Alexandra Mihai
@anda19.bsky.social
Assistant Professor of Innovation in HE at Maastricht University. Educational developer at heart, passionate about helping faculty to thrive. Join the Educationalist community: http://educationalist.substack.com.
Merging waters
(The Duoro meets the Atlantic)
The ocean
embracing the river
Hungry for it;
Absorbing its softness
with untamed power.
The river
forever flowing
Towards the ocean;
Nor fearing it will be lost
but longing to be bigger
Different.
(The Duoro meets the Atlantic)
The ocean
embracing the river
Hungry for it;
Absorbing its softness
with untamed power.
The river
forever flowing
Towards the ocean;
Nor fearing it will be lost
but longing to be bigger
Different.
January 16, 2026 at 12:47 PM
Merging waters
(The Duoro meets the Atlantic)
The ocean
embracing the river
Hungry for it;
Absorbing its softness
with untamed power.
The river
forever flowing
Towards the ocean;
Nor fearing it will be lost
but longing to be bigger
Different.
(The Duoro meets the Atlantic)
The ocean
embracing the river
Hungry for it;
Absorbing its softness
with untamed power.
The river
forever flowing
Towards the ocean;
Nor fearing it will be lost
but longing to be bigger
Different.
Hello, beautiful Porto!
January 14, 2026 at 11:58 PM
Hello, beautiful Porto!
"Loneliness and snow became the same thing in her mind, lighter than air, made of nothing; only upon tackling the stuff did you realise it had piled to heavy to yield."
❄️
"The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny", by Kiran Desai
❄️
"The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny", by Kiran Desai
January 11, 2026 at 12:01 PM
"Loneliness and snow became the same thing in her mind, lighter than air, made of nothing; only upon tackling the stuff did you realise it had piled to heavy to yield."
❄️
"The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny", by Kiran Desai
❄️
"The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny", by Kiran Desai
Winter magic ❄️❄️❄️
Seeing my hometown Brașov dressed in a fresh white blanket is such a delight.
Seeing my hometown Brașov dressed in a fresh white blanket is such a delight.
January 9, 2026 at 8:38 AM
Winter magic ❄️❄️❄️
Seeing my hometown Brașov dressed in a fresh white blanket is such a delight.
Seeing my hometown Brașov dressed in a fresh white blanket is such a delight.
Today's snowfall was a real throwback to my childhood. Waking up to the sight of a white blanket and falling snow. Feeling & hearing the fresh snow under my feet. This, for me, is magic.
January 3, 2026 at 5:36 PM
Today's snowfall was a real throwback to my childhood. Waking up to the sight of a white blanket and falling snow. Feeling & hearing the fresh snow under my feet. This, for me, is magic.
In 2025 I was lucky to spend time in some amazing places:
Hiking & enjoying la dolce vita in Italy;
Soaking up the sun in Malta in spring & in France in summer;
Exploring London on my annual visit;
Eating my way around South Korea on a food tour in the best autumn weather.
Bring it on, 2026!
Hiking & enjoying la dolce vita in Italy;
Soaking up the sun in Malta in spring & in France in summer;
Exploring London on my annual visit;
Eating my way around South Korea on a food tour in the best autumn weather.
Bring it on, 2026!
December 31, 2025 at 3:35 PM
In 2025 I was lucky to spend time in some amazing places:
Hiking & enjoying la dolce vita in Italy;
Soaking up the sun in Malta in spring & in France in summer;
Exploring London on my annual visit;
Eating my way around South Korea on a food tour in the best autumn weather.
Bring it on, 2026!
Hiking & enjoying la dolce vita in Italy;
Soaking up the sun in Malta in spring & in France in summer;
Exploring London on my annual visit;
Eating my way around South Korea on a food tour in the best autumn weather.
Bring it on, 2026!
"Survival often depends on a specific focus: A relationship, a belief, or a hope balanced on the edge of possibility. Or something more ephemeral: the way the sun passes through the hard seemingly impenetrable glass of a window."
***
Elisabeth Tova Bailey, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
***
Elisabeth Tova Bailey, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
November 30, 2025 at 2:39 PM
"Survival often depends on a specific focus: A relationship, a belief, or a hope balanced on the edge of possibility. Or something more ephemeral: the way the sun passes through the hard seemingly impenetrable glass of a window."
***
Elisabeth Tova Bailey, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
***
Elisabeth Tova Bailey, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
"It is a serious thing
Just to be alive
On this fresh morning
In this broken world."
***
Mary Oliver, "Invitation"
Just to be alive
On this fresh morning
In this broken world."
***
Mary Oliver, "Invitation"
November 27, 2025 at 8:41 AM
"It is a serious thing
Just to be alive
On this fresh morning
In this broken world."
***
Mary Oliver, "Invitation"
Just to be alive
On this fresh morning
In this broken world."
***
Mary Oliver, "Invitation"
"What helps is that we are not all crazy and hopeless on the same day. One of us remembers and reminds the rest of us thay when it is really dark you can see the stars."
***
"Almost everything", Anne Lamott
***
"Almost everything", Anne Lamott
November 24, 2025 at 7:44 PM
"What helps is that we are not all crazy and hopeless on the same day. One of us remembers and reminds the rest of us thay when it is really dark you can see the stars."
***
"Almost everything", Anne Lamott
***
"Almost everything", Anne Lamott
Coziness is the smell of freshly baked brioche on a cold rainy Sunday.
November 23, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Coziness is the smell of freshly baked brioche on a cold rainy Sunday.
"The truth is, we know so little about life, we don’t really know what the good news is and what the bad news is.”
***
Kurt Vonnegut, "A man without a country"
***
Kurt Vonnegut, "A man without a country"
November 22, 2025 at 5:23 PM
"The truth is, we know so little about life, we don’t really know what the good news is and what the bad news is.”
***
Kurt Vonnegut, "A man without a country"
***
Kurt Vonnegut, "A man without a country"
The wet air bearing
earthy undertones;
Colours fading away.
Bare-bones.
A shadow of what used to be.
Or maybe
The essence of everything.
A beginning.
Step slowly
In silence:
The earth is resting.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Time to pause
Recharge
So we can be again.
earthy undertones;
Colours fading away.
Bare-bones.
A shadow of what used to be.
Or maybe
The essence of everything.
A beginning.
Step slowly
In silence:
The earth is resting.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Time to pause
Recharge
So we can be again.
November 16, 2025 at 4:15 PM
The wet air bearing
earthy undertones;
Colours fading away.
Bare-bones.
A shadow of what used to be.
Or maybe
The essence of everything.
A beginning.
Step slowly
In silence:
The earth is resting.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Time to pause
Recharge
So we can be again.
earthy undertones;
Colours fading away.
Bare-bones.
A shadow of what used to be.
Or maybe
The essence of everything.
A beginning.
Step slowly
In silence:
The earth is resting.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Time to pause
Recharge
So we can be again.
"Hope is an embrace of the unknown and the unknowable, an alternative to the certainty of both optimists and pessimists."
***
Rebecca Solnit
***
Rebecca Solnit
November 14, 2025 at 5:42 PM
"Hope is an embrace of the unknown and the unknowable, an alternative to the certainty of both optimists and pessimists."
***
Rebecca Solnit
***
Rebecca Solnit
"What do we have to hold on to? Only the certainty that nothing will go according to design; our hopes are newly built wooden houses, sturdy until someone drops a cigarette or match."
***
Pico Iyer, "Autumn Light: Season of Fire and Farewells"
***
Pico Iyer, "Autumn Light: Season of Fire and Farewells"
November 13, 2025 at 4:19 PM
"What do we have to hold on to? Only the certainty that nothing will go according to design; our hopes are newly built wooden houses, sturdy until someone drops a cigarette or match."
***
Pico Iyer, "Autumn Light: Season of Fire and Farewells"
***
Pico Iyer, "Autumn Light: Season of Fire and Farewells"
Colourful autumn ikebana in my new Korean mini vases.
November 9, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Colourful autumn ikebana in my new Korean mini vases.
10 beautiful days exploring South Korea 🇰🇷
🏞 Walked 130 km through the beautiful landscape.
🍲 Discovered the culture and tasted delicious food.
📸 Took over 1000 pictures.
🍁 Enjoyed the most vibrant autumn weather.
Will be back!
🏞 Walked 130 km through the beautiful landscape.
🍲 Discovered the culture and tasted delicious food.
📸 Took over 1000 pictures.
🍁 Enjoyed the most vibrant autumn weather.
Will be back!
November 8, 2025 at 6:29 PM
10 beautiful days exploring South Korea 🇰🇷
🏞 Walked 130 km through the beautiful landscape.
🍲 Discovered the culture and tasted delicious food.
📸 Took over 1000 pictures.
🍁 Enjoyed the most vibrant autumn weather.
Will be back!
🏞 Walked 130 km through the beautiful landscape.
🍲 Discovered the culture and tasted delicious food.
📸 Took over 1000 pictures.
🍁 Enjoyed the most vibrant autumn weather.
Will be back!
Going on a food-themed holiday in South Korea be like...
November 1, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Going on a food-themed holiday in South Korea be like...
Have been living in beautiful Maastricht for 3 years now and I never get bored of this gorgeous view on my way to work.
October 22, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Have been living in beautiful Maastricht for 3 years now and I never get bored of this gorgeous view on my way to work.
"Maybe a self is just a bunch of little stories glued together in some haphazard way that we use to comfort ourselves."
***
Siri Hustvedt, "Memories of the future"
***
Siri Hustvedt, "Memories of the future"
October 19, 2025 at 9:52 PM
"Maybe a self is just a bunch of little stories glued together in some haphazard way that we use to comfort ourselves."
***
Siri Hustvedt, "Memories of the future"
***
Siri Hustvedt, "Memories of the future"
"When we are stricken and cannot bear our lives any longer, then a tree has something to say to us: Be still! Be still! Look at me! Life is not easy, life is not difficult. Those are childish thoughts. Home is neither here nor there. Home is within you, or home is nowhere at all."
Hermann Hesse
Hermann Hesse
October 16, 2025 at 5:02 PM
"When we are stricken and cannot bear our lives any longer, then a tree has something to say to us: Be still! Be still! Look at me! Life is not easy, life is not difficult. Those are childish thoughts. Home is neither here nor there. Home is within you, or home is nowhere at all."
Hermann Hesse
Hermann Hesse
"Life meanders like a path through the woods. We have seasons when we flourish and seasons when the leaves fall from us, revealing our bare bones. Given time, they grow again."
***
Katherine May, "Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times"
***
Katherine May, "Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times"
October 12, 2025 at 6:30 PM
"Life meanders like a path through the woods. We have seasons when we flourish and seasons when the leaves fall from us, revealing our bare bones. Given time, they grow again."
***
Katherine May, "Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times"
***
Katherine May, "Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times"
"Worry is a way to pretend that you have knowledge or control over what you don't- and it surprises me how much we prefer ugly scenarios to the pure unknown."
***
"A Field Guide to Getting Lost", by Rebecca Solnit
***
"A Field Guide to Getting Lost", by Rebecca Solnit
October 6, 2025 at 6:58 AM
"Worry is a way to pretend that you have knowledge or control over what you don't- and it surprises me how much we prefer ugly scenarios to the pure unknown."
***
"A Field Guide to Getting Lost", by Rebecca Solnit
***
"A Field Guide to Getting Lost", by Rebecca Solnit