I have had this post bouncing around in my brain for awhile now.
probably more like 6 months to be exact.
6 months because it was then that my family stepped off a plane,
and walked willingly into an
unknown, unfamiliar world and a completely different way of life
called living in Hungary.
Cam and I often talk about how moving here was
like stepping back in time.
being retro is kind of cool, but sometimes its just kind of hard too.
Cam and I often talk about how moving here was
like stepping back in time.
being retro is kind of cool, but sometimes its just kind of hard too.
In order to be more precise with my timing I technically should have
written this a few weeks ago
but I wasn't quite in the right frame of mind to give
a honest and impartial synopsis on our time thus far.
I think I was feeling a tad homesick for America and mix that
with the lull of January, not being in the mood
to ignore the sometimes rude and unhelpful Hungarians, and throw in
some winter blues and it probably wouldn't
have been a very enjoyable read.
{which I still can't promise you it will be}
Alas! I have a new perspective and its a new day and I am ready to blog.
People ask me ALOT what I miss most about the States
and to be honest I haven't really ever been able to come with a single answer.
Besides the obvious one of family and friends of course.
We are truly spoiled here
{compared to a lot of our friends doing similar assignments}
We have an EXTREMELY SMALL commissary
but what it lacks in size makes up for in content,
prices are higher than we would pay in the states
but it gives us access to a lot of food items we
would normally have to go without.
Also, Cam spends a lot of time flying and luckily for us those flights
often end up at large military installations around Europe
with REALLY BIG commissaries and BX's that allow
him to get us even more supplies.
Then we have amazon, walmart.com, and great family
who mail us the rest and help fill in the gaps of things we can't find.
So yeah, we don't go without much.
That being said I still can't get a decent Avocado to save my life.
So Yes, I miss avocado's really great Hass avocados,
not this hard never ripen green stuff they sell here.
BUT
what I mostly miss is the EASY button, as my friend Diana so perfectly puts it.
Things in the states get done and a lot of them relatively easily compared to here.
like being able to pay your bills online,
being able to use your credit card for nearly everything and not have to carry a ton of
cash around because you live in a cash society,
being able to go to 1 grocery store and not 3 to get all your stuff,
being able to drive down a street without having to play chicken
with every car coming in the opposite direction because the roads
are actually wide enough for 2 lanes of traffic plus parked cars,
oh the driving and the parking don't even get me started...
Being able to not take out a small loan every time you gas your car.
Gas prices are around $8 a gallon.
Top it all off with my inability to communicate effectively
because I am having a terribly hard time picking up this
incredibly difficult language makes for a whole
other set of problems.
I find myself often holding my breath when
I drive down particular streets or go into any sort
of store because I never know how easy the exchange will be.
And I don't realize I am doing this until its over and I am trying
to regain my normal breathing pattern.
Although in the long run, this next complaint if you will,
is actually a good thing I am sure,
but being able to truly have fast food.
We live in a major city so yes there is McDonalds, Burger King, and KFC
however, these places are not easily accessible by drive through
{unless you are on the outskirts of town}
so you have to pay to park your car, then
walk through a mall or crowded shopping center to get to the restuarant,
stand in a really long line, because Europeans love our "american food"
(which I actually feel really bad about)
Definitely not worth the hassle, especially for crappy food.
So go dine at a sit down place you say,
okay but that usually takes 2 hours start to finish,--if we are lucky--
so again not fast and with 3 young kids, for sure not easy.
And I can't always guarantee the food will be acceptable to my youngins.
Hungarian food can be sort of an acquired taste for most people.
Needless to say I am doing a lot more cooking at home.
Again, not a bad thing but brings me back to an earlier point
finding what I need here isn't that easy. It takes planning
and arranging and multiple stops blah blah blah.
I am sure you are all thinking so what??
You don't eat bad food, boo hoo!
But now think about
how often on a busy night you are able to stop off
at a restaurant, be it fast food or other type pull right up, run in and get a quick meal
to take home and feed the family.
Yep, we don't have that.
It shouldn't come as any surprise to the people who know me best
that my whole post thus far has mostly resolved around food,
But I really really miss American food and American restaurants.
There I said it!
I am ungrateful and probably sounding like a whiney little girl but
you asked (well..maybe not YOU specifically)
but people have asked, so there is my answer.
For those that I haven't bored to tears and are still reading this overly long post,
I assure you there are many beautiful and magical things about living overseas.
Especially here in Budapest,
most of the people are incredibly kind and respectful,
and willing to help a struggling lost American.
These people love their city and their country and
are happy to share it with the outside world.
Living here is like living in a history book,
everywhere we turn there is another monument,
museum, and story waiting to be re-told to keep the past
alive and remind people that Hungarians suffered much
to be where they are today.
The kids school is perfect, they are surrounded by diversity and tolerance,
we never run out of things to do, the opportunities for travel not only in Europe
but in Hungary alone are vast and exciting.
I am in awe every time I cross one of the 5 major bridges and look over this
beautiful city and realize this is true eye candy in every direction and
that yes, I do live here and I really do love it.
Now as a special reward for those that stuck with this post to the end,
I am going to let you in on a little secret that only a few people know....
We like it here so much that we decided 3 years wasn't enough
we are extending for an extra year for a total of 4!!
EXCITING isn't it!
Looking at this photo can you blame us?
