It's weird that I'm moving back to America tomorrow. This has been a whirlwind month of traveling, saying goodbyes, packing, and purging. It's all starting to set in that I'm seeing things for the last time for a long time and I'm not sure if I'll ever see certain people again. It's hard leaving a country that has meant so much to me and that has changed me so much.
I'm going to miss a culture that enjoys people and getting to know others; where people just sit around the table for hours at a time because they want nothing more than to spend time with you. I'm going to miss all of the delicious foods that they have. I can't believe that I won't be able to go on a run and see a Parliament building older than our country, a castle, and a world-famous bridge all in one stretch. It's hard to imagine that I won't be able to just hop on a train and be in another country for the weekend because it's cheaper than a tank of gas.
However, even though I will miss SO much about this country, I know it's time for me to be home. I miss my family and friends and I'm so excited to see them and hug them all again. It'll be strange adjusting to a culture that is constantly on the move and needs to get 300 things done in one day; I mean, it's literally an accomplishment if you get one thing checked off your to-do list here. It's also going to take me a while to get used to the fact that I go into a store and ask anyone any question I want to and they can understand what I'm saying, no matter how fast I talk or how big my words are. I'm going to have to remember how to drive, remember that Americans are loud, and remember that this is now my home again.
This is a new and a very, very strange journey for me. A lot of people view me as if I've been in a coma for two years and now I'm just waking up again. Their lives have gone on, but mine has been on stand still. Quite the opposite. I'm leaving a country that has challenged me, shaped me, and grown me more in two years than I've possibly done in the past 10 years combined.
I'm ready to go home, but I'm definitely leaving a piece of my heart here in Hungary.
Szia Magyarország!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Rome!!
My dream has come true! I'm in Rome!
I have spent 3 days here so far and I'm in love. I got a SUPER cheap flight here (as in less than a tank of gas) and it's been a blast. I mean, I've seen everything and I'm so overwhelmed with history and joy at the same time.
Yesterday was my favorite day, for sure. We woke up later in the day and kind of lazed around for a bit. Then we went to the Colosseum (yay!!!) and Palatine Hill (which is where Rome was founded and where all of the Kings/Emperors of Rome lived). Joanna and I paid for a guided tour and it was worth every single penny. When we met up with the guys after the tour, I wanted to spill all of my guts to them about everything that I learned, but they didn't really care (I mean...that's why they didn't pay for the tour, after all). I learned SO much and I was freaking out the whole time, to be honest. I just loved every.single.minute.
After, we came back and made some dinner at our B&B before heading out into the city for the night time stuff. We started out with gelato (delicious!) and then we went to the Vatican at night, which was awesome as well. Then we headed over the bridges and made our way to the Trevi fountain, the Pantheon, as well as some other night time wondering. Then we stayed up until past 2 int he morning to play our favorite card game. Stellar day, to say the least.
We're heading out to dinner now for some more pizza and gelato probably. I've got some great pictures because Joanna let me borrow her awesome camera, but I'll have to post those when I get them loaded up when I'm home.
I have spent 3 days here so far and I'm in love. I got a SUPER cheap flight here (as in less than a tank of gas) and it's been a blast. I mean, I've seen everything and I'm so overwhelmed with history and joy at the same time.
Yesterday was my favorite day, for sure. We woke up later in the day and kind of lazed around for a bit. Then we went to the Colosseum (yay!!!) and Palatine Hill (which is where Rome was founded and where all of the Kings/Emperors of Rome lived). Joanna and I paid for a guided tour and it was worth every single penny. When we met up with the guys after the tour, I wanted to spill all of my guts to them about everything that I learned, but they didn't really care (I mean...that's why they didn't pay for the tour, after all). I learned SO much and I was freaking out the whole time, to be honest. I just loved every.single.minute.
After, we came back and made some dinner at our B&B before heading out into the city for the night time stuff. We started out with gelato (delicious!) and then we went to the Vatican at night, which was awesome as well. Then we headed over the bridges and made our way to the Trevi fountain, the Pantheon, as well as some other night time wondering. Then we stayed up until past 2 int he morning to play our favorite card game. Stellar day, to say the least.
We're heading out to dinner now for some more pizza and gelato probably. I've got some great pictures because Joanna let me borrow her awesome camera, but I'll have to post those when I get them loaded up when I'm home.
Goodbyes
Goodbyes have started and goodbyes are no fun.
I made my way to Prague for two goodbyes- to Prague itself and to my friend, Sharon. Sharon was one of my best friends while in Europe and it was hard to say goodbye. Even though we lived in different cities throughout this past year, we stayed in touch and kept each other updated on the other person's life. Plus, we have an awesome relationship that picks up right where it leaves off whenever we're together again.
Next week, I'm heading to Amsterdam to say goodbye to 3 very dear friends of mine and it makes me even more sad. Then Budapest is going to be SO full of goodbyes that I'm SUPER not looking forward to doing.
However, goodbyes are a natural part of life and it's something that we have to live with. Growing up in the military, I'm used to it, but I have to say that I'm a bit out of practice since high school since I haven't moved around a ton and I haven't had to say goodbye to the friends that are the closest to me.
But, hopefully, these won't be goodbyes for many people for a long time. Hopefully, it's more of a "see you later" instead. We'll see.
I made my way to Prague for two goodbyes- to Prague itself and to my friend, Sharon. Sharon was one of my best friends while in Europe and it was hard to say goodbye. Even though we lived in different cities throughout this past year, we stayed in touch and kept each other updated on the other person's life. Plus, we have an awesome relationship that picks up right where it leaves off whenever we're together again.
Next week, I'm heading to Amsterdam to say goodbye to 3 very dear friends of mine and it makes me even more sad. Then Budapest is going to be SO full of goodbyes that I'm SUPER not looking forward to doing.
However, goodbyes are a natural part of life and it's something that we have to live with. Growing up in the military, I'm used to it, but I have to say that I'm a bit out of practice since high school since I haven't moved around a ton and I haven't had to say goodbye to the friends that are the closest to me.
But, hopefully, these won't be goodbyes for many people for a long time. Hopefully, it's more of a "see you later" instead. We'll see.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Heart of Fear
I think that it's built into the very core of our human nature to be afraid of the unknown. I mean, look at people who are afraid of the dark. It's not the dark itself, but it's the fear of what could be hiding in that darkness.
We all have fears.
I have fears.
That I won't find a job to support me in America.
That I'll be single for longer than I ever imagined.
That I'll never be the witness that I'm supposed to be.
We all have fears.
However, we have a God that is bigger than our fears. In my absolute favorite book of all time, Redeeming Love, God speaks to one of the characters and says, "I have not given you a heart of fear".
God has everything in his control and he knows every single step that we will ever take and know every decision that we will ever make before we even have cause to think about it. Therefore, all we have to do is follow Jesus and he will guide our steps for us. Always easier said than done.
You see, we are blessed with a God that is ALWAYS there for us. In the dark times of our lives. In the silent times of our lives. In the crappiest times of our lives. But, we don't have to fear because of that. We can give those emotions to God and he will gladly accept them and acknowledge them. It doesn't necessarily make our journey any easier to accept or complete, but it does make it easier to know that we can NEVER go wrong if we are following the One that has our lives in His hands.
We all have fears.
I have fears.
That I won't find a job to support me in America.
That I'll be single for longer than I ever imagined.
That I'll never be the witness that I'm supposed to be.
We all have fears.
However, we have a God that is bigger than our fears. In my absolute favorite book of all time, Redeeming Love, God speaks to one of the characters and says, "I have not given you a heart of fear".
God has everything in his control and he knows every single step that we will ever take and know every decision that we will ever make before we even have cause to think about it. Therefore, all we have to do is follow Jesus and he will guide our steps for us. Always easier said than done.
You see, we are blessed with a God that is ALWAYS there for us. In the dark times of our lives. In the silent times of our lives. In the crappiest times of our lives. But, we don't have to fear because of that. We can give those emotions to God and he will gladly accept them and acknowledge them. It doesn't necessarily make our journey any easier to accept or complete, but it does make it easier to know that we can NEVER go wrong if we are following the One that has our lives in His hands.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Eger
Eger... pronounced Egg-air
I got to go for an overnight stay with Joanna, Will, and Dave to Eger which is wine region U.S.A. (does that even work if you're not in America??) and it was so much fun! We spent hours just roaming from wine cellar to wine cellar sampling different wines, enjoying the weather, and playing card games. It was great. We spent the next day just wandering around for an hour (it's such a tiny place) and then hung out at a cafe until we had to leave. It was a short trip, but a super fun and memorable one nonetheless.
I got to go for an overnight stay with Joanna, Will, and Dave to Eger which is wine region U.S.A. (does that even work if you're not in America??) and it was so much fun! We spent hours just roaming from wine cellar to wine cellar sampling different wines, enjoying the weather, and playing card games. It was great. We spent the next day just wandering around for an hour (it's such a tiny place) and then hung out at a cafe until we had to leave. It was a short trip, but a super fun and memorable one nonetheless.
Friday, May 25, 2012
America!
Just a quick update for you guys!
It's official: I'm moving to Lynchburg, Virginia!
I don't have a job yet, but there are some great opportunities that I am gunning for and really praying about. Please keep those in your prayers. I'm giving it over to God and He knows exactly what I need.
The car is my biggest thing. I need a car as soon as I get home because I will be doing so much traveling as soon as I land to say hello to people before I start new (unknown) job. So, please, if you know anyone who is selling a great, reliable, and cheap car, let me know!!
My roommate is going to take pictures of the flat soon, so I'll be able to post those, I hope within the next week or two. It's quite exciting for both of us.
I get to live with Tiffany, which is a HUGE blessing. We've both always wanted to live together and now we finally get the chance in our dream flat.
God is good. :)
It's official: I'm moving to Lynchburg, Virginia!
I don't have a job yet, but there are some great opportunities that I am gunning for and really praying about. Please keep those in your prayers. I'm giving it over to God and He knows exactly what I need.
The car is my biggest thing. I need a car as soon as I get home because I will be doing so much traveling as soon as I land to say hello to people before I start new (unknown) job. So, please, if you know anyone who is selling a great, reliable, and cheap car, let me know!!
My roommate is going to take pictures of the flat soon, so I'll be able to post those, I hope within the next week or two. It's quite exciting for both of us.
I get to live with Tiffany, which is a HUGE blessing. We've both always wanted to live together and now we finally get the chance in our dream flat.
God is good. :)
Outlook
I feel like that I haven't had much to blog about lately. Sorry, everyone! I'm sure that there has been stuff, but I suppose that it just hasn't crossed my mind to put it on here. However, I had quite the experience the past two days and quite the lessons to go along with those experiences and I wanted to share.
The past two months, I've been having some issues with my heart. Each time I exercise, especially running, my heart rate soars for no particular reason. We're not just talking an above average heart rate, we're talking hitting the 190-200 range. Not ok, especially at my age. Now, I'm the type of person that will avoid the doctor at all costs...that's how I developed bronchitis last year. I saw, "I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine" until I'm about dead and then I finally suck it up and go. Yes, I do realize this is a terrible method..I'm working on it. But I did this same thing with my heart rate. I thought that it was something I could work through and my ole' ticker would just work itself out eventually and stop going crazy. It didn't. I had a race this past Sunday where I almost passed out and my max finally reached over 200/minute. I got scared enough to finally head to the doctor.
So, I got my referrals that I needed from my GP and headed to the lab to get all my testing done (blood, urine, and EKG). Here in Hungary, it's a first come- first serve basis, so you have to get there EARLY to get a spot or else you're waiting for hours. I woke up, got there early, and got my number and waited. And waited. Finally, I was called to go "check in" and get all my "equipment" for the blood work. Well, that's where everything went down hill. The lady didn't speak English (but insisted on speaking slowly and raising her voice at me like that would help), but I called Joanna and finally we figured out that it just wasn't happening. I didn't have my Hungarian equivalent of an insurance card (even though I had the number), so I had to go home and find it. I was an emotional mess. I was hungry (since you can't eat before a blood test) and tired and was just fed up. But, I needed this, so I went home and looked. To no avail. I TORE APART my flat for over an hour and found nothing. Called my school and they told me that I'd have to get a new card before I could get to the doctor. That was a very long and frustrating "adventure" in of itself, but long story short, I got a temporary card that would work for my tests.
Now, I know that this may not sound like a lot to take on or to get worked up over, but at the time, it was a very big deal. It took HOURS to get anything done and then all in a language I didn't speak or understand. Frustrating. On the bright side, the second half of the day was great. I got a surprise birthday gift from a friend, I signed a lease for my flat in America (more on that later), and I got to make s'mores on a real fire with friends. But I knew that something would have to change by the next day because I'd have to do it all over again in the morning with the right stuff this time. I emotionally couldn't take another day like that.
Today was great. Jesus was great. I woke up and before I even put my feet on the ground, I gave my day to Jesus and told him my cares, concerns, and frustrations, but let him have them. I promised that I would do my best to stay positive and pray through everything. MY attitude had to change- Jesus had convicted me of that. So, I got there early and waited patiently. I read my Bible and journaled the whole time that I waited. I was called and all of my paperwork was correct this time, the nurses were quick and efficient and I even found someone who spoke English to help me when I needed it! My EKG nurse was great, too. She was super cute and funny. She tried her best at English and complimented me when I did the same in Hungarian. God gave me some GREAT verses to reflect on that both encourage and challenge me. I was in and out of the hospital within 2 hours (which I think is an absolute record) and so encouraged.
I realize that this is a super long post, but I just had to share. There's nothing that I can do about the Hungarian medical system and all that it entails. The only thing that I can change is me and my attitude. I read a quote that said "Utter only words of thanksgiving, rather than complaint". Those were the words that challenged me, and oh, what a difference they made!
The past two months, I've been having some issues with my heart. Each time I exercise, especially running, my heart rate soars for no particular reason. We're not just talking an above average heart rate, we're talking hitting the 190-200 range. Not ok, especially at my age. Now, I'm the type of person that will avoid the doctor at all costs...that's how I developed bronchitis last year. I saw, "I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine" until I'm about dead and then I finally suck it up and go. Yes, I do realize this is a terrible method..I'm working on it. But I did this same thing with my heart rate. I thought that it was something I could work through and my ole' ticker would just work itself out eventually and stop going crazy. It didn't. I had a race this past Sunday where I almost passed out and my max finally reached over 200/minute. I got scared enough to finally head to the doctor.
So, I got my referrals that I needed from my GP and headed to the lab to get all my testing done (blood, urine, and EKG). Here in Hungary, it's a first come- first serve basis, so you have to get there EARLY to get a spot or else you're waiting for hours. I woke up, got there early, and got my number and waited. And waited. Finally, I was called to go "check in" and get all my "equipment" for the blood work. Well, that's where everything went down hill. The lady didn't speak English (but insisted on speaking slowly and raising her voice at me like that would help), but I called Joanna and finally we figured out that it just wasn't happening. I didn't have my Hungarian equivalent of an insurance card (even though I had the number), so I had to go home and find it. I was an emotional mess. I was hungry (since you can't eat before a blood test) and tired and was just fed up. But, I needed this, so I went home and looked. To no avail. I TORE APART my flat for over an hour and found nothing. Called my school and they told me that I'd have to get a new card before I could get to the doctor. That was a very long and frustrating "adventure" in of itself, but long story short, I got a temporary card that would work for my tests.
Now, I know that this may not sound like a lot to take on or to get worked up over, but at the time, it was a very big deal. It took HOURS to get anything done and then all in a language I didn't speak or understand. Frustrating. On the bright side, the second half of the day was great. I got a surprise birthday gift from a friend, I signed a lease for my flat in America (more on that later), and I got to make s'mores on a real fire with friends. But I knew that something would have to change by the next day because I'd have to do it all over again in the morning with the right stuff this time. I emotionally couldn't take another day like that.
Today was great. Jesus was great. I woke up and before I even put my feet on the ground, I gave my day to Jesus and told him my cares, concerns, and frustrations, but let him have them. I promised that I would do my best to stay positive and pray through everything. MY attitude had to change- Jesus had convicted me of that. So, I got there early and waited patiently. I read my Bible and journaled the whole time that I waited. I was called and all of my paperwork was correct this time, the nurses were quick and efficient and I even found someone who spoke English to help me when I needed it! My EKG nurse was great, too. She was super cute and funny. She tried her best at English and complimented me when I did the same in Hungarian. God gave me some GREAT verses to reflect on that both encourage and challenge me. I was in and out of the hospital within 2 hours (which I think is an absolute record) and so encouraged.
I realize that this is a super long post, but I just had to share. There's nothing that I can do about the Hungarian medical system and all that it entails. The only thing that I can change is me and my attitude. I read a quote that said "Utter only words of thanksgiving, rather than complaint". Those were the words that challenged me, and oh, what a difference they made!
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