like a completely different side of Beijing. Far from the busy city center, surrounded by nature and even mountains in the distance.

Inside the garden, you can also find 📍Wofo Temple, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. The temple dates back more than 1,300 years and is famous for its beautiful wintersweet trees.

I was lucky to visit just as the wintersweet was in bloom — delicate yellow flowers that bloom in the coldest part of winter and fill the air with a soft fragrance 🌼

Sometimes, it’s nice to put the phone away and go back to using the camera again 📸

All photos taken with the Fujifilm X-T200 and a 35mm f2 lens (for photography enthusiasts 🤓)
Special thanks to for helping with the photos of me 🤗

Any photography lovers out there?

21/02/2026

The day I became a princess in China 👑🦋✨

🏮 I’ve been wanting to try the hanfu experience at Yu Garden, especially during the Lantern Festival, and for me… it was so worth it!

💸 The whole experience was 400 yuan (~$56 / €52) and included clothes, makeup, hairstyling, and a photo shoot. You get 20 unedited photos and 6 edited ones, and you can pay for more if you want. I ended up with 50 photos because I just had to have them all, haha 😅

I didn’t make a reservation and just walked in. There are plenty of places that accept walk-ins, so don’t worry 🙌🏻

It was so much fun, and I think it’s a great way to appreciate Chinese culture and its traditions. I would love to try the summer version too 💖

Would you give it a try? 🦋✨

15/02/2026

17,321 km away from home 🇷🇴

I really wanted to wear my traditional Romanian blouse handmade by my mom in the farthest place I’ve ever been from home.

And I’m so happy I did 💖

It was such a beautiful day at Albert Park in Auckland 🇳🇿☀️

Where should I wear it next? 🌍✨

30/11/2025

I left my ❤️ in Venice 🛶

After 14 years, I was so happy to return to Venice 🥹🙏🏻

Just like the first time, I was completely in awe of this city, and I was so happy to spend more time exploring it. Yes, some areas can get quite crowded, but at night or when you wander down the side streets, Venice reveals its true magic, as if the city is yours alone ✨

Have you ever been to Venice? Is it on your bucket list? 🫶🏻

🇮🇹 ✈️🌍

08/09/2025

My Japan Journey: 2015 → 2025 🇯🇵🫶🏻

✈️10 years ago today, I stepped into Japan for the first time, chasing a dream I’d had since I was 12 🥹

🗓️ Over 10 years, I’ve had so many firsts, unforgettable memories, and life-changing experiences. Here’s a look back at everything this amazing country has offered me ❤️

❤️🇯🇵 ✨