I just got home from spending two weeks in northern Hungary, and what a life-changing experience it was. We stayed in a German boarding school in Pilisvöröswar for a world meeting of the Donauschwaben people and traveled to surrounding villages (with a day trip to Budapest) for performances, mock weddings, and cultural stuff. It was the greatest two weeks of my life. 

I think what I loved most about it was how different the lifestyle was from the way we live in the United States. The pace was slower, people took more time to enjoy each other and the world around them, and the atmosphere was one where the quality of one’s life mattered much more than the achievements one had or the things one collected. It agreed with me. I’m not happy to be home. 

Perhaps Hungary will become my permanent residence someday.