EVENING

Time here in Budapest is a passing afternoon. One of those lazy Sunday afternoons of breathing in goodness, warm sunshine, long uninterrupted thoughts both light and deep...the sun stretches on forever and when evening finally creeps behind you in cool shadows, you feel full and altogether right.

All of a sudden evening has tapped me on the shoulder and I am in the midst of midterms and renewing my tram pass and registering for Calvin classes again…and I am feeling a bit dazed and wondering just how my October afternoons slipped away so quickly. This month has been so good and full of trips and learning and it felt like it would just linger forever…but here we are. It’s almost November.

I can’t imagine life outside of Budapest very well anymore. I’ve become a part of its constant throbbing, whizzing, tapping rhythmic days…riding the trams and metros, greeting the deskies each morning with a Jo reggelt kivanok, cooking communal dinners of rice and veggies, swallowing bitter black espresso instead of sipping filtered “American” coffee each morning. I can’t believe that soon I’ll be talking about all these experiences in the past tense, missing all these distinct things as much as I now miss peanut butter and harvest time, thanksgiving, the morning news, and all of you.

For now, I’m just going to enjoy today. It is clear and bright outside and I plan to go for a run along the river.

Cheers to you and this day, wherever you are in the world.