An Ode to Budapest

Featured image is Madeline and Max in Turkish Baths in Budapest, Hungary

The post for this trip needs to start with proper acknowledgement to my next door neighbor roommate, Caitlin. I had been traveling solo for the last couple weekends, and was drained from the meticulous planning that successful travel requires, but Caitlin did some research, found housing, made a plan, and is one of the major reasons that Budapest was so unforgettable. I appreciate you, Caitlin!

Budapest in itself is truly an indulgence for the senses. Whether it's the feeling of the warm water from the natural hot springs on your skin while relaxing in a Turkish bath, following the tempting smells of Hungarian food wafting from the endless booths of the Christmas market, or seeing the unique architecture of the Parliament Building looming over the Danube river, Budapest has it all.

"Parliament building looming over the Danube River"

I want to write about the main sights, ticking off the boxes that proves I have "seen Budapest", which is the most practical thing to do. However, I also want to accentuate the little things, an essential part of the ambiance of the trip, but that often misses the cut on the highlight reel. These nuances are easily forgotten over the course of time, so this post is a commemoration, while everything is still in my head. An Ode to Budapest, if you will. This trip was just Max, Caitlin, and I, and I am so grateful that we have this time together before the semester ends. The dynamic of the group makes me feel engaged, which is something I highly value amongst friends.

The first thing I want to remember is our pure and innocent awe as we stepped out of the metro into the city for the first time. We were all bundled up and the city came into view slowly as we ascended the steps. The wide street, the brisk, clean air, the beautiful buildings, and the twinkling Christmas lights to us looked magical. This was a Formative Life Moment, something that I will always remember from when I was young and in love with life...this moment for me will never be replaced in my heart.

The second thing I want to remember is sitting on the rickety metro, being exposed to the Hungarian language for the first time, practicing and pronouncing the stops so badly that the locals were laughing at our blunderings. We were trying desperately to figure the city out for ourselves, but we were in it together.

I want to remember making SO many friends at the ruin bar. That was such a fun night. The drinks were flowing, and we were embodying the definition of a social butterfly. The ruin bar in itself was so unique, it is decorated with every single item you can possibly imagine. I kid you not; the walls are absolutely covered in plants, lights, old computer monitors, bits of glass, household items, street signs, car parts, old furniture, art...talk about a sensory overload. We wandered from room to room taking everything in for a solid 30 minutes before we even ordered our first drink. After that, it was chatting with more and more new friends until late in the night. The ruin bars are a MUST do in Budapest.

This is the only picture I have of this place, but that's ok because it is much better to go to the ruin bar in Budapest, Hungary without having seen pictures first. So I won't ruin the magic for anyone who reads this and visits one day.

I want to remember how COLD it was running barefoot with Max in our bathing suits from the inside to the outside thermal pool, but how everything was worth when we finally sunk into the steaming water with new friends.

I want to remember how hard it is to spend freaking Hungarian Forints. I got cash from the ATM for the Christmas market, but with the exchange rate it is hard to know how much to get...we ended up with around 23,000 forint.1 euro is about 300 forint, so we had about 77 euro or 95 dollars. We ordered every food that caught our eye and then some, chicken paprikash wrapped in fresh pita, a foot long hot dog loaded with toppings, mulled wine, spiked hot chocolate, chimney cake filled with Nutella and chocolate mousse. The food was delicious and our spirits were high. And yet, try as we might, all this spending still did not rid us of all the Hungarian Forint. I ended up taking about 800 back to Barcelona. Still, it was fun to have the budget to spend as much as you possibly can on whatever you fancy for once. The enjoyment of this opportunity did not pass us by (see below).

This was the best hot dog we'll ever eat

Lastly, I want to remember just being with Max and Caitlin. We have the most expansive conversations, I could talk to them all day without getting bored. I know that one day I will not be living with them just a couple steps away in Spain. They now hold a fond part of my heart and I would not have wanted to go with anyone else.