Gratitude 59

I am thankful for long chats with good friends...even when they end up lasting into the early morning hours when we ought to be sleeping because we have things to do the next day. :)


Why am I in Ohio? Because this is where God has intended for me to be right now, and I have made some wonderful friends and had really great teachers...and Hungary certainly would not have happened without this place. :) (However, the nonsense going on in the conservatory makes for all of this positive light very difficult to find sometimes and also diminishes my feelings toward the meaning of my degree that I supposedly will walk away from here with. Argh!)

This evening (or rather yesterday evening now! haha!), Chad and I went to Jenni's for dinner. Oh, goodness! The three of us together is quite a spectacle, I'm sure. It was nice, though. We chatted away for hours and shared pictures and stories. Jenni is a great cook, too! Nagyon finom! About 10pm, though, Chad started to get cranky...he needed to get some sleep I think...so we made our way to leaving. Chad jokes that we are the only sane people left here...if that is true, that doesn't say much for everyone else! haha! Because we are crazy!

Although I probably should have been thinking about bedtime because I was kind of sleepy, after I got home I ended up watching a movie with a friend and then we sat and chatted for a long time...we hadn't talked much in probably 8 months, so it was really great to catch up. Now, needless to say, the sun will be coming up in a few hours, and I have yet to lay my head upon a pillow. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful evening. :) SAI Mocktails Rush Party tomorrow evening! YAY! :)

Oh!...also...I got my grades from Hungary!!! FINALLY! Nagyon jó! And I had a nice talk with Jen Adams today. That was good and much needed.

Why, oh why Ohio?!

That's pretty much how I feel right now.

As for happy thoughts...

Gratitude 58: I am thankful for ridiculous snowball fights.

Today, I awoke to lots of snow, ice, and messy roads. (Luckily, I don't drive...plus I live a block from campus...but I am right beside Main Street, so I can see the traffic...or lack thereof this morning!) Courtney came into my room at 5am! to tell me that campus was closed for the day. Snow day. Yes, even in college. Crazy! It is actually quite obnoxious the amount of college students wish for snow days and complain about having to go to class. I have my moments sometime, but seriously? This place costs A LOT of money...that I don't have so am currently borrowing from the government...and this is what I have chosen for my life. This isn't high school anymore. I have to unfortunately say that the amount of motivation around here? Quite appalling, and I just don't understand. Again, another one of those "lessons." (Sorry...another one of my unnecessary rants. I apologize.)

The massive amounts of snowfall began yesterday afternoon and did not stop till this afternoon. I LOVE SNOW! I made chocolate chip cookies! hehe! And watched Jon & Kate Plus 8 and Will and Grace! Then, Karly decided to organize a crazy snowball fight in front of the conservatory. YAY! That was super exciting...and very exhausting! Snowball fight turned into snow angels and then to hide and seek, eventually ending in us laying in a heap in the snow. hehe! I guess it is suffice to say that not a lot of my work or practice got done today as planned. However, it was nice to relax. (Yesterday was not a grand day in the life of Samantha...actually, this week hasn't really been. My lesson was... Well, I won't complete that sentence. Even Chad made me angry yesterday! Last night, I took an hour bubble bath! That was sooo nice!)

On a last note, this week is rush for Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI), the music fraternity I am in, so that has been fun. Game and pizza night was at my flat yesterday evening, and it was fun to meet the new girls. (And I think I have convinced some girls to apply for the Hungary program! YAY! I told them, too, that I would be there when they would be going! hehe! Nothing new, but I am SUPER excited to return! It is going to be soooo great for me musically!)

The Scary Thought of the Unknown

Gratitude 57

I am thankful for my silly brown snow boots. :) Cute, comfy, and slightly ridiculous at times. And wearing them with my dress this morning to walk over to the conservatory just makes me giggle. Ridiculous, yet holds a European influence and keeps my feet nice and toasty! hehe!

Today I had my voice jury. Finally. (Hence the dress despite the extremely brisk weather outside and random four inches of snow that appeared out of nowhere yesterday. I love the snow and cold and dresses/skirts, but I am not entirely crazy about shivering knees.) Anyway, I don't particularly want to discuss it. Kész. It is finished. And that is all that matters. I know I should be content because as János enlightened my analyzing process, it was above my lowest level. (Actually, quite a lot above.) Just frustrated it didn't go as well as I would have liked. Of course, it probably doesn't help that I couldn't fall asleep, yet again, last night. Who would have thunk it that singing well and getting enough sleep go hand-in-hand? haha!

So that kind of bummed me out for the day. However, I went back to my flat and watched Passport to Europe while I ate some lunch. It was the Prague episode, so seeing places I had stood just a couple of months ago cheered me up. I don't know what it is, but I feel a special connection with central/eastern Europe since living to Hungary. Perhaps it has a bit to do with my ancestry. Perhaps a bit to do with the way music is whole-heartedly in their souls there and how the music became me in my time there. Or perhaps that I began to truly experience that world through living there. In any matter, I am pretty much obsessed with the place. I just love it. Nagyon szeretem! :) It feels like a home to me.

Life perplexes me. Lately, I have been sort of lost in a jumble of knowing yet not knowing at all, confusion, and trying to find balance. Much of this is contributed to the reality of reverse culture shock that I am giong through. (I know what you are thinking...she's been back in the States for a month, so she should be used to it by now. However, it is more complicated that; a more personal struggle. Not to sound sassy, but you really cannot understand unless you go through it yourself. This is a process that lasts an indefinite amount of time, and you just have to be patient with me.) I am content with [metaphorically] where I am in life. (Not in terms of place, though.) I am growing and learning in the way that works for me and on my own level. I seem not to be comparing myself so much as before. Focusing on "dancing only better than myself," as Mikhail Baryshnikov once said. And oddly, I have been pretty at peace with really not knowing where life is taking me. Following my heart, I know God will not lead me astray. Finish my degree. Back to Hungary. This I know is right. But afterwards, what? I don't know, but I am okay with that. Then there are days like today...

It can be so unnerving not knowing. Quite a scary thought, it is. Realizing you aren't in control. Yet, we still try to hold the ink pen that draws our path. It is a bit like being in that labrynth in Budapest...carrying an oil lantern, yet not knowing where the small glow of light will lead you. Thrilling and exciting wondering where you'll end up, but secretly, you are scared out of your mind. That's kind of my life. (Like taking on the world solo!...from freak-outs in the airport to figuring out how I'm going to navigate through the language barriers to conquering the Budapest Metro...) Much of the time I am okay with that. Sometimes, there is a comforting feeling in knowing that a Greater Power is taking care of it for you. However, being a control freak, I want to know what's coming. I had one of the latter moments today. I began to wonder where on earth my life is going. One of those "a performance major? really?" moments. Part of me knows I can do this, that I can make it. But then that doubting voice in my head (in movies, this would probably be the devil and angel on the shoulders) starts saying, "How on earth are you going do this, Samantha? Where are you really going? Back to Hungary. Okay, sure. How, you still don't know, but you'll figure that out. Hopefully scholarships. You need to do this. But what about this grad school business after that? What are you going to do about that? But more importantly, where are you going from there? If you don't choose the "right" place, you may not develop the "right" connections. And then what happens to this "big opera career" you want? How is that going to happen?"

The truth is, though, I don't know. I can only hope. Remélem. That, and lots and lots of prayer and trust. I have to take comfort in knowing that everything will be okay, and my path will be lit as far as I need to see when I need to see it. Easier said than done, though. Going to Hungary certainly changed my life and, in a sense, turned it entirely upside down. Plans? What are those? Things kind of got a little mixed up in order from this experience. Everything will get done...in its own time. And who is to say what is right and what is wrong? It's a big gray area. It's nuts, the things that I am doing, the things I am studying, but I know they are right for me. My path is my own. But what is it? Where is my yellow-brick road going to lead to? Am I going to make a difference in this world? Or is this an entirely selfish endeavor I am on?

Gratitude 56

I am thankful for the lovely (and much-needed) chat I had over lunch with Dr. Mathias...and then the giggly swirl of exchanges of experiences in Hungary in the hallway with Jenni...that lasted an hour and a half...at least. (Jenni was my class piano teacher freshman year and also studied in Hungary during her undergrad and then for a year before grad school...like I am doing!)

More elaboration on the craziness of today later...must...get...sleep! ZZZZzzzzzzzz.....

Gratitude 55

I am thankful for the obnoxious Neti pot that my mom bought me for Christmas. (For those of you that have no idea what this is, it is this little tea pot-looking thing that pours a saline solution into one nostril of your nose which comes out the other nostril. Yes, it sounds absolutely disgusting, but I promise you it works and is amazing! No more sinus pressure or congestion from my allergies!!)

*****

Some pretty pictures for your viewing pleasure (all of which are from the Christmas holiday):

Dad giving Mom her gift (a Willow Tree Nativity set) and informing us of the things that were "wrong" that didn't really go with the story and that he knew these things even though he isn't much of a religious guy. That was hilarious!

Our tree and bookshelf all decorated for Christmas by Mom and Becca...yes, the tree has gift cards all over it, and those are Build-a-Bears...my family has a bit of an obsession with them.

Mommy and Daddy opening presents with Baby Xander

Baby Xander's first Christmas :)

After his Christening :)

An Historical Day

Today, the world saw something remarkable...the first African American President of the United States. That's pretty sweet in my book. (Even for someone not entirely happy to be in this country at the moment.) It is incredible to see how far we've come. Fifty years ago...not even ten years ago...could we have seen this. :)


So...life. I feel people have changed. Or perhaps only I have changed and learned so many "big girl" lessons that haven't been learned here. Nem tudom. Belélegzom, kilélegzom. I am breathing in and breathing out. Taking it as it comes. Feeling a little overwhelmed currently. Sounds silly, I know. I think there is just a lot on my mind and especially with my recital nearly right around the corner. It is March 12th, which seems so far away, yet in the whole realm of things, that is so soon! And we are still figuring out my program! Jaj! No worries, right? haha! Also, I am absolutely dreadful at memorization. I don't know why. I have been doing it forever, but my brain doesn't want to function when I sit down with my music to intentionally memorize. Argh! And I want to sing whole operas? And hopefully principle roles at that? I better figure how to stick music in my brain quick! Probably doesn't help my memory much that I, for some unknown reason, haven't been sleeping well lately, either.

I also feel like I cannot remember... Solfege, piano, my Hungarian...I feel like part of it is fading. I read somewhere recently that when you sleep you improve your memory because your brain does some "memory cleaning." Perhaps, subconsciously, that is why I haven't been able to sleep...worried of losing it. (Wow! I have no idea why I am writing these things in my blog!) It is absolutely ridiculous of me, I know.


Tul sok negative energie! Most boldog pillanat... (Too much negative energy! Now for a happy moment...)

Gratitude 54

I love my tuning fork!! And even more that I am getting better and better with it! :) Lynn gave me a new aria, Durch Zärtlichkeit und Schmeicheln, on Wednesday and asked if I would bring it in on Monday. I said, "Sure. Why not?" János would do that to me all the time. I was so proud of myself, though. I took it to the practice room on Thursday and refused to touch the out-of-tune piano to learn it. (There isn't a single in-tune piano in the whole conservatory!!! It is driving me NUTS!!! I miss walking downstairs and having the ability to sit in front of one of two Steinway grands...ALWAYS in-tune!) So...I learned the whole thing...well, minus the high E's...with my tuning fork and relative solfa! Yay! How exciting! :) I mean, obviously, it isn't perfect yet, but the fact that I can learn an aria in a week?! That's pretty fabulous! Yay for studying in Hungary! :)

As with every post, some ridiculous story must be involved at some point, so here's mine from today:

This morning, I came back from class (Science & Technology...we talked about germs/bacteria/viruses...and I am such a hypochondriac!) and found the girls upstairs shouting for me. Apparently, Karly had been doing laundry and found a dead bird in the basement by the washer. Oh, joy! haha! They didn't think so, but their relay of this to me was quite humorous. We went down, and sure enough, there was a dead bird under the sink where the water drains from the washer. It was an "eww!" moment seeing this little bird sopping wet in the extra suds. The girls kept saying, "I'm not touching it! You touch it! No, you touch it!" Oh goodness! Obviously, I was pretty freaked, too, and certainly wasn't touching it! (Yes, we are ridiculous, silly school girls afraid of a little bird that obviously wasn't going to eat us!) I wasn't just going to stand around like them, though, and point fingers, so I took initiative and went to ask our kindly neighbor for help because we were too chicken to do it ourselves. (Again, another "big girl" lesson...) However, no one answered, so the bird stayed for awhile, all the time, Karly obsessed with the bird and refusing to go done there again. haha! I tried again later in the afternoon after returning to the house from the conservatory but, again, no answer. So then I called in to "Wonder Mom" for plan B. (We seriously need a "manly man" around here...a boyfriend or something. haha!) While I was talking to mom, I spotted Max, our kind of supervisor outside, and went and asked if he'd help us. He just chuckled at the scenario and when he saw just how small the bird was, thought we were completely nuts! Nonetheless, he was very nice about it. So no more dead bird! I thought the whole scenario was hilarious! The girls, on the other hand, not so much.


**Stay tuned....Some photos to be included in posts soon...too much reading on my pages!

A Million Cups of Tea

I think tea is the one thing that has kept my sanity in life. Somehow, a cup of tea just makes everything better. I don't know how, but there is something comforting to it. I may be addicted... haha!

Gratitude 53

I am thankful for quiet morning hours. :)

This morning I sang in recital hour, so naturally, I had to get up a little on the extra early side, so that my body, voice, and brain were ready for the whole singing thing for 10am. (Oh, how I love singing so early in the day! Not!) It truly was before the crack of dawn, though, because the sun was not up at 7am with me...it likes to sleep in till half seven or even a little later this time of year. And it is so unbelievable cold here! Windchill factor of something around -20°F! Jaj! Quite ridiculous! I was silently hoping that things would be closed today, so that I didn't have to brave the subzero air, but no such luck...everything but universities were closed. Nem szamit. It didn't matter. I would have had to go to the conservatory at some point today anyway, so might as well get my butt over there sooner, sing pretty, and then do everything else I needed to do there before snuggling myself up in the house for the remainder of the afternoon and evening.

I had about two hours of the quiet morning. There's just something special and peaceful in those early morning moments. (...even when you didn't fall asleep till after 1am...) Staying snuggled in your pjs for a short bit while you check The Today Show, putting the kettle on and then sipping a lovely cup of tea, seeing the snow out the window as the sun comes up... It's just peaceful. I love the girls I share my flat with, but we each need our alone time, too. Mornings like today are my favorite "me times".

I am glad we had recital hour this morning, too. Volt nagyon jól. It went very well. :) I do enjoy performing. (And, oddly, I am becoming more accustomed and comfortable with public speaking. I have no idea where this came from, but I was totally calm and collected during my presentation last week and introducing my piece this week. I'm not complaining, but it is strange...especially since I haven't done it that often. Guess it's just another way life abroad raised my bravery/courage level!)

I just love singing, and I just love beautiful music! :) I often wonder how this happened, how my life-driving passions became these things. Why is it that this one particular thing speaks to me so strongly? It is quite curious. I mean, it ultimately doesn't matter. It is what it is. I am what I am. I do what I do. I love what I love. But I am just a curious person, I suppose. My family loves music, but I don't know if they are really musically-inclined. They could be, though, and just never had the opportunities to find their expression through these means. My mother has always sang to us ever since we were babies. She loves singing but never had lessons. My papa told me stories once of his cousins singing folk music. He grew up in the mountains of West Virginia and didn't have much money, but he said that if they had had money or knew someone then, they could have gone somewhere. Perhaps this is where it comes from. It is just perplexing to think of how we get to where we do.

I have been and am unbelievably blessed. Having incredible teachers, studying in Europe, wonderful guidance from mentors, family, and friends, good health, and a lovely, well-used tea kettle. :) I'm only 21 and have experienced so much already. It makes me so excited about life. My dad says that I have already seen and done more than some people do in their entire lifetime. He's right. I am truly blessed. Never pass by the side roads on the highway of life without looking down them, he says, because you may miss the opportunity/experience of a lifetime. I never dreamt I'd be where I am today or the plans that have changed because of it.

Studying abroad...always was a dream...and now I have spent four incredible months in Hungary. (Goes to show there is not a lie in "dreams come true.") My get-the-bachelors-of-music-and-then-grad-school-for-my-masters-from-there plan has been thrown a loop because of these past four months. And you know, that's okay. No, that's amazing. A lesson can be learned here: only so many plans can be made and carried thru, but for the most part, your plans are made for you by a greater power. (That'd be God in my book.) I am learning more and more that time is special. Hungary enforced this concept in me. Why be in such a hurry to "grow up" or get things done. Rushing is silly and only causes you to take more time in the end. It'll all get done in its own time, the time that is best for me, not the kid that sits next to me in class. The knowledge is more precious than the piece of paper that certifies you have acquired that knowledge. However, we, as society, put far more importance on the piece of paper than if we actually have acquired that knowledge.

Nothing really against the States. It's a great place to live. We have "freedom" (or so they say... but that is a debate for another time and place...we are much freer than many countries of the world, but returning and the things I have learned since then have made me realize how it still is not what we call "the land of the free."). It's just different. That's not always a bad thing...but also not always a good thing. Life is very different abroad. Life seems to take a slower pace, time has true value... I like that. I do not enjoy this rush-rush syndrome that affects Americans. It's unnerving and frazzling and just plain stresses me out! Granted, not having choir this semester has certainly allowed me a little more of the pace I enjoy (and to really work on my voice like I got to over there with János), but I still find myself lost in the flurry around me. A bit frustrating.

Well, I am not sure where all of this came from in this post. Hopefully, it somehow makes for some interesting reading. As for events of this past week:

Things have settled a little bit more with each day. Some days are certainly better than others. I know I shouldn't be, but I am still quite furious with some of the things/decisions/actions that occurred while I was gone. Oh, well. What are you going to do? Ugh.

My voice lesson with Lynn went far better. My sound is becoming more and more "me," I think. :) I am so happy for having worked with János. (He's a very good teacher for me. I am excited to work with him again when I return.) The past couple of days, I feel everything we worked on is really starting to settle. That whole "where's the point" thing...I'm actually getting it! (Like I said, my reaction time sucks...jokes, concepts, etc...pretty lame but what can you do?!) Yay! Lynn is a good teacher for me, too, and I know she will let me incorporate what János and I did into my studies. Some teachers would probably try to get me to toss that out the window because it wasn't "their" technique, but I am in good hands. She respects János and knows what a phenomenal musician he is, and she wants the best technique for me, because maybe what works for her isn't best for me. In any respect, she and I will just keep building it all up. I must say, though, that she is very happy with my high notes. :) Thank you, János. It took some confidence-building, but they are getting there, and I am enjoying this soprano world more and more. It's fun!

I had a piano lesson with Chad on Thursday. I told him he needed to be very strict with me. My playing wasn't the best showcase of what I learned, but that's okay. "Perfection is not expected right away, Samantha," as János would lecture to me. haha! Nem baj. I don't think piano is the same without Orsolya, but Chad will guide me well, I know.

I also had a harmony lesson with Dr. Ryan on Thursday. He's a good teacher, and although it's not the Hungarian system, his tutoring in some advanced theory and harmony will be very helpful. He is willing to do most things my way, too. Good. haha! He knows why I need and want these lessons and seems pretty cool with it all, so I think this will be good.

Other than that, nothing too eventful happened that I can particularly recall. A few minor crises...mainly with my stupid computer...resulting in more cups of tea. (Yes, I may have a tea problem.) Life is okay. And okay is alright sometimes.

Return to another world...

Gratitude 52

I love walking through the falling snow and watching each beautiful, perfect snowflake swirling in the air and landing on my coat, in my hair, on my mittens, etc. I just find snowflakes such a miraculous thing. Each one so intricate yet so simple. It's remarkable. Nagyon szép! :)

This week was my first week back in grand ol' Columbus. Oh, joy! I moved back into my apartment last Saturday. It's very different being back. I have returned to another world. One I knew once, yet it seems slightly unfamiliar now. In some aspects, it feels as if I never left, that life seems to have been "stagnant" while I was away. In others, though, I feel almost as if I no longer know. It seems somewhat distant. To be honest, I am not overly fond of being here right now. It is to be expected that I would feel this way, I suppose, after living in another, very different culture and having had all the adventures and incredible musical experiences over there, things that are not always present in everyday life here. I miss it. (Yes, I know I have only been back three weeks, but I grew quite attached to that place, that life, that music.)

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the catching up I've gotten to do with people I haven't seen in so long that I really missed. It was so great to see Lynn again. It was really strange at first, though. And I had my first lesson again with her on Thursday. I was really worried. We have an adjustment phase to go through. And I really felt she did not like the changes in my voice that János and I had worked on. She kept assuring me that she thought it was wonderful, but I still felt a little uneasy. I had kind of expected this. Semmi baj. All will be fine. We just need to remember how each other works again. Chadwick is amazing! I missed that man so much! haha! He is so ridiculous, but you gotta love him! We've been chatting away like little school girls this past week...have to make up for lost time! haha! He's helped me a lot through this first week, too. (It's been a little rough. I did not think that I would have such a difficult time adjusting, but like that man on the plane said, you can never predict how much you will have grown. I think it is that much more difficult when the people now all around you haven't. That can be nagyon frustrating!) He was great with the Hungarian pieces I was singing for my presentation, too. I gave him a huge spiel on each one and was very specific about things, but he did it all great. Yay, Chad! It was wonderful to see Élise, too! She is so cute!

It seemed everywhere I went this week, there was someone that wanted to chat. It was great, but I, unfortunately, feel I did not accomplish much this week. Oh, well. I have more time in my schedule this semester. My course load seems quite light, but I know that when I add in all of my lessons and practice, I will have tons to do. The first week is always askew. I decided to take a semester away from choir. My teacher supports me fully. However, I got the wonderful job of confronting the director. I think it is good for me, though. I feel so much less stressed. They are going on a full tour in six weeks, and I would have to learn ALL the repertoire in that time. On top of preparing a recital. That's a lot to take on. My philosophy is that I would rather do less and do it very well than spread myself too thin and do it all mediocrely.

Yesterday morning during recital hour, I had my performance and presentation on my time in Hungary. It went quite well. I was pleased. Granted, my singing could have been a little more "precise," but it was fine. As János says, the goal is to sing above your lowest level always, for the highest rarely happens. That's life. Survive it, enjoy the achievement, and know that you did well, even it wasn't "perfect" (because "perfect," Samantha, does not exist! haha!) I thought I was perhaps coming down with a little bug since I got here, but I think my allergies are just all out of whack right now. Nem baj.

My presentation portion went well, too. I was glad of that because I do not particularly enjoy public speaking. Not my idea of fun. And since I was the only student who had gone this past semester, it was ALL me! Piece of cake, right? (Actually, it kind of was.) I was a little nervous before I went out, but then I was so calm during the entire thing, singing and speaking. Crazy! It was fun to share some of my pictures and stories, though. I kind of felt a little boastful, but it was what they had asked me to do. I got some lovely comments afterwards. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and loved my photography. :) Yay! Dr. Mathias came, too! She gave a little introduction before I went out. It was soooo wonderful to see her! I gave her a special thanks in my presentation. She is such a sweetheart! And has truly been a saving grace. Her support and encouragement through everything has been a gracious blessing. :)

Preparing my presentation brought a flood of memories to me. Those four months were just unbelievable amazing and so worth every moment...even the tear-filled ones!

Overall, though, this week has been really very frustrating (and irritating at times) for me. Life is very different here. Sense of time, food...you can't just go to the bakery and get a loaf of fresh bread...nope...it's all squishy bread! blech!...and no open market to get fresh fruits and veggies all the time..., language of course (I miss trying to speak Hungarian! People here just get annoyed with me I think whenever I say something in Hungarian.), and in terms of music, musicianship among my colleagues. And there is a lot of crap the just keeps coming up...mostly administrationally. Ugh! As I must be respectful in what I say/do/write, let's just say I found out a lot of things that happened while I was gone that nearly pushed me over the edge. If I wasn't already irritated enough with the university for making me feel invisible to them while I was away, I am getting much closer to my wits end with them now.

*****

Blasting back a bit...it was wonderful to be home for Christmas and New Year's. It was good to be home for the holidays. I think that is very important. My nephew is just absolutely adorable, too! They spent a lot of time over at my house during my two weeks at home. Xander was very into the present thing already. He's only four months now, and was tearing away at the paper. haha!

Again, I sang for Christmas Eve mass, something I have done for the past like five or so years. And I convinced them to let me sing a Hungarian Christmas carol. Yay! I love singing in Hungarian! Such fun!

It was fun giving everyone their gifts from Hungary and telling about each one. The pashminas were a big hit. I love pashminas! So pretty! I have gotten so many comments on mine. I almost didn't want to part with the ones I bought for my mom and aunts, but I did. And everyone loved the Milka chocolate. Finom! :d

I brought home some pálinka and a bottle of Hungarian wine to share with my family. It was hilarious to watch them try the pálinka! haha! It's quite strong stuff...the ones I had were 41% and 51% alcohol (homemade stuff can be even stronger, though)..., but it's initiation into the Hungarian culture, so I made them at least taste it. Their faces were priceless! haha! I also made them try red wine and coke, a very Hungarian thing. Yes, I know what you are thinking, "Samantha, that sounds absolutely disgusting." It does sound disgusting, but you just have to try it. It really is good.

Well, I ought to get some studying done, but I wanted to do a little catch up. Viszlát!