FINAL POST

Sitting in the Washington Dulles airport... (thank you free wi-fi for saving me from 7hrs of boredom)

I can hear eighteen Hungarian kindergartners together slowly say "how do you feeeeel?"
I respond, "I'm sad", rubbing my eyes to drive the word home. "Sad."

Don't get me wrong; it's nice to be home (except why is everyone talking so loudly?) and there are things I have to be here to do. But I had seven amazing people with whom I built close friendships stay out until (literally) all hours and then take me to the airport before 7 in the morning, carrying all my stuff... and I miss them. I wish I were with them and my other friends, tucked away SLEEPING (oh how I wish I were sleeping) in my bed on the outskirts of Pest, a few hours away from waking up in one of the best cities in Europe with time to myself to work, learn, and explore. I love the US of course, but part of me longs to be in Hungary, where life seems slower and the people are so friendly and warm, where red-roofed buildings dot the countryside beneath blueish rolling hills. I wasn't finished piecing together basic Hungarian phrases, exploring the ruin bars and clubs that own the night, or learning from the people surrounding me. I especially was not ready to leave behind the people I had grown close to, who mean so much to me.
Budapest will forever be, for me, that magical, beautiful place that would have been just a city without the people I shared my time with there. I couldn't have stumbled into a better place or met better people. I was truly fortunate to be there for three months and experience the challenges of the language next to the warmth of the people who speak it, enjoy not only the unique sites of Budapest but also the common experiences of daily life there. I will miss the Duna, the 4/6 tram, 200-forint coins, even lángos (well... maybe not for a few years). I'll miss the kids I taught and the places I lived.
Someday maybe I'll be back, but until then - szia, Budapest and sziasztok friends! It isn't forever.

Puszi! With love, forever-
Emily