About

From a Romanian village to a Galician one

I didn't plan a career in coliving. I followed a feeling of belonging and a need to explore.

Andreea Rusu, coliving community builder, smiling in a colourful hammock at Anceu Coliving

ChildhoodRomania
A small village in Romania
Growing up in a small village with very little taught me to be resourceful, and made me want to explore the world.
Studiesfrom age 14
Leaving home for my studies
I left the village for the city: high school, then college, where I studied landscape architecture.
Working3 years
The United States and my first job
During college, I went to the United States three times with the Work and Travel program. Then, in my first job in sales, I spent three years helping 200 students go there too.
Marketing2019
Switching careers
After that job I chose marketing, because I wanted to be independent, with the freedom to explore the world and work remotely.
Digital nomadJune 2021
Discovering the coliving world
I wanted to start traveling the world, so I bought a one-way ticket. That's how I stumbled upon coliving, at Anceu Coliving in Galicia. I came for a month, and never moved back to Romania.
Coliving2021–2025
Colivings and community building
15+ colivings, 7 as a volunteer, from the Swiss mountains to the French Alps. Every house taught me something about onboarding, rituals, conflict and belonging.
Industry2025–today
From resident to industry voice
Working remotely for Coloc Housing and creating its Content Creator Residency, volunteering with Coliving Hub, and speaking at the Coliving Conference.
Hometoday
Back to the village
After five years on the road, I chose a home base: a small village of 100 people in Galicia. From a village in Romania to a village in Spain, the circle closed, but I'm still connected to the whole world, working with colivings everywhere.

Local impact

I love getting involved in projects that connect a coliving with the place around it. When a house opens its doors to the village, both sides grow.

Rural Revival, Inside Out Project80 portraits of villagers and colivers for JR's project, pasted on public walls to spotlight rural depopulation · Anceu Coliving2021

Rural HackersAs a European Solidarity Corps volunteer, I taught content creation, design and visual arts at the Rural Hackers Academy, a free offline school for locals2022–23

Andreea Rusu presenting the Rural Revival community project to colivers at Anceu Coliving — Rural Revival, 2021

A Rural Hackers workshop with laptops and sticky notes at Anceu Coliving — Rural Hackers, 2022–23

Speaking

I love the chance to share what I've learned from living and working in colivings, on stage and online.

The Power of Place: How Coliving Builds Destinations, and Destinations Build ColivingMastermind, co-hosted with Morgane Oléron and Katia Dimova · Coliving Conference, London2026

The Ultimate Coliving Stakeholder: Understanding Demand for Optimal Product-Market FitFireside chat with Kyle Gaarder · Coliving Conference, Amsterdam2024

When the desire to discover the world is bigger than your fearsTalk and co-organiser · Digital Nomad Summit, online2024

Andreea Rusu on stage at the Coliving Conference mastermind on destination coliving — The Power of Place, 2026

Andreea Rusu speaking about coliving and community on a panel at the Coliving Conference — The Ultimate Coliving Stakeholder, 2024

Poster for Andreea Rusu’s talk at the Online Digital Nomad Summit — Online Digital Nomad Summit, Nov 2024

Volunteering

I volunteer with Coliving Hub, the global association for destination coliving, helping with marketing and the events that bring founders, operators and community builders together.

Coliving Gathering, Bansko25 founders, operators and community builders, just before Bansko Nomad Fest2026

Coliving Gathering, Agaete, Gran CanariaA gathering for coliving operators and nomads2024

Join us nextColiving Gathering 2027 · Bansko, 17–19 JuneReserve your spot ↗

Coliving Gathering participants together in Bansko, Bulgaria — Coliving Gathering, Bansko, 2026

Coliving Gathering participants on a community hike in Agaete, Gran Canaria — Coliving Gathering, Agaete, 2024

In the news

I've had the chance to share my story on podcasts, in webinars and in the press.

Andreea Rusu: The ConnectorIbi's Digital Nomad Stories, episode 142026

Community Builder Andreea Rusu Demystifies the FormatMidlife Nomads, by Miranda Miller2026

Andreea y Flo viven en la aldea milagro de GaliciaLa Voz de Galicia2026

Webinar: Digital Nomads, an Opportunity for Rural AreasYouTube2025

When you live in the countryside, you connect to your rootsNomadland Project, by Drejc Kokošar2022

Snapshots

Five years, 15+ colivings, hundreds of amazing people

Friends, colleagues, co-leaders, colivers and neighbours. Every one of these photos holds people who shaped my journey. Thank you for the dinners, the hikes, the late-night talks and the ideas we built together. This community is the best part of it all.