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Abroad Growth- (Blog 14)

When I first arrived in Budapest, Hungary on February 12, I was very overwhelmed. After a very long flight of not sleeping and just jumping right into meeting everybody in my group. It was super nice meeting everyone the first day we got here as everyone was nervous but also excited for this experience. The second day I was here and it was my 21st birthday and when I woke up I realized because of the 6-hour time difference that I wouldn't talk to my family for another 6 hours. The first 24 hours I was defiantly emotional just processing that I was really in Hungary.  As the first few weeks went on, I was so excited and eager to see the whole city. There are 12 people in my group and everybody was so nice and easy to talk to. I began learning to take the metro by myself and going out to buy groceries while reading things in Hungarian. I was super intimidated by the Hungarian language. When I first had to take the metro by myself I was terrified that if I got lost that I would have s...
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Welcome to Budapest - (Blog #13)

To the next student who gets to experience the incredible city of Budapest, The hidden gem of Europe is exactly the case. Budapest, Hungary is a beautiful city with so many beautiful and rich sites to see. When you arrive the language can feel very intimidating as it is nothing like any other European language. I promise over 75% of the city speaks English. Hungarian class is so much fun and take chances with speaking Hungarian and learning the language.  The Danube River splits the city into two; the Buda side and the Pest side. Make sure to check out both sides because they both offer different things. The culture of the sides is different and the Buda side is more quiet with a lot of history. The Pest side is very lively and this is where you will most likely spend your time. The metro may seem intimidating at first but I promise it is super easy to use. You can get to anywhere in the city using the metro. With saying this, you can also walk anywhere. I recommend walki...
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Pastries and Meat compete for the Air -(Blog #12)

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The city of Budapest has many different districts, each with its own culture. Similarly to New York City; Times Square, Central Park, Broadway, and Fifth Avenue are just some examples. In Budapest, there is more of a shopping district located in  Deák Ferenc tér, this is where many of the delicious upscale restaurants are located. This area is more touristy for sure as there are many name brands. I focus on this part of Budapest first because as the weather is warming up there are a lot of outdoor food venues that really attract people because of all the amazing smells.  Deák Ferenc tér has an open-air market or area with stands selling all kinds of foods. When you walk up the smoke-smelling stairs of the metro, you are hit with a wave of hot dogs and other strong sausage-like smells. The first stand catches your attention  because  of the smoke of the meat being grilled. The Langosh also has a strong smell from the dough ...
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Is There Much to Miss? (Blog #11)

New Jersey is located in a prime location along the Atlantic Ocean and close to New York City. Where I live in Monmouth County, New Jersey, there is a mix of all types of foods. Growing up in an area where I would visit New York City often, I was an adventurous eater at a young age. I grew up trying all kinds of foods and one of my favorites by far was seafood. The Atlantic Ocean provides Bluefin and Yellowfin tuna, different types of bass, and crabs. I grew up crabbing in the rivers and then going home and cooking the crabs that we would eat for dinner.  There are so many amazing  restaurants that have high-quality fish. In addition to seafood,  New York City has a vast range of quality/high-end restaurants from every culture. One thing that I love when I go to the city is a huge burger. In addition, the glamorous steakhouses are beyond incredible and are a very nice treat. As there are many stereotypes around the portion size in A...
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Hungarian Goulash (Blog #10)

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Hungarian has a variety of traditional/local food. The majority of these plates contain some type of meat such as sausage, pork, or chicken. One of the main traditional Hungarian dishes that you can find in many different locations is goulash. I would compare Goulash to a beef stew of some type. There is a dark beef broth seasoned with a lot of paprika. There are large chunks of beef and then sometimes, carrots, peas, onions, and celery.  This local favorite is served at all kinds of restaurants, not just Hungarian ones. I have been to a variety of restaurants that serve sandwiches, pasta, salads, and then goulash. The size of the goulash varies depending on the restaurant. Some goulash comes served in a large size soup bowl and then others come in a smaller stew-like pot.  I am confident when I say that I truly am open to trying any kind of food no matter what. There is nothing that I won't try and there is little to nothing that I...
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Polish Pierogies (Blog 9)

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Just this past weekend I got the opportunity to travel to Poland. As I have been eager to see as many European countries as possible while I am here, I never had Poland in mind as a country I would visit. I really didn't know much about many of the Eastern European countries until arriving here. I have a friend whose family lives there and I knew that there was a lot of history that I was interested in learning about.  When I arrived in Poland, the only thing I could think about was food. I had two connecting flights plus travel time to get from the airport to the hostel. I could feel the knot in my stomach when we had gotten off the train in Krakow. Krakow is one of Poland's larger cities besides Warsaw. "How about we try Polish food, for our first meal in Poland. They are known for pierogies." my  friend exclaimed. I agreed and nodded as my stomach was making growling noises just thinking of eating.  I followed as my fri...
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Hungary for More (Blog #8)

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  Traveling evokes all kinds of emotions good and bad. There will always be very high points and sometimes there will be low moments but for me, travel brings out only the best. Ever since I was a child I have always loved traveling and being away from the comfort of my home. I have always been intrigued to explore and see the world. I am not just a tourist but a member of the city. I am a full-time student at Corvinus University and am living on my own at a hotel.  Before traveling to Hungary, I truthfully didn’t know a lot about the culture or what to expect when I arrived. Since this isn’t a vacation, I had to adapt to being a member of their society. When first arriving, adjusting to going to the grocery store and ordering a coffee at a cafe was slightly intimidating. The Hungarian language is not one that I had any familiarity with. Unlike Spanish and other languages, I couldn’t even attempt to try to understand what signs and other things had been said.  I have live...
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