The First Arrival
It was late autumn, 04 Sept 2017. Cold enough to see your breath, but not yet snowing. The air smelled like roasted chestnuts. The buildings looked worn, almost tired, but proud. There was something unpolished about it and I liked that. It didn’t try to impress. It just existed, quietly, confidently.
On my first tram ride (Tram Line #2 is my favorite!), I stared out the window like a wide-eyed tourist, then quickly looked down at my phone to not seem lost. I was. But in the best possible way.
Finding Familiarity in the Foreign
I started building small routines. Morning walks across Liberty Bridge, where the rising sun reflected off the Danube like liquid gold. Afternoon study sessions at Fővám tér, where I’d pretend to read while secretly people-watching. Night trips to the nearest Aldi, SPAR or Tesco, where I’d buy 3 kg or rice packag and awkwardly say “köszönöm” with the wrong intonation.
There was a park bench near Gellért Hill that became my escape spot. I’d go there after long days, sit in silence, and just breathe. No notifications. No noise. Just me, the city, and time slowing down.
It wasn’t glamorous. It was grounding.
The People Who Shaped the Place
I met people who were nothing like me — and yet somehow felt familiar. A Pakistani roommate who made the best chicken biryani. A Hungarian classmate who taught me the word “szia” means both hello and goodbye. A professor who quoted Eastern European poets like they were pop lyrics.
We had dinners where languages overlapped and laughter filled the gaps. We had midnight talks about home, purpose, and whether it was okay to feel homesick and lucky at the same time.
Those connections weren’t transactional. They were real. And they made the city feel less like a backdrop, and more like a home.
What the City Taught Me Without Saying a Word
Budapest taught me that independence isn’t about proving you can do everything alone. It’s about being comfortable when you’re not in control.
I learned how to sit with silence. How to enjoy slow Sundays. How to romanticize everyday things, buying halal meat, cooking my own breakfast, walking to class, hanging laundry by the window. It was the first time I wasn’t rushing. And in that stillness, I got to meet myself.
The city didn’t fix me. But it held me, challenged me, and helped me grow into someone softer, sharper, and more whole.
Why It Still Feels Like Home Even After I Left
I eventually packed my bags and moved on. Back to reality. Back to deadlines and meetings and bigger responsibilities. But every once in a while, a smell or a sound or a photo brings me back.
Sometimes it’s the scent of paprika in my kitchen. Or the view of a river that isn’t the Danube but almost feels like it. Or just the way autumn light hits the floor and for a split second, I’m there again.
There are places you visit. And there are places that live in you.
