When we think of Romania, we often think about Vlad the Impaler, but every historical figure has a beginning and an origin story. Let’s go back to the beginning to unveil the man behind the larger-than-life figure he became.

An Only Child With No Friends By Choice

I was the odd kid parents warned their children about. I was the nightmare blowing through mindless youngsters’ hair. No grown-up liked me, and I hadn’t a care. All I needed were books, blank papers, crayons, and one person from history to kick-start my story.

My maternal grandparents raised me as I was their only child’s child. My grandpa worked at a printing and binding company and often would come home with boxes of expensive books that didn’t make the cut. It was a minor mistake, like the margin’s width or not the right colour, and so on. As an only child surrounded by books all the time, I started reading ahead of other children my age and went to a performing arts school.