Provincial Life Goes Global: Buses, Backpacks, Bathes, and Budapest

I feel like I'm leaving a piece of my heart in every city I explore

Széchenyi Thermal Bathes

With the euphoria of being in Europe at an all time high, my friends and I decided that our first free weekend was going to be spent in Budapest. What an adventure that was. We booked an overnight bus to save on lodging and to get as much time in Budapest as possible. Due to the fact that we were getting in so early, we decided it would be best if we only took bookbags as we would have to carry around our stuff for most of the trip. We arrived in Budapest around 5 in the morning at a bus station with duct tape on the door to cover a hole. With minimal sense of direction, we set out to find civilization and our hostel. Luckily our intuition was right, and we chose the correct direction. After 3 miles we finally found a bakery that was open, and after breakfast, we found our hostel and did a little shopping then headed to Széchenyi Thermal Bath. My first thought upon walking out to the bath was, ‘“How beautiful is this place?”, and my second was, “Wow, I've never seen so many speedos in my whole life!". Despite the crowded bath and the ever-present PDA around us, this experience was one I highly recommend to others. We ended our night getting decked out in St. Patty's tattoos and gems and going Irish bar hoping because how else you you end St. Patrick's day?

Zach found a flag to naturally, we made
him take our pciture with it

The garden memorial at the Synagogue

Sunday, we started our day with mass at the beautiful St. Stephen's Basilica. We then went on a tour of the second largest synagogue in the world. It was a very interesting experience, and our tour guide did a wonderful job telling us the heartbreaking history. The garden was turned into a mass grave for all those who died there when the Jewish block was turned into a ghetto during World War II. Afterward, we went to Drum Cafe for a traditional Hungarian meal and a cranberry beer (it was amazing). By the time we left the restaurant, the sun was setting so we set off in search of the infamous chain bridge and the parliament building. After a few pit stops for souvenirs and chimney cakes filled with ice cream, we made it. The view was stunning. Looking at all of the incredible architecture lit up at night, it finally started to sink in that this is my life for the next 3 months; adventure, learning, and memories that I will cherish forever. I am truly blessed to be experiencing this amazing journey.

St. Stephen's Basilica

Although we wanted to stay longer and explore more of the city, back to the bus station we went (this time taking the subway) for our second overnight bus back to Olomouc. This time we had a 3 hour layover in Brno- in the middle of the night. Unlike the good old US of A, the McDonalds here are not 24/7 (bummer, I know), so we had quite literally nowhere to go. We sat in the train station for awhile and were entertained by a very peculiar pigeon (yes, we were clearly sleep deprived and delusional), and then wandered the freezing cold streets until it finally started to get light and McDonald’s opened with its food and WiFi. We made it back to our bus, and I finally got to my room at 9am Monday morning. Luckily class wasn't until 3 pm that day so I got a little sleep.

This trip helped me learn a few things about myself: 1. I can't sleep for more than an hour on a bus (Look out 20hr bus ride over spring break); 2. Trust my instincts because they aren't too shabby; and 3. Pack lighter! Your back will thank you for it later.

A cute sign we found exploring the city

Budapest was definitely worth the sleep deprivation, and I can't wait to go back one day and explore more of the beautiful city. Oh, and a little fun fact, while most people say 'Budapest' the locals call it 'BudapeSHt' because in the Hungarian language 'S' makes the 'SH sound' while 'SZ' together makes the 'S' sound. (The more you know!)

XO Sheyenne