Whimsical Weekend...

Rushing(rushing) water, laughter, trees in motion, nature's symphony meets Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach. Like the stroke of a brush, the breeze sweeps through my hair and over my face, and as I open my eyes, the darkness melts into breath-taking watercolor. As the sky comes into focus, the sounds become clearer, and lifting myself up from nature's bed, I can see the musicians: A sparkling fountain gushes out water as two little kids sit at it's base, staring up in wonder. Tall trees loom overhead and around the clearing. And right above me stands the man-made pole sporting speakers, out flowing many classical masterpieces to the movement of the fountain. This is what I did this weekend.

~*~

At the beginning of last week some friends and I were studying in the library when we decided to make something of the coming weekend. We all went to some different airline sights and searched through the ticket deals of the week. Sicily was our first choice until a better one arose, Budapest! Budapest won. On a whim, five of us bought tickets and then a few days later boarded a plane with nothing but a backpack and an ambitious attitude. It was one of the best weekends I've had yet.

~*~

In two days, the five of us walked approximately sixteen miles seeing the main sights of Budapest, learned a lot of Hungarian history, walked into an anti-communist rally, made a Hungarian friend, and had a very restful experience while doing it. The last day of our trip we ventured into a park that was on an island in the middle of the Danube river. It was here that we found the musical fountain, and refreshing fall-like atmosphere. It reminded me of home a lot because there were actually trees turning colors here, pumpkins and fall flowers were sold on street corners, and the temperature was comfortably cooler. We were all so happy! The Hungarian society, from what I saw of it, was very pleasant. They are very family oriented people, we witnessed so many families actually spending time with their kids. I wish we weren't so busy in America because family activities are so important, especially for children. Hungarians are also the nicest people! We didn't encounter a single unkind person. Everyone was very eager and happy to help us find our way. The whole weekend was a blessing. I feel like the five of us became closer and the glimpse of another culture has given me more inspiration for my life once back in the States.

Peace,

Maria