About This Website

Tatiana comes from a midddle-class-famly in the small country of Moldova, which at that time was a part of the former Soviet Union.

Once, as she and her Aunt Maria were on a country road in rural Ukraine travelling from Moldova to Ukraine to see her grandparents, Tatiana left behind her entire "treasure", a tin purse filled with her most valuable possessions: a few tiny dolls, with their clothes and tiny beds made out of pieces of cloth.

Over 7-9 hours, she and her Aunt took multiple buses and a train, and then walked on a country road for what seemed like an eternity. While Tatiana was entertaining herself and her Aunt Maria by giving names to the owners of each house they passed, she became very tired. They stopped for a few minutes on the side of the road, hoping for a car to pass by. Shortly after, a rugged GAZ (Russian version of a rugged all-terrain vehicle) stopped; luckly the driver was going in the same direction.

Tatiana, ecstatic for not needing to walk any longer, happily hopped into the vehicle, forgetting about her purse. While in the car, she realized that she was missing her possessions. The dirver was kind and they turned back, but it was dark by that time and they never found her purse. It was devastating for Tatiana, but it also constituted a very valuable lesson she would never forget: Always be present, be in the moment, pay more attention and be responsible. Be aware of your surroundings.



For as long as she remembers, Tatiana always enjoyed helping others either by offering a helping hand with groceries, tutoring or providing advice. Growing up, she would bring kittens and puppies home (she was like an animal whisperer, because they always were drawn to her). When her mother would tell her to take them back to where she found them, she would say that they don't have a home, and that they looked hungry and needed to be fed. Her Mom loved animals too, so she would give in almost all the time, allowing her to keep them until she found them permanent homes.

Because Tatiana enjoyed helping the weak, she considered going to medical school. However, when time came to choose a college, she chose the profession of a teacher. With Old Country Wellness and Happiness Guide, Tatiana has indirectly fulfilled her childhood dream of helping people. While she is not treating anyone physically, she hopes that the extensive research she's completed can help many reach their emotional wellbeing.