Spring is Here!!

Having lived in California for most of my life, I worried before moving to Budapest about how I would handle my first "real" winter. I won't say it was a walk in the park, however by all accounts it was a relatively mild one, with just a few days of snow. The worst part however wasn't the temperature or precipitation, but the greyness; endless months of daytime grey, and utter darkness by mid-afternoon, with sunsets as early as 3:30pm.

It was therefore with great joy that I welcomed what appeared to be a temporary respite a couple weeks ago, when temperatures warmed and blue skys returned! I was holding my breath and imagining that my good fortune would turn any day, however Spring in all it's wonder now seems here to stay. 

These are some photos from a little adventure I had around the city this week, where I soaked in the rays and relished the blue above me and beautiful city underneath. Finals are around the corner, which will unfortunately keep me inside more that I would like over the next few weeks, but the walks to school, lunches on patios, and reading in the park will provide a wonderful taste of what's to come.

Pictures after break....

Weekend in Paris!

I have been really horrible about updating, but alas it is a New Year, and with it comes proverbial leaves overturned, along with a more manageable school schedule - so keep an eye out!

The following photos are from last weekend, when I had the extreme pleasure of visiting my girl, KTeenie, and friend Laure in Paris. It was a magical and all too short few days.

Highlights were drinks at a packed bar with some of KTeenie's friend's (Jocelyn and Alex); decorating and scrawling our names in a lock and then attaching it to a famous bridge and throwing the keys in the river; seeing the city from up high at the Sarce-Coeur; eating a delicious Italian meal (I know, I know) were they kept bringing us more free wine and apps; spending a night drinking wine and laughing with Alex and some more of KTeenie's friends; visiting the graveyard where Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, and Edith Piaf are all buried; and having an amazing French meal and gallery visit with Laure.

Thank you Paris and KTeenie for a weekend I will not soon forget! J'ai adoré!

(pictures on next page)

A Taste of the Last Couple Weeks

 

Click "read more"below for some photos of my first three weeks in Europe. KTeenie and I traveled to Croatia, Slovenia, and a few cities in Hungary. It has been amazing! The highlights so far are Budapest, Split, Zadar, and Krka national park (the waterfalls!). School begins tomorrow - wish me luck!

One Bedroom, Furnished, Central: $498/Month - I love Budapest! Here are some pictures.......

 I recently booked an apartment for my first six weeks in Budapest. It is a little one bedroom with a balcony, and is across the street from a big park. Rent in Budapest is cheap because there is far more stock of housing than people searching for it - you can easily find a one bedroom for $350 a month (although not with all of the amenities of this place;). My mom always tells me I have champagne taste and a beer budget. Here my taste and budget finally align!

Preparing to Depart

Last weekend I sold my car, and today I sold my bike so it's buses, trains, and soon a plane for me. I am getting incredibly excited, but the reality of saying goodbye to friends for the foreseeable future is starting to sink in. It's not goodbye though I keep telling myself, it's see you later.