Welcome to Connections with Eric! I’m so excited to share the first episode of our podcast with everyone! This inaugural episode sets the tone for everything we’re doing here.
In this episode, we talk about my complete life transformation from corporate success in Texas to becoming a stay-at-home dad in Romania. We dive into the reality of losing everything you thought was secure, making tough decisions during a crisis, and rebuilding from scratch in a foreign country.
Keep reading below to get a brief overview of the key moments and lessons from this wild journey.
Table of Contents
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Life Before
Five years ago, I was living in Houston, Texas with what most people would call the American dream.
I had a really good six-figure salary, plenty of money for vacations, investing, and a nice house in a good neighborhood. Two new cars. Playing tennis, running. My son James was in one of the best daycares in the city at $1,400 a month.
Our monthly expenses were probably $8,000, but it was fine, because I was making great money as a marketing director at a publicly traded company. Life was good. And honestly, I thought it would just keep going up from there.
Everything Changed
But then something called COVID happened. And right around the same time, my daughter Clara was born. That’s when everything turned upside down.
Now, if you don’t know this, when a woman has a baby in the States, after three months she’s expected to go back to work. Three months! You’re still shell-shocked and sleep-deprived and the government’s like, “Alright, let’s get back to the office.”
But Clara wouldn’t sleep in her crib, so me and my wife and her mom were taking turns holding her all night because she would only sleep in our arms. She wouldn’t eat well, she had health issues including surgery. Meanwhile, James was two, which is basically the human equivalent of a live grenade. Try juggling a newborn who won’t sleep and a two-year-old who’s screaming because you gave him the wrong color cup. That’s parenting during COVID.
And then I got laid off. Just like that. No job, no stability, and my wife’s mom returned to Romania. It felt like the whole thing collapsed overnight.
The Decision
So what do we do? My mother in law suggested moving to Bucharest, Romania, where she could help with the kids. So my wife and I sat down, made a pros and cons list. And actually, the pros weren’t bad:
- It’s safer – no worrying about school shootings
- The weather’s better – four seasons, not Houston humidity where you basically live inside a sauna
- Cost of living was cheaper
- My wife’s family was there, so we’d have support
- The lifestyle – you can be at the sea or in the mountains within three hours of Bucharest
So we said, let’s try it. Her company gave her the green light to transfer, though with a big pay cut. We sold our two cars, rented out our house. The only thing that slowed us down was waiting for Clara’s passport to arrive. But four months later, we packed our things, shipped about 15 boxes worth of stuff, and moved.
Mr. Mom
When did it really hit me that I was building a whole new life abroad? Probably about six months in. Because if you’ve ever seen the movie Mr. Mom, that was me. I was Michael Keaton. Making breakfasts, daycare drop-offs and pickups, running with the stroller, taking Clara to the park every day. Meanwhile, my wife was working U.S. hours, from about 5 p.m. until midnight. So I was basically doing the whole dad show: breakfast, daycare for James, dinner, bedtime, repeat. I didn’t really mind it though because I enjoy spending time with my kids.
And when I finally found work here, the pay was really small compared to Houston. I used to make more in bonuses than I was making in an entire year here. But I knew that going in. It wasn’t about getting rich in Romania. It was about family, balance, and trying to survive.
Life Now
Fast forward a couple years, and things weren’t going as planned. My wife and I, well, let’s just say we’re separated now. For about two years, I really tried to hold things together: suggesting we seek marriage counseling, praying, all of it. But it didn’t work out.
So here I am, five years later after COVID started. Living in my own shoebox apartment. Doing my best to make sure the separation doesn’t negatively impact the kids. Trying to build a new social circle. And let me tell you, when I moved here, I didn’t have a single close friend. No job, no connections, nothing.
But I’m finding my way in a pretty unique way. Instead of the usual expat meet-ups or awkward networking events, I started throwing cocktail parties and game nights. Inviting people I think I would click with. And it’s been amazing, not just for me, but for everyone who comes.
Conclusion
Sometimes life completely changes your path when you least expect it.
From a six-figure salary in Texas to becoming a stay-at-home dad in Romania, this journey shows that starting over isn’t always about adventure – sometimes it’s just about survival and finding what really matters.
In episode 2, I dive deeper into one of the biggest challenges of my separation: staying present as a father when you’re no longer under the same roof as your kids. Click here to read about it.
For more episodes and stories like this, check out my complete episode guide. And fyi, if you didn’t know, I’m rebuilding my social life after separation — cocktail parties, game nights, even Timeleft. Want the playbook? Get it by clicking here.