July 20, 1969.
On this day, humanity set foot on the Moon. What was once a dream, an unreachable light in the night sky, became a footprint in lunar dust. The world watched as Neil Armstrong descended from the lunar module and declared, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” But another quote captures the enduring spirit of that moment, and the spirit of anyone who dares to pursue the improbable:
“Things are only impossible until they’re not.” – Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation
This phrase echoes across every leap of faith, every boundary shattered by courage, intellect, and determination. And for me, it has become a quiet anthem in my own journey, from space dreamer to doctoral researcher, from star maps to delta wetlands, from NASA internships to Fulbright fieldwork. The Moon landing reminds us that the impossible is simply the unattempted. Until it is done.
Growing up, I was fascinated by the stars, not just their beauty, but the vastness they represented, the unknown they invited us to explore. That fascination led me to pursue degrees in space studies, to work on NASA missions, and eventually to specialize in space and climate security. I never imagined I would one day walk the path from studying planetary surfaces to walking the shores of the Danube Delta, researching human security and environmental change.
And yet, here I am. Things are only impossible until they’re not.
When I moved to Romania with my two cats and a research plan, I was told that studying the intersection of climate change, local governance, and community resilience in a remote delta would be logistically difficult, perhaps even fruitless. But I met women whose stories reshaped my understanding of survival, resistance, and adaptation. I witnessed firsthand how ecosystems and people adapt together, how human security is lived, not theorized.
Just as the Moon landing was not just a technological achievement but a human one, grounded in belief and willpower, so too is every step we take toward new knowledge, equity, and sustainability. Whether the terrain is lunar or muddy delta soil, it begins with a conviction: that something can be done, even if no one has done it yet.
Every challenge I have faced in academia, research, or simply navigating unfamiliar spaces, has taught me that so much of what we deem impossible is simply what we have not yet dared to try. The Moon landing was a culmination of decades of failures, recalibrations, and dreams. So is every meaningful endeavor.
So today, on the anniversary of that first lunar step, I celebrate not only what humanity achieved on the Moon, but what we are all capable of when we refuse to let “impossible” define our limits.
Whatever your “Moon” may be, research, advocacy, a personal project, a dream deferred, remember: Things are only impossible until they’re not.