---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd been travelling in Romania. It was…"
description: "\"I'd been travelling in Romania. It was 1990, just after the revolution and you couldn't buy anything so we'd been eating basic food. We went to McDonal..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/lee-mack-7146_eating_i-d-been-travelling-in-romania-it-was-19_640149.jpg"
---

#  I'd been travelling in Romania. It was 1990, just after…

![“I'd been travelling in Romania. It was 1990, just after the revolution and you couldn't buy anything so we'd been eating basic food. We went to McDonald's and, I'm ashamed to say, it was wonderful. I hate McDonald's normally.” quote by Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/lee-mack-7146_eating_i-d-been-travelling-in-romania-it-was-19_640149.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/lee-mack-7146_eating_i-d-been-travelling-in-romania-it-was-19_640149.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/lee-mack-7146_eating_i-d-been-travelling-in-romania-it-was-19_640149.jpg)

> “I'd been travelling in Romania. It was 1990, just after the revolution and you couldn't buy anything so we'd been eating basic food. We went to McDonald's and, I'm ashamed to say, it was wonderful. I hate McDonald's normally.”

[Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A brief encounter with a familiar brand sparked unexpected pleasure despite prior dislike.

**In simple terms:** Unexpected joy from familiar food.

Key Takeaway

Embrace open‑mindedness about experiences.

Themes

culture food nostalgia open‑mindedness

Mood

reflective surprised

Type

anecdotal personal

When to use this quote

- travel
- food reviews
- cultural adaptation

Key Concepts

cognitive dissonance personal growth

Questions to Reflect On

- How do preconceptions shape taste?
- Can discomfort become enjoyment?

A Different Perspective

Personal bias may limit appreciation of new contexts.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Eating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/)

## Related quotes

> [I hate McDonald's. I don't want to order my dinner by yelling into a clown's mouth. If I want my face in a clown's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-hate-mcdonald-s-i-don-t-want-to-order-my-dinner-by-yelling-into-a/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [“Stories are wonderful, enjoyable, and scrumptious things. In the old days, they were served on thin plates called pages. You ate them with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nury-vittachi/stories-are-wonderful-enjoyable-and-scrumptious-things-in-the-old/)

[Nury Vittachi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nury-vittachi/)

> [When we started, we were in a van and looking for change under the seats so we could buy food. We went from that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kanal/when-we-started-we-were-in-a-van-and-looking-for-change-under-the/)

[Tony Kanal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kanal/)

> [I went into McDonald's yesterday and said, "I'd like some fries." And the girl behind the counter says, "Would you like fries with that?"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/i-went-into-mcdonald-s-yesterday-and-said-i-d-like-some-fries-and-the/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [At the 2012 Olympics, there was a nutritionist in the food hall telling us, 'Eat that. And eat that.' After winning my gold, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-adams/at-the-2012-olympics-there-was-a-nutritionist-in-the-food-hall/)

[Nicola Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-adams/)

> [I went into a McDonald's yesterday and said, 'Id like some fries.' The girl at the counter said, 'Would you like some fries with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/i-went-into-a-mcdonald-s-yesterday-and-said-id-like-some-fries-the/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [I didn't just eat hot dogs. I studied how the food went into your system and how it would be digested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-chestnut/i-didn-t-just-eat-hot-dogs-i-studied-how-the-food-went-into-your/)

[Joey Chestnut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-chestnut/)

> [I'd done my time in corporate America, from McDonald's making shakes to Morgan Stanley making deals and, yet, I felt awfully constrained by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-conley/i-d-done-my-time-in-corporate-america-from-mcdonald-s-making-shakes/)

[Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/)

> [My food hero has to be Auguste Escoffier. And the villain? The man who's been most responsible for the death of food in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-potts-dawson/my-food-hero-has-to-be-auguste-escoffier-and-the-villain-the-man-who/)

[Arthur Potts Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-potts-dawson/)

> [I've been married for 23 years to Jeff McDonald from Redd Kross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-caffey/i-ve-been-married-for-23-years-to-jeff-mcdonald-from-redd-kross/)

[Charlotte Caffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-caffey/)

> [I was such a scared cling-on-to-my-mum's-leg kind of girl, even when I was 15, 16. If I was in McDonald's and I needed ketchup,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perrie-edwards/i-was-such-a-scared-cling-on-to-my-mum-s-leg-kind-of-girl-even-when-i/)

[Perrie Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perrie-edwards/)

> [I haven't always hated McDonald's. When my kids were little and I lived in the U.S., they were as susceptible as anyone to Happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/i-haven-t-always-hated-mcdonald-s-when-my-kids-were-little-and-i/)

[Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/)

> [I can eat anything. After practice I can stop at McDonald's. I don't have a problem with gaining weight, thank God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-ovechkin/i-can-eat-anything-after-practice-i-can-stop-at-mcdonald-s-i-don-t/)

[Alexander Ovechkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-ovechkin/)

> [Sometimes when you're in different countries, everything has become so homogenised and there's a Starbucks and McDonald's everywhere, and you could feel like you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-yun-lee/sometimes-when-you-re-in-different-countries-everything-has-become-so/)

[Will Yun Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-yun-lee/)

> [I used to sit in front of McDonald's and ask people for dollars to get me a cheeseburger. It was bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-pain/i-used-to-sit-in-front-of-mcdonald-s-and-ask-people-for-dollars-to/)

[T-Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-pain/)

## More by Lee Mack

> [We're all basically decent human beings so if 3,000 people are laughing at a joke then it's worth telling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/we-re-all-basically-decent-human-beings-so-if-3-000-people-are/)

[Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/)

> [I used to tell people I was a comic and they'd be fascinated. Now all you get is: 'Oh yeah, my cousin Steve's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/i-used-to-tell-people-i-was-a-comic-and-they-d-be-fascinated-now-all/)

[Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/)

> [If I am old-fashioned, it's not a conscious decision. I just do material that I think is funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/if-i-am-old-fashioned-it-s-not-a-conscious-decision-i-just-do/)

[Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/)

> [I have to say I like Edinburgh, but I'm not a big fan of the Festival - I like it but I'm not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/i-have-to-say-i-like-edinburgh-but-i-m-not-a-big-fan-of-the-festival/)

[Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/)

> [My great-grandfather was a variety hall comedian called Billy Mack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/my-great-grandfather-was-a-variety-hall-comedian-called-billy-mack/)

[Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/)

> [Genuinely my big thing and the reason I'm in 'The Miser' is because I always ask myself one simple question when I'm offered anything:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/genuinely-my-big-thing-and-the-reason-i-m-in-the-miser-is-because-i/)

[Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/)

> [The best comedy you can ever have is when you're in the pub with your mates. You can never beat that. That's what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/the-best-comedy-you-can-ever-have-is-when-you-re-in-the-pub-with-your/)

[Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/)

> [I've realised that my strength is writing around people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/i-ve-realised-that-my-strength-is-writing-around-people/)

[Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/)

> [In TV, you get driven to work in a luxury car, and find flowers in your dressing room. Then suddenly you're on tour, drying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/in-tv-you-get-driven-to-work-in-a-luxury-car-and-find-flowers-in-your/)

[Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/)

> [If I was reading a book about a comedian, I wouldn't really care too much about their childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/if-i-was-reading-a-book-about-a-comedian-i-wouldn-t-really-care-too/)

[Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/)

> [I suppose if your parents die in their 50s and you are approaching 50, you see that you are definitely not in the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/i-suppose-if-your-parents-die-in-their-50s-and-you-are-approaching-50/)

[Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/)

> [From the age of 14, I remember thinking I wanted to be a comedian. But that was like saying I wanted to be an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/from-the-age-of-14-i-remember-thinking-i-wanted-to-be-a-comedian-but/)

[Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/)

> [Going on stage is a performance, it's an act; you're playing a version of yourself. I don't give it a lot of thought. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/going-on-stage-is-a-performance-it-s-an-act-you-re-playing-a-version/)

[Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/)

> [I would say about 90 per cent of drunken idiots in comedy clubs wear ties, particularly in London where I work most of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/i-would-say-about-90-per-cent-of-drunken-idiots-in-comedy-clubs-wear/)

[Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/)

> [There are probably about 50 comedians who would come to my 50th birthday party but I'm not sure how many of them would come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/there-are-probably-about-50-comedians-who-would-come-to-my-50th/)

[Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/)

[Explore all 94 Lee Mack quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/)

## More Eating quotes

> [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/)

[David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/)

> [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/)

[Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/)

> [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/)

[Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/)

> [I have my meals delivered... you know what I like? Chicken and rice... But the problem with being a defensive lineman is, if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-douglas/i-have-my-meals-delivered-you-know-what-i-like-chicken-and-rice-but/)

[Hugh Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-douglas/)

> [I do not believe in eating fish hot. People always insist on hot fish, but that leaves it dried out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/i-do-not-believe-in-eating-fish-hot-people-always-insist-on-hot-fish/)

[Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/)

> [One things guys have to remember is consistency... You can't make up for three years of eating poorly in just one workout.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/one-things-guys-have-to-remember-is-consistency-you-can-t-make-up-for/)

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

> [My mom cares that I tweeted a picture of my breakfast. She's knows I'm eating and I'm safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-dorsey/my-mom-cares-that-i-tweeted-a-picture-of-my-breakfast-she-s-knows-i-m/)

[Jack Dorsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-dorsey/)

> [There is an idea that you can take the spiritual teachings of a religion outside of a religion and practice them; these ideas are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/there-is-an-idea-that-you-can-take-the-spiritual-teachings-of-a/)

[Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/)

> [I have an intense dislike of doctrines, because you will always end up eating your words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yotam-ottolenghi/i-have-an-intense-dislike-of-doctrines-because-you-will-always-end-up/)

[Yotam Ottolenghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yotam-ottolenghi/)

> [The worst thing for me is to not taste what I'm eating, to not know what I'm eating. It upsets me to no avail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-robuchon/the-worst-thing-for-me-is-to-not-taste-what-i-m-eating-to-not-know/)

[Joel Robuchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-robuchon/)

> [The heaviest I've ever been is 65 kilos. That was during my Leaving Cert when I was just studying and eating chocolate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-taylor/the-heaviest-i-ve-ever-been-is-65-kilos-that-was-during-my-leaving/)

[Katie Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-taylor/)

> [For fear of causing terror to living beings, Mahamati, let the Bodhisattva who is disciplining himself to attain compassion, refrain from eating flesh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/for-fear-of-causing-terror-to-living-beings-mahamati-let-the/)

[Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/)

> [The good Bishop of Assisi expressed a sort of horror at the hard life which the Little Brothers lived at the Portiuncula, without comforts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-good-bishop-of-assisi-expressed-a-sort-of-horror-at-the-hard-life/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I think the best Thanksgiving we ever had was one where we didn't even have a turkey. Mom and Dad sat us kids down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-think-the-best-thanksgiving-we-ever-had-was-one-where-we-didn-t/)

[Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/)

> [I have a great time cooking and eating Thai green chicken curry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-have-a-great-time-cooking-and-eating-thai-green-chicken-curry/)

[Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/)

[Browse all 4,153 Eating quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I'd been travelling in Romania. It was 1990, just after the revolution and you couldn't buy anything so we'd been eating basic food. We went to McDonald's and, I'm ashamed to say, it was wonderful. I hate McDonald's normally.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lee Mack"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/i-d-been-travelling-in-romania-it-was-1990-just-after-the-revolution/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Eating"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/i-d-been-travelling-in-romania-it-was-1990-just-after-the-revolution/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/lee-mack-7146_eating_i-d-been-travelling-in-romania-it-was-19_640149.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/lee-mack-7146_eating_i-d-been-travelling-in-romania-it-was-19_640149.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/lee-mack-7146_eating_i-d-been-travelling-in-romania-it-was-19_640149.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I'd been travelling in Romania. It was 1990, just after the revolution and you couldn't buy anything so we'd…” — Lee Mack",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Lee Mack",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I'd been travelling in Romania. It...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/i-d-been-travelling-in-romania-it-was-1990-just-after-the-revolution/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/i-d-been-travelling-in-romania-it-was-1990-just-after-the-revolution/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
