Who am I? Am I a part of this place? I think these are the most common questions students tend to ask themselves, and I did too. Recognizing my identity to be able to value others was a fundamental step in my personal growth when I was studying abroad. With the help of CEA CAPA, I was able to experience a side of myself that I had never quite had before. 

Budapest Spring 2024 students wearing “I ❤️ BUDAPEST” T-shirts, pointing at the name of the metro station across the street from the hotel we stayed in. It was our last night there, and figuring out public transportation had definitely been a challenge! 

The homemade goulash I made during our cooking class with the other students. We also prepared a cucumber and sour cream salad, which ended up being my favorite part.

A picture of me making handmade paper in Orfű, a small town near Pécs, Hungary. The instructor explained the different materials that can be used to make paper and told us about the history of using cotton in the process. 

When I first got to Budapest, I felt self-conscious. Everyone's eyes were on me wherever I went, or at least that’s how it felt. But the more time passed, and I started building experiences and memories, I noticed less about how different I looked and more about how much we're all just the same. My photoset is full of little moments that made me feel more and more at home in Hungary. 

The Spring 2024 cohort enjoying a beautiful day trip to Szentendre. One of my favorite group memories. 

The flower stand is outside my host university. Passing by it every day became part of my routine and made me feel like I belonged there. 

Maybe the stares never actually ceased, but the difference is that I stopped noticing. More importantly, though, was the way things started to feel like home. Walking past the flower stand outside my host university or riding the metro to school every day made me feel as if I were home in the city. I even had a favorite burger place where I got lunch almost every Friday, and somehow, even that became something that grounded me and made me feel like a local. 

The Budapest Library, my favorite place to study. I got a membership card since I was studying at Corvinus University, and I could go anytime for free. It's still valid! 

Chimney cake from the local market. It’s one of the most popular treats for tourists, and honestly, you can’t leave Hungary without trying one. 

CEA CAPA made it simple for us to transition. They gave us the freedom to grow and learn, but stepped in at the right times. From helping us communicate with flea market vendors to giving us a Hungarian cooking class, they made our integration with Budapest much easier. They gave us the chance to get to know Hungary, not just travel through it. Without them, I am sure that I would not have been able to adapt to the culture as much as I was able to. 

A photo of me seeing the Hungarian Parliament for the first time. It was one of the most magical moments of my life. 

 

 

Foreign travel not only showed me how to get about in a different world. It taught me to be stronger about who I am, how to stay open to transformation, and how to welcome the beauty in each version of myself that I find along the way.