The morning paper with a slice of humble pie

I've been home for a little over a month now, and time has accelerated in the same pattern it always seems to do: in the beginning, an hour feels like a day.  In the end, there aren't enough hours left in the day to see everyone and go everywhere I intended to.

Life has been funny here.  I'm in that in-between that I forget about until I find myself there again.  It's a summer that's not long enough for a "real" job, but not short enough to comfortably pay the bills until the next gig arrives.  I have no set schedule or routine (upon which, as you may know, I thrive), each week is different, and if it weren't for the planner I found at Staples, I wouldn't ever know where to be or when to be there.

Even though it's different every week, each day is still filled to the max.  Since my lease in Corvallis began in July (read: I've been paying rent since July), I've been doing as much work as I'm offered at home so I can, you know, eat, until my first grad assistantship paycheck comes.  I decided when I came back that if I was offered work, I would only turn it down if it compromised my morals.

Well, my mom new a girl who knew a guy (red flag yet?) who needed a substitute for his paper route.  He got married and had an 8-day honeymoon to cover.  I didn't see anything risque or dishonest about throwing papers out a window, so I went for it.

All of you whom I hold dear, heed my warning: if you value your sanity, DO NOT EVER throw papers for a living.

I'm a morning person, and have few problems waking up early, but when you have to pick up your papers at 3am, there's no going to bed early enough to get a decent night's sleep.  And your left arm, from shoulder to wrist, will hurt for days.  And you will want to scream at people who let trees grow in front of their addresses.  And you will start talking to yourself in accents just to be entertained.  I lost it, guys.  The funky sleep schedule completely messed with me, and I was the worst version of myself that week.

I've heard that everyone has to have a really crappy job at least once in their life.  I'm just glad mine only lasted a week.  But hey, respect to the paper boys and girls out there.  I am not cut out for it.

Remember when I did this?  I think I'd rather be forced to do it again daily than run another paper route.

Since then, I'm sticking with babysitting around town and yard work at Dad's.

Grace and peace,
Hilary

Home Sweet Hungary

Good grief!  I know that my first couple weeks home after a long time away are always busy, but this has been ridiculous.  On my first day back, I took my siblings to the library, and I've only had enough time to read 8 pages of the book I found--that was 2 weeks ago!

I have had so many memories made in between my departure from Vienna and my arrival to California.  Since I don't want to overwhelm myself, but still want some sort of visual reminder of these weeks (no time even to journal!) I'm going to condense and add pictures.

Andrea and Oki, two fantastic individuals and friends, saw me off at the bus to Budapest.  I arrived in the evening, and went to find milkshakes in the city center with the one and only Zsombi.  He couldn't come to Debrecen, so we made the most of our time by finding an outdoor cafe with a live blues trio, sipping on our milkshakes, and catching up on the last 4 months since my previous visit.

Our couple hours flew far too fast (as time has had a way of doing lately).  We got our call from Levi, telling us he was all packed and ready to go to Debrecen.  A stroll and a 'szia' later, I was on my way with Levi to my Hungarian hometown.

As many of you know, my exchange program places students with 3 families during the year.  I adore all 3 of my families, and I was even lucky enough to pick up a 4th honorary host family.  Levi and his twin sister were also students at Tóth Árpád Gimnázium.  I quickly became good friends with Levi, and on every visit I've made to Hungary, his family has insisted I spend at least a couple days with them.  They even included me on a family vacation during my October visit!

The whole family, minus Levi

With Levi

We had a very relaxing visit.  Sitting on the porch and talking, cooking, watching movies.  It was around 100 degrees each day, so laid back was very welcomed (in fact, the day I arrived to Budapest, it was the 2nd hottest city that day IN THE WORLD!  Cooler only than Baghdad).

Before we knew it, it was time to head towards another dear family.  It was with huge smiles that I was greeted by Anya (Mom in Hungarian), Apa (Dad), Csenge, and Flóri at my old house.  They surprised me by taking me out to dinner near the Békás Tó (Frog Lake) at the Régi Vigadó, a nice restaurant next to the university.  We enjoyed goooood, good food--and maybe some pálinka--on the terrace with some more live music.  After we finished, Anya decided we should dance.  So we got up and did.  Apa was a party pooper, but we were laughing and enjoying ourselves anyway.  Again, it very well could have been the pálinka...  

Me, Flóri, Csenge

The next day, while Anya and Apa were at work, Csenge, Flóri and I spent some time in the city center, just soaking in Debrecen.

We didn't stay for too long, though, because we wanted to visit Ica Mama and Laci Bacsi, my host godparents, before heading home to prepare BBQ food for our company that evening.  Ica Mama made us palacsinta (Hungarian crepes) and we chatted around the kitchen table.

Family friends joined us that evening for a visit and delicous BBQ.

And then it was time already for another 'see you later.'

A visit to Debrecen isn't complete without a trip to the farm.  My second family lives in a little village called Nagycsere, just outside of Debrecen.  It's a giant, beautiful property with chickens and dogs and corn and flowers and everything wonderful.  Ádám, my host brother, had left for the States the week before, so it was just Laci, Klári, and me (and of course the dogs, Parduc and Muki).

Aren't they sweet?

After lunch, dessert, and time on the porch together, my first host family came to pick me up.  They were en route to my host cousin's graduation party.  That was in a village even further down the road from Debrecen, on a much bigger farm.  The party had been going on for a while already--the people were jolly, the food was plentiful, and the sun was beating down hard.

We talked and talked and ate and talked.  We wandered around the farm, saw deer, pigs, chickens, and this beautiful view:

How's that for a little piece of Heaven on Earth?

When the sun had finally set, the temperature had dropped a few degrees, and we were ready to go home, our party hosts decided it wasn't time just yet to leave.  The csárdás (pronounced: chardash) music got louder, the cousin Gergő grabbed me, and a few people went to the open space by the tables for a little folk dancing.  I had myself a ball!  I am a huge fan of dancing...in fact, when I lived in Hungary, I took ballroom dancing classes...and then got into swing dancing later in college.  Anya, Apa, Csenge, and Flóri all do néptánc (pronounced: nayp-tance, meaning folk dance), but I never had the opportunity to try it.  They say the best way to learn something is to be thrown right into it...and I guess they're right!  Here's my first experience right here:

I had another day spent with my wonderful first family, and then an eeeearly morning to get to the airport in Budapest in time for my flight to Boston.

More to come later, when I can carve out some time for more storytelling!

Grace and peace, 

Hilary

Airport zombie

Oh, look what I just found.  I wrote this some time between the hours of 1am and 6am waiting for my flight at the Sacramento airport:

________________________________________________________________________________

Early.  Late?  Does it matter?

Shaking hands.  Is it past dinner or before breakfast?

Deserted terminal.  1am.  2am.  3am.  Mirage of company.  Mom?

Cold feet.  Sore butt.  Sick of sitting.  How long ago did I get up?

Computer on Europe time.  Phone on Boston time.  Sitting in California.  Confused.

Clif Bar caffeine shot.  From half marathon last May…expiration date?  Don't see one.  Take a risk.

…success.  First time caffeine has EVER worked on me.  Good timing, body.

3:45--live humans!  I found civilization.

I don't make sense.  Should I proofread?  Where does that word come from?  What proof am I looking for?  Why am I ending sentences with prepositions?

Need breakfast.  Time to hunt down a bagel.  

Are we there yet?

Vienna behind me

Isn't life wonderful?  The last month has been so full of the making of magnificent memories.  I am so grateful for the people who have come into my life in Europe.  A few weekends ago, I was lucky enough to reconnect with one of my Hungary exchange friends.  Jessica is a Canadian with whom I've been in contact for the last 5 years since we left.  She and her Norwegian boyfriend came to Vienna, and we spent a lovely couple days in the beautiful weather.

With Kristian and Jessica on the U-Bahn

We met 6 years ago in Hungary...now hanging out in Vienna

Ice cream by the Danube on a hot day

That weekend was also the Donauinselfest (Danube Island Festival), the annual free music festival on the Danube Island in Vienna.  I was SO excited to learn that James Morrison would be playing--I had planned on going to his concert in Vienna last March, but plans fell through.  This was even better!  Under the beautiful Viennese sky, surrounded by friends and the Danube, and good, good music.

During James Morrison

Unfortunately, the goodbyes got more concentrated right around then.  The good news in this is that we were all more intentional about spending good time with one another.  Those last few weeks in Vienna were so full, and so good.  We had our YAG-led church service, YAG dinners and ice cream together, meals from the Naschmarkt, walks on the Danube, my Hollabrunn family threw my a goodbye BBQ, and I got to spend my last couple days with my best friend.

Goodbye to Tina and Jonas in Hollabrunn

The goodbye BBQ in my family's garden

Reading my last German book with the girls on my last morning in Hollabrunn

YAG evening together

Oki and Andrea seeing me off to Hungary from Vienna

Tales of Hungary and Boston to come!

Grace and peace,

Hilary

Indulge me...

...for just a moment while I complain.  I really try not to grumble too terribly often (except when it's hot, in which case I'm a total baby).  I like to be as positive as I can.  Just ask my dear friend Andrea.  I sometimes frequently get made fun of for it.

But I loathe packing.  Packing and unpacking are 2 of my least favorite things in life.  Unfortunately, when I do one, I know the other isn't too far behind.

I'm pruning my closet (can I say that?), and as I pull things from the hangers, I'm trying to decide which clothes I really love and ditching the others here in Austria.  I made this crazy goal of going back with one less bag than I came with.  At first, I thought I was nuts, but I think I'm actually going to make it!

Two last things:  I was sorting some of my workout t-shirts into the throw-away pile, when I almost tossed my sole article of orange clothing.  Then I remembered I'm going to OSU now and better keep that sucker.  Also, who would have ever imagined a pair of socks could have sentimental value?

Grace and peace,
Hilary

Lemonade kisses and my scattered heart

The goodbyes began at church last Sunday.  I feel like I've done this too many times considering my few years on this planet.  The funny thing bummer is, though, I haven't gotten any better at it--the tears still flow freely.  So much for practice makes perfect.


A sweet little anecdote from one of my yesterday-goodbyes: the sweet little boys and their parents who joined us on the young adults retreat are heading to the States for a couple months, so we had to say our farewell.  Tobi is the most precious little boy I have ever met in my life.  We became friends over playing černý Petr (Tobi is half Czech) and snuggling in the comfy chairs in the front room of the cabin.  I had him on my lap yesterday after church, getting ready to say goodbye.  He took a big gulp of lemonade and lunged at my face.  Thinking he was going to spit it at me, I blurted, "Tobi!  What are you doing?  Were you going to squirt me?"  He just looked at me with big, innocent eyes, and said, "No, I was just going to give you a kiss!"  I didn't object after that.  I mean, look at this face:

Through the beginning of this new round of goodbyes, I've been thinking of the goodbyes I've already said at the ends of my adventures over the last 8 years.  It makes me feel better.  You see, it hurts a little now, but I know from experience that this isn't for forever.  Those special people who have come into my life, to whom I've given a little piece of my heart...I'll see them again.  That's why I don't mind scattering those pieces;  I know I can trust these people I love to keep them safe, until the next time I see them.


Grace and peace,
Hilary

My favorite Austrian weekend

Two weeks ago, I had a 4-day weekend, and those 4 days make up the best weekend I've had in Austria.  Not that my other weekends (and days, for that matter) aren't fantastic--because they are.  But those other days and weekends aren't spent in a mountain cabin with my incredible friends who make up my church's Young Adults Group.  YAG has been my solid social connection, but it's been so much more than that as well.  They are my family away from family.  They've filled the niche that my APU community created in me during my 4 years there.

The best adjective to pair with that weekend is filling.  I just felt like I was so filled with love and joy that there was little room for anything else inside me.  The background to this perfect painting were the beautiful green mountains with fields and wildflowers and animals, and in the foreground were people I love.

We just...were.  We didn't necessarily do a ton.  We just did life together.

We hiked and cooked and played cards.

Lunch at the top

After lunch, Ji Eun played ukelele, Petro broke out the shakers, and we sang together

On the way back to the cabin

Monopoly Deal was a hit

We climbed trees, picked wildflowers, rolled down hills, and skipped through fields.

We got up at 6:30 to sing, and pray, and have good conversation in the sunshine and long, early morning shadows.

I made new friends and played a lot of černý Petr with this sweet boy.

I don't think the ukulele spent much time in its case.  Nobody complained.

That weekend is absolutely one of my fondest Austrian memories.  I won't be forgetting it anytime soon.

Grace and peace,

Hilary