ELC Librarian Mitra Gholami was born and raised in Iran. After studying in university and getting married, she traveled to different places in the world. Now she finds herself in Romania, continuing her journey with her family for new experiences.

What follows is her story, in Mitra’s own words:

I was born in Iran and went to school in Tehran, where I completed my bachelor’s degree and worked as an engineer. After getting married, we traveled a lot due to my husband’s job. I pursued a master’s degree in engineering, but didn’t work as I was raising my kids while we traveled. We eventually moved to Australia and became citizens. Australia is now our home.

Five years ago, we moved again due to my husband’s job, and here we are in Romania. This is our 7th international move. Jakarta, Indonesia, holds a special place in my heart because my eldest daughter, Saba, was born there. I have wonderful memories and great friends from that time. The people were kind, friendly, and always smiling. I love Indonesia, though we’ve created great memories in all the countries we’ve lived in.

We started traveling 20 years ago, and it’s changed me. We’ve been to so many countries and have friends all over the world, which has shaped who I am today. Even in my work in the library and teaching, I love introducing people, especially kids, to different cultures and backgrounds. I aim to create an inclusive library, ordering books that reflect diverse cultures, foods, and traditions. I believe all this traveling has shaped who I am now.