#Series 2: Budapest, Hungary ????

"Travel, explore and see as much as you can!", Swahili proverb echos. While others say, "If you want to go far, walk with a team....", I will add, "It is even more fun". It had never crossed my mind in reality that I will ever step my feet at Hungary.

While in my 3rd year in undergraduate, there came some exciting news that the school of environmental studies was to choose a student out of the best from the 5 departments to go to Hungary for an exchange program. When I was called and told about that possibility, it is when I actually knew there was such a country in the world map. I was partly excited but I had learnt never to count chicks before the eggs hatch. I went out to wait for the news when I did not even know how a passport is applied for! hahaha! Honestly, it sounded too big a deal to be real having had many days I slept hungry.

The truth is: Until now, I am still waiting to be told who went and why I was not the one. It terribly failed. But I kept my heart lit with hope that: it was a close opportunity, and a greater one shall come. Probably I felt too unworth of the opportunity to ever go to Hungary while I was in my undergraduate. Well, we all keep growing.

Spring holidays this year kicked off. Every of my mastermates and friends wanted to go their best way to take an academic break and be happy. Despite the few drawbacks, I felt I needed to visit another country outside Germany and learn one or two things about this complex life. Luckily, some of my friends made a big deal to travel to several countries at a go and I overheard it. "Oh! I am in", I claimed unhesitantly. Budapest, Hungary was the first one of 3 European capitals. I honestly needed that regardless.

We booked our train tickets and waited for the D-day. After all, I personally was used to risking in more dangerous spaces while growing up so the only thing that ran through my mind in the waiting zone was: "I cannot wait to get there and take some deep fresh breaths away from Bonn". The journey started with high hopes and a bundle of positivity to safely connect trains across several countries.

Two of us missed the first train connection and two caught it. Just because we decided to use the lift (elevator) which we had to wait for a minute, and our two friends used the stairs. Panctuality is a skill that has always tricked me in all ways and this time, it was messing me up. Missing one train meant we miss all the others yet we paid for a group ticket in specific inter-country trains. Uh! Say group tension! Nevertheless, personally I always know how I can easily mess up with people by taking it easy, but trust me, my andrenaline hormones go sleeping every other time. They could be inactive or I have found peace with everthing. I had hopes that we can find a way out. Luckily, we were able to enter the next fast train and connect with our friends in the next one.

Hello Budapest, Hungary! The possible visit of 5 years ago had come to pass from another level: I brought myself here! Isn't life beautiful? It was such a powerful dawn for me.

The same night, we decided to walk out at night and explore the beauty of the city when the sun was down and human-made lights lit the city. This was magnificent for me. I can partly understand those African girls who were kidnapped and carried overnight to their unknown husbands. Then they wake up to a new place. Hahaha. I did not understand Hungarian language but it felt nice for once not being able to communicate in my inquisitive self. By the River Danube, I felt a very strong connection to Mother Nature. While lifting my eyes up on the hill, I could see the green-white-red national flag waving at me as if a "welcome note".

Budapest is a beautiful city! Admiring the creativity of human beings all across the streets reminded me of how capable and powerful we are. We admired cute displays of closed shops and somehow marked amazing places to visit when the sun shows up in the next few hours. This was promising. I met some interesing terms that definitely sent me to thinking e.g. humanic. What is that?

Eh! I have been a woman for 25+ years by now. But let me tell you something, I have still not known the real secret of a woman. Hahaha. Could it be hair or make up or beauty or good profession or simplicity or marriage or children or VALUE or what exactly? It is still a thing in my mind even now.

One of the secrets about live right now is that: it is easy to have your life dictated by other people unknowingly just in the name of "made easy". But what exactly is your lifestyle? Highlights such as fashion of dressing, speech, walking and general physcial presentation, professionalism, spirituality, social makeup, etc are prone to the many pre-dictated options out in the world.

Reflections are my favorite sessions whether I am in a common or a strange place. Those times I send my eyes and my heart in nature, just to be spiritually open to receive from the rich universe. I talk to myself and talk to God in prayer. I remember just seated by the river one afternoon to pray and trust God for some two opportunities: Youth Climate Ambassador Certification with CUNCR and the recently ended Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) Youth Hub Event 2023 by UNFCCC. I had not applied for them yet but I felt abit afraid of losing the opportunities yet I had a bunch of reasons for attending each. Honest expression of my fears to God has always made me real to myself.

Do you feel like you have a dream that scares you or is uncertain? Hold on to that little or dimming hope. It is just a matter of time.

What are your happy moments in your life purpose journey? I always appreciate those times when I do something and feel a forward pull encouraging me that the future is luminous. The golden world record-setting Parliament building of Hungary was one place where I felt elevated from the low place that I stand. Encouraged by the dreams of the architect who did not live to see it, and its remarkable utilization of local resources in construction, as well as hosting the Holy Crown of Hungary, my heart was in so much peace by the end of the day.

Night view of Budapest from a higher ground gives a different taste and mood altogether. The parliament building shines even at night! A feeling of a blossom, cool breeze and life become the contents of the precious breaths someone takes. It is heartwarming.

My stay in Budapest ended on a sunny and a promising day! It had been overwhelmingly nice to learn and experience so much within a couple of days. I wish I was more creative and not as tired as I am right now to better narrate the whole episode one by one. Nevertheless, all that my heart carries from my trip to Budapest continues to manifest even as I greatly thank God for His faithfulness.

I love Budapest!

Hey!

Thanks for reading my long-short list of highlights. I hope you find something worth it.

See you in the next one.

?Girl of the African Soil