After very little sleep, I grabbed my bags and hopped on the Orangeways bus to Hungary. It was weird to catch that big ole bus for the last time. I’d spent many a weekend trekking from Vienna to Budapest on this bus, watching American movies in Hungarian with English subtitles, chatting with fellow passengers, and drowsing to my iPod. I arrived in Budapest at 10 am, gave my ticket to the numerous ticket collectors and rode the subway for the last time for a while. Budapest is changing; the escalators that seem to rise into the Heavens now lead you to squares you’ve never heard of – but the view remains the same. I made it to Fanni’s apartment, despite the name changes, and enjoyed a lazy day in the ninth district.
Fanni and I bussed from Budapest to Szekesfehervar, dropped our bags by her parent’s house, and met Erwin, Adam, and Nathan for pizza at Marxim (my favorite pizza shop with a communist twist, where they serve pizza sauce in a pitcher to pour over your pizza). We caught up on old news and new, chatting about travels, tests, and what lies ahead. Afterwards, we walked through the town center to the new coffee shop; I couldn’t believe it – this place was bright, cheerful, and had more comfy couches to lounge upon than I’d ever seen in a coffee shop. I would have spent many an hour here had it been in Fehervar when I lived there! Oh well.
Sunday afternoon brought a special treat -lunch with Zsolt’s family. Zsolt’s mama always makes quite the feast, but it was particularly fun for me to be a part of the family. After many jokes and much laughter, Zsolt’s two sisters, his brother-in-law, his mother and I sat down for chicken and vegetable soup, spinach salad with sautéed onions and bacon, Hungarian pasta and meat sauce, pork chops, and turo cake. Fit to pop, we attempted to take pictures and discuss everything under the sun without falling into a “turkey coma.” Being a part of Zsolt’s family reminds me of my own; they care so much about each other, enjoy each other’s company, and make each member feel loved and cherished. I was blessed to spend my afternoon with them and barely got out the door in time to run to Muhely, a coffee house I frequented often, to meet Daniel, Martin, Adam, and Nathan.
Saying goodbye to my students was terribly hard the first time around – even though I knew I’d only be a few hours away. It didn’t really get much easier the second time around, knowing I’d be half the world away. Being these teenagers’ teacher was one of the best experiences of my life and I will never forget the joy they brought to me and the fulfillment of helping them learn.
My last morning in Hungary (for the time being, of course!) left me on the curb for an hour in the chilly winds in sandals, awaiting my Hungarian hair dresser…who never arrived! So I scoured the streets of Budapest for a beautician who could help me achieve my haircut dreams before I went back to the land of expensive haircuts. We’ll see if you like it! I’m off to Paris! Buon voyage!
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