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Life as a Tribute from District 7

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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

The first few days in Budapest!

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Greetings All and welcome to my journey in Budapest!

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Upon arrival in Budapest, I felt the full range of the emotional spectrum. Of course I was excited… It was the most overpowering emotion, but I was also very scared. I have never lived alone in my life, let alone in a foreign country! It was overwhelming trying to keep my emotions in check… I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry! I was so happy to finally be here!

I was greeted by my program director in the airport. She even had a sign with my name on it, I felt like a celebrity! She helped me gather my bags and take them to her car. She drove me to my apartment, which seemed like forever away from the airport! I sat in the backseat trying to absorb it all… I was searching for useful shops or landmarks I wanted to visit… I soon encountered what will be the main challenge I will have to overcome: I know absolutely no Hungarian!

When I got to my apartment, it was already dark… So I didn’t get the chance to appreciate the beauty. It is definitely bigger than expected. I am looking forward to putting a few little decorations up to make it my own.

My first full day in Budapest, I was able to buy a few groceries and go exploring! I met up with one of my friends for dinner, I couldn’t read the menu… I did understand “gnocchi” and “pesto”, so that is what I had for my first meal!

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That night, we went to city park with some other people from my program. We were able to see a beautiful “castle”, where no royalty has stayed in but is still considered a castle. It was really, really pretty at night and I wish this picture could capture the beauty.

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Later, after walking through the park, we found a Hungarian band playing American music! It was quite entertaining and we had a blast listening to American rock classics! It was a great way to bond with the people in my program.

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The first few days I have spent in Budapest have been everything I could hope for. It is scary being such a small person in such a large city, but I know that I will soon call it my home. The Hungarians I have met have all been very friendly and welcoming. I hope to meet more so that I can find all the great local places.

Until next time, I’ll be hitting the pavement with my map in hand and hopefully getting lost in all the treasures this place has to offer!

Viszlát!

Molly

Pre-Departure

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In my case, a journey of 5810 miles begins with a single step. I will depart Friday August 31st for my next adventure.

Budapest, Hungary will be my home from September 1st through December 21st. During this time, I plan to take three math courses and one culture class. I have contacted almost everyone that will be participating in my program.

As I am diving in head first to a culture that I know little about and a language I know zero words in, I am a bit apprehensive. I have read cover-to-cover two Budapest travel books and have tried to learn the basic cultural norms. For example, I have learned that while dining at a restaurant, it is rude to leave the tip on the table. The polite thing to do is to hand the waitress the tip directly.

I do know that art is very prominent in Hungarian culture. An appreciation of the arts is shown through the 223 museums and galleries in the Budapest city limits alone. I am excited to be able to tour these museums and hopefully I have the chance to visit an opera house.

They regard cattle, dogs, Thoroughbred horses and swine as national symbols. I grew up on 11 acres outside of Roseburg. We have always had dogs and horses. I have also raised several pigs and calves. I hope that my appreciation of these animals will help me relate to the Hungarian’s appreciation.

Hungarians also have a spirit for celebration. They have several national holidays and festivals. I will be able to attend the Autumn Festival. I look forward to celebrate and learn the cultural dances and experience the favorite foods of Hungary.

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As with any new experience, I have my reservations about this, but I hope that my new friends will become my “family” away from home.

Wish me luck fellow travelers!

Molly

There and Back Again

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When I got back to the states, I was very tired.  I had been awake for 22 hours with only an hour-long nap on the plane, and it was about 8:30 pm in Portland.  My parents took me back to the hotel, and I fell asleep almost instantly. Unfortunately, my sleep was short-lived, and I woke up at 3:00 in the morning.  I couldn’t even go back to sleep because my body thought that it was the middle of the day.  Not amusing, jet lag, not amusing in the slightest.  I was hit with it very hard this trip (unlike my trip over to London), and it took about a week and a half for my body to get on the right time.

This arrival was very different from my arrival in London.  I had slept for a good three hours or so on the plane ride there, and when we arrived at roughly 10:30 in the morning was not sleepy at all.  I suppose it was all the adrenaline.  While I was excited to return home and see everyone, I did not have the same push behind me that was there for my arrival in London.

I do miss London.  There were so many things I didn’t get to do.  And now that I’m home, I keep finding things (interesting articles, things mentioned in books, etc.) that I wish I had known about before I went to London because I certainly would have visited them if I had known of their existence.  On my third day back, I sat down with a list of places in England and a map, and I planned out my next trip.

I would love to go back to Bath! I could spend so much time there!

That being said, I really do like being back at home.  At first, I was bored.  After being in a foreign country for a month and having exciting adventures every day, sitting around in my house all day with my parents was a bit dull.  However, I got used to the slower pace and found things to do, and although I was a bit bored at first I do enjoy being in a place where I have a set routine.  I am, ultimately, a creature of habit, despite my taste for the occasional adventure.

Emily