I left my heart in Alaska, but I'll be back soon to get it

It looks like it’s been a while since I’ve been around these parts. I apologize, but I have been a little busy with things- finishing up the first semester of school, enjoying the holidays with friends and family, spending more time in airports and airplanes than what I want to think about, and starting up a whole new semester at CEU. No matter how much opportunity I’ve had to get used to it, I’m constantly impressed at how fast time goes by. Is it really mid-January already?


Before I get going with this I just want to say that I do not hate Hungary. I know sometimes I show off my countdown until I go home a little too much, and I pause an extra moment when someone asks “How’s Budapest?” but that’s all because I don’t like having to give up one thing in order to get another. I really hate not being at home right now, but if I stayed home all the time then I wouldn’t get to go to school in Hungary. It’s more of a struggle for me to deal with this than I ever thought possible, but I am doing my best to count my blessings, to realize certain things only happen once in a lifetime, and to enjoy what I do when I do it without wishing I could be doing something else. So here I am, back in the regular swing of things in Budapest trying to see if I really can benefit in the little corner of Academia I decided to hang out in.

I will say this though: going back to Alaska for winter break made me appreciate everything about home more than ever. There have been countless occurrences where I have taken things for granted- the love and support of my family, the thick bonds in friendship, the comfort of my tiny little room, snow… Yeah, I didn’t realize just how hard it was to go away from it all. I mean I’ve traveled quite a bit since I was a preteen and have seen many beautiful places and have met many wonderful people, but nothing compares to home. Plus nowhere else in the world has the Whipsaws, Sweating Honey, or Wet Thunder, so obviously Alaska is the place to be. :) Seriously though, on certain days during my break at home I would run outside to start dad’s car (I was borrowing his since mine was under a tarp and snow, and his auto start was unfortunately not working) and despite only wearing a robe and having drenched hair, my quick runs turned into stalled moments where I could look up at the snow-covered trees in the blue twilight and appreciate every inch of it. I liked driving around town and recognizing everything around me, including the people. Speaking of the people of Fairbanks, it was great to be around a population that for the most part is friendly, and doesn’t have to think twice about being courteous. Of course this doesn’t count for all Hungarians, but I get the impression that people here, at least in Budapest, have to go out of their way to be nice. It’s not like they’re cruel, but there is a lack of warmth being emitted, especially to strangers. And yes, this is an observation coming from a girl who was smashed in the shoulder with a snowball by some random punk kid trying to be cool around his friends after leaving class the other day. I’m just glad there weren’t rocks on the ground instead.

So by now it’s obvious that I loved being home and everything about it was wonderful. Even the *ah-hem* hangovers I had every once in a while were worth the fun I had the nights prior. I’m really happy I was able to spend a lot of time just hanging out with my folks. I’m sure there are aspects of retirement they hate, but I like how much more accessible they are, and I love how willing they are to try new things. They even came to ACRC with Cassandra and me as first-timers. It might not seem like a big deal, but for most of my life there was a huge social gap between my parents and me, and I’m so happy to finally be bridging it. I’m really excited to go home in April for my birthday- I know I could be using the time to explore more of Europe, but I have all sorts of other time to be using for that, such as this weekend. :)

I’m going to close this by announcing that I’m going to Serbia for the first time ever. My friend Darjana has invited me to attend her cousin’s wedding, which is an opportunity I would be an idiot to pass up. We’ll take the train to Belgrade tonight, and when we get there in the morning her sister is going to drive us to the village they grew up in. Unfortunately I have no idea what the name of the village is- I’ve heard it maybe ten times but I can never make sense of what is actually being said, haha! Hopefully when I’m there I’ll get it figured out. Wish me luck- Toni informed me that it’s possible to not survive a Serbian wedding. Should I be scared?