Farewell Cruise: or, Is It That Time Already!?

Somehow, nine months have passed by in the blink of an eye. It feels like just yesterday that I arrived, alone and nervous, at the Budapest airport. And yet, it also seems like an eternity ago to think that this time last year I was rushing to finish my Master's degrees and jetting off to Costa Rica with the freshmen of the University of St. Thomas. A lot has happened in the time that I have been here. so much so that it is difficult to comprehend that I haven't even been here for one full year.

• I taught my first university-level classes -- at first, feeling super nervous (and tanking some lessons), and gradually becoming more comfortable (and better!) with it. 
• I got to know Budapest intimately -- to think how anxious I was on that first day, trying to figure out how to get to my apartment from the airport... these days, I zip around on public transportation like nobody's business. 
• I have made some deep friendships here, and it feels weird to think that a year ago, I didn't even know Jasmine, Nate, and Tanya, and now we are all fast friends. 
• I also traveled a lot, visiting four countries I had never been to (Slovakia, Slovenia, Bosnia, and Poland) as well as several countries I had been to before (Belgium, Austria, Germany, and the U.K.). I am well on my way to completing my goal of visiting 30 countries before I turn 30 -- I'm at 29 now (years and countries), and the big goal-reaching day will happen in just a couple of weeks when we head out for a road trip to Croatia.
• I made a lot of headway in my professional life, too, passing the Foreign Service Oral Assessment as well as the Portuguese language test -- now it's just a matter of waiting and crossing fingers that the State Department hires lots of new Foreign Service Officers. 
• And finally, in the last year I have been to weddings of two very important people to me, as well as one big birthday followed by one very sad funeral. 

I can't believe how much has happened, and it hasn't even been a year -- it has been nine months. This week, I finally booked my plane ticket home, and although I am very happy to see my family, pet my dog, and eat lots of  tacos, I will be sad to leave behind the exciting and happy life I have had here in Budapest.

To conclude these reminiscing thoughts, here are some photos from the Fulbright Farewell Cruise that we had the other day. It was nice to spend a few hours floating on the beautiful blue Danube with all my new friends.

All the Fulbright Student Grantees.

Friends.