Day Trip. Wine Tasting. Take Pictures. Sleep. Repeat 7 Times.

What a week it has been! The vlog this week was longer than in the past, so I'm going to let that do most of the work for this post. Because the real question this week is what DIDN'T I end up doing?! The title is actually quite accurate because everyday just seemed to be an adventure and there were no breaks haha.

Now that I've been in Budapest for a couple weeks, I'm feeling much more confident about my ability to use public transport to get anywhere in the city. It was a somewhat steep learning curve but public transit here is phenomenal and it's allowed me to meet up with friends at so many different places! Very lucky to have found people who I really enjoy spending time with so early on!

Bianca and I explored Matthias Church one day which was GORGEOUS, and then Sam, Troy, and I got to see a chamber ensemble perform in the space. I have been waiting to see a classical music concert since I've arrived and this one did not disappoint. And it gave us all an excuse to dress up which if you know me, you know that's one of my very favorite things to do! The two excerpts you can hear in the video are Albinoni's Adagio and Saint-Saens The Swan, respectively.

We also went on 2 day trips on the weekend, traveling to Eger on Saturday and Visegrád/Szentendre on Sunday. Both were small towns in the countryside of Hungary, and the views from above were breathtaking. We got to visit more castles and old ruins, as well as getting to experience what life in Hungary is like outside of the busy city center of Budapest. Both were rich in wine culture, and we were treated to a wine tasting in Eger. Sam, Troy, and I went to a local wine shop before the tasting and had the literal best wine we have had since being abroad and I want to go back to Eger just to have more of it! Sunday we got to swim in the Danube in the town of Visegrád and I was having a blast! Being able to overlook mountains while jumping into the Danube is seriously a once in a lifetime opportunity. Borkorzó Szentendrén - Szentendre's annual wine festival - was happening when we arrived, and being able to stroll along the river after a chocolate tasting was incredible. The had beautiful decorations and lights in the town square to celebrate, and the town came alive once it got dark!

The week was capped off with a sunset boat ride on the Danube, which is also something I have so eagerly wanted to do when in Budapest and I'm so grateful I got to experience it! The city looked gorgeous from the boat, and I couldn't help but be in awe that I am actually living in Budapest right now and I'm on my own in a whole new country. Classes start next week so I know I won't be able to explore as much as I am right now which is why I took full advantage of all the time I had. What a beautiful life this is :)

xoxo, Mackenzie