Greetings all!

I hope this post finds all of you well and I hope all of you are enjoying your time abroad as much as I am!

The past few days have been filled with adventure! As promised, I grabbed my map and began exploring. While wandering the streets and enjoying the beautiful architecture that Budapest has to offer, I stumbled upon a brown door. This door had a sticker that said “Wifi Hotspot” but no other signs or markings. As an explorer, I did what any other explorer would do… I opened the door. After descending down a flight of stairs, I was really curious as to what I would find. My imagination could not have prepared me for the gem I found at all!

If you imagined Alice in Wonderland and a Tibetan Monk designing a tea house, this is what the outcome would be. What I found was the best tea house ever. There are tunnels to crawl through, a stair case made of broken mirrors, a rope ladder to climb to lofts, and the best part is you sit on the ground! It is beautifully decorated with rugs and pillows. I have spent many afternoons reading there. The atmosphere is one that I cannot explain… The music matches the setting perfectly and the staff is so friendly. They don’t speak English but they are very patient with me. Luckily they have a menu written in English and I am able to point to what I want. This tea house will be my go to spot when it gets freezing cold and I want to relax with a cup of tea!

I also had the chance to meet new friends that are in my program. We met at City Park in Budapest and explored there for a while. The Budapest Half-Marathon was going on, so that was really exciting to be a part of the audience! We found the finish line and cheered on the runners! We also got to explore Vajdahunyad Castle. The rumor is that the city of Pest featured art exhibits in the City Park. Ignác Alpár decided to build a “castle” out of cardboard that was reminiscent of the most famous architectural styles in Europe. It reflects the styles of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture.

The city loved it so much that he eventually made it permanent and built it out of stone! It now houses the Museum of Agriculture, so we didn’t go inside, but the outside is beautiful!

After exploring City Park, we went to the House of Terror. The House of Terror is a museum built to remember the terror that occurred during the Nazi and Communist occupation of Budapest. The building that the museum is housed in was the actual headquarters for both the Nazi and Communist party. It was very interesting, yet very hard to tour at the same time. It was very emotional for all of us that were there and I was very glad that I was able to learn more about the history in such a tangible fashion.

I was also lucky enough to celebrate my birthday in Budapest. My friend and I had a pancakes and Parliament day! The cafe we chose had the most beautiful view of Parliament. Celebrating my 21st birthday in Budapest was an opportunity I will cherish forever!

My classes started on Monday, so I am knee deep in Math! I am excited and inspired by the classes and professors. I can’t wait to learn more in the subjects I chose!

Until next time,

Molly