Budapest is incredible. I can attempt to summarise over 1000 years of history as follows:
– small Neolithic settlement slightly north of current Buda of Budapest
– Greatly expanded by the Romans
– Social and economic development after the end of the Roman empire; settlement in Pest more based on industrial development
– Rinse and repeat for several centuries
– During this time, Buda, Pest and Obuda (the former Roman settlement part) operate as separate towns. There is no permanent bridge connecting Buda and Pest across the Danube but ferries and a floating barrage exist
– 19th Century soul searching, establishment of Pest-Buda, then Budapest. Infrastructure, bridges, the first underground railway in Europe, a Hungarian national anthem and national discussion on Hungarian identity ensue
– Two world wars with devastating effects on Hungary, including Budapest. As one tour guide put it, at the end of the Second World War, if you are asking the German Nazis to help you with fight the sheer butchery and barbarism of the Hungarian Nazis, you have a big problem
– Post-war Soviet ‘communist’ puppet state behind the Iron Curtain
– People’s Revolutions and eventual fall of Soviet rule in 1989
– Current capitalist and Budapest joy, but with an added helping of far-right nationalism that is causing quite a concern at the moment

Budapest has an amazing history that is well worth exploring. It is home to city- and national-Hungarian museums and art collections and is a proud and welcoming city. Three days was never enough to begin to scratch the surface, so definitely wish to go back. I also need to continue to practice my 320 times table, which is roughly the conversion rate between one Hungarian Florint to Pounds Sterling.

In among all of this learning and doing, I made a decision to come home briefly. I have absolutely loved travelling and exploring for the last seven weeks but the balance of wanderlust and homesickness started tipping too much to the latter.

I spent quite a bit of time contemplating this, given I had a whole year as a language student abroad. What was different to now? Is it I’m older and more home-birdy? Less curious? More serious?

I put it down to the fact that when I was a student, it was my year to study and learn abroad – that was my plan for the year, and I cracked on. I lived in new places, I joined university clubs, the rugby team, a band, and I ‘did’ the year. This time, I have a whole life that I was missing greatly and wanted to come back to. So I’m back for two weeks – I’ve come back to work, I am catching up with friends and partner who I have missed so much, and then, with the awesomeness of my employer, get to complete the final 4 weeks of the career break – two more weeks of travelling and two weeks of volunteering.

It is more than a privilege to be in this position and recharge the batteries back at home, to complete travel and volunteering plans. Also, with reference to my fictional pro-cycling team name, it is a privilege to be able to just book a flight and come home, in so many ways – not just for a traveller who wants to get home quickly, but for all those sub-terranean homesick aliens whose concept of home is far greater and poignant than this, and I’ve seen more of those folks than I thought I would – the homeless, the poor, the prisoners of circumstance or war. I will never forget this opportunity, and will keep posting here as I really appreciate the comments and encouragement I’ve had – I even have a junior reader, the genius Z, who I hope will keep reading this blog.

I hope you’re okay and, who knows, I may even post a blog as an alternative to Roy Lilley’s insights in to being an NHS manager (but I would never look to compete!)