one month since last time????!!!

NOVEMBER 16th

Well apparently it has been a whole month since the last time that I wrote on my blog! I figured I better get on it! To be honest, that much time passing without writing anything makes it virtually impossible for me to remember exactly what happened. So I’m going to give the condensed version of the important stuff that happened within the last month. 

In October of every year, Hungarians celebrate the anniversary of their 1956 Revolution. Most of the shops are closed, etc and every school does something to remember in their own way. My school decided we were going to really stand out! All 800 students walked through the city from the University to the city centre and back to the school. It was a very interesting event! There were students carrying signs and vehicles following that played Hungarian folk music. Needless to say the students overpowered the sidewalks. . .considering there was 800 of us! The next important event was Autumn Break! The kids here in most European countries get a break in every season. And so from October 29th- November 8th I had no school. In the first 4 days of the break I travelled to Pécs and Komló with my host family. There I met Kira’s cousins, and toured the city. Then we stayed a couple of days with the Grandparents. It was a relaxing a fun trip and I really enjoyed spending the time with my host family. During the rest of the break I went skating, watched Vampire Diaries, slept in, etc. There was a Halloween party one night during the break that my classmates had organized. I didn’t want to buy anything for a costume so I decided to go as a “Canadian”. I will never forget all of the weird “looks” I got from people on the bus/in the street as I walked around basically a giant maple leaf. I suppose its not something that they see every day. :P On the weekend before school started again I got invited by my friend Amanda to go to Budapest with her and her family. We went walking through the city and they took us to a few of the main attractions. This included the Parliament building. Yes, not only is it absolutely amazing on the outside, but its just as awesome, if not more inside! I can honestly say that I think it is one of the most, if not the most BEAUTIFUL buildings I have ever seen! Everything was so incredibly detailed and even the little things were designed to a T! The pictures I took hardly do the place any justice at all. That night we were able to go out with our friends Alberto and Alonso (who was visiting from Szolnok). We had a lot of fun talking and just hanging out. The Grand Finale of the break for me was another trip to Budapest with my classmate Viru. We took the train there, went shopping, met up with my friend Collin, and took some sweet night time shots of the city. Then it was off to the Lady Gaga concert! It was AMAZING!! I had never been a huge fun of her style, and I honestly just thought of her as a freak. Well. . . she is. But she puts on an AWESOME show and she is really really talented. I had so much fun watching her and her dancers and I respect her SO much more now. It was awesome! After suffering a long and cold ride home I got to bed by the following morning :P. But it was well worth it and I really enjoyed spending the time with Viru. Since then, Maddie has returned from her travels with her Mom, and so we have spent some time hanging out. She came over for a few hours one night and I suffered major stomach pain from laughing too much!! We also hit the town with all of the Debrecen exchange students for a very fun night and crashed at Amanda’s house as usual. So that pretty much brings you up to speed on all of the exciting events that have happened since this time last month. Im also pleased to inform you that I will FINALLY be starting Hungarian lessons tomorrow!! :) woo hooo! 

So I have been here for 3 months now. Or 12 weeks, however you prefer to count. Regardless time is flying! It does NOT feel like a month ago that I wrote my last blog. I never would have expected to find myself this busy!! Between taking every possible opportunity to hang out with friends/meet people/go somewhere new I haven’t had much time to just sit and write. I have been keeping up with my journal almost every night, and writing back and forth with a few friends on Facebook, but other than that I am pretty much busy start to finish everyday! One thing that is going to drive me crazy is how early it is getting dark here! I mean, I realize that in Canada the same thing happens, but its cold when that happens in Canada and so you don’t want to be out anyways! Here the weather reminds me more of spring than a coming winter! The Christmas decorations and presents are out in full force now! I kind of hate it. I know that Christmas time is going to be hard for me, and I really don’t want to be reminded of its approach 1 1/2 early! I have had an awesome month though for the most part! Im having lots of fun, and feeling pretty stable now. The last week or so has been hard. I just feel stressed somehow, and I have no reason whatsoever to be. I think a lot of it is just coming from me missing my family and my friends so much. Its hard, when you just want to vent or gush to someone and the only way you can is by typing or making “a date” to Skype and waiting for that. I talked to my BFF Dani and my Noni on Skype both for the first time the other day. That helped a lot. Things are going to fine, and I know I can make it through. As strange as it is, I am thankful for the hard times. Its the hard times that are making me a stronger, better person. And its getting through those hard times one step at a time, that makes me realize what I am capable of! Before I left I didn’t truly understand what I was getting myself into. And how could I really? However, I know now, that I am capable of WAY more than I would have given myself credit for before, and I am becoming a stronger person by the day. Slowly, we get this life figured out one piece at a time. When life throws you lemons, you make lemonade! :P Cheesy I know, but what Im getting at is simple. I am learning more about myself everyday, getting stronger, getting smarter, becoming whoever I want. If this exchange was always roses, I wouldn’t be capable of the same growth. So as I step into the 4th month of being here, I remember that this is it for me! So live it while I can!! In a way, without entirely knowing it, I have been looking forward to doing something like this for my entire life. So I can’t forget to live in the moment. . .because its finally here!!