Toto, I Don't Think We're in Kansas Anymore

It’s all good. Really, it is.

BUT.

We are definitely experiencing the highs and lows of being in a new place. We don’t just attribute it to being in a foreign country, although the language barrier definitely makes it much more apparent that things are different here. We’ve tried to keep our Facebook updates positive, upbeat, “hey, this is great!” while at the same time struggling to keep our heads above water. We are definitely in the throes of the storm (tangent: the thunderstorms here are unbelievable! There have been two big ones in the past two weeks that jolt us out of bed in the middle of the night. I’ve never seen lightning flashes like they have here!)

It’s all good.

As I write, I find that I’m not able to be as succinct or witty as I’d like; there are too many thoughts bouncing in a million directions in my brain. And it has been incredibly difficult to find the time to sit down, reflect, and write. Please bear with us as we try to find the time to keep our family and friends updated... there are so many stories to tell! This move has been a whirlwind of emotions and oddly enough, the work/school piece is probably the easiest and most familiar of everything we’re experiencing. Having said that, it’s also been an intense orientation and inservice week(s) with very little time to prepare our classrooms and lesson plans. I could not have done much of anything in my room without the help of my wonderful assistant, Emily, whom I'm sure you'll be getting to know this year as well! Luckily, all our new friends are also teachers who have been in our shoes as the “newbies” so we have a good support system. Everyone (yes, everyone) tells us that the first few months are the hardest, and that by December we will be feeling much better and settled in our new lives as international educators. We cannot wait for that time to come! Phew.... it's tough right now.

BUT,

We have to remember that the school is amazing. The building alone left us speechless upon arrival. It is a new, state-of-the-art facility with an indoor pool, top notch track and field, two gymnasiums, two cafeterias, two coffee shops (!), three computer labs, two libraries and well-designed classrooms. The view from my room alone is breathtaking! I can’t wait to see what it will look like in the winter, with snow on the hills. The staff is very welcoming and well-versed in the American system of education. People are very confident and that forces me/us to be confident as well. Most of the teachers I know are quite humble but in an international setting, people are a little more apt to strut their stuff and share what they know.

AND,

Two recent excursions to the city reminded us why we chose to take on this adventure. At the beginning of the week, our school hosted a boat cruise down the River Danube for the entire faculty. We decided the administration is happy to foot the bill for such an event because they know it will give the newbies like us the “WOW!” moment they’ve been waiting for. Mission accomplished!


On Friday, the entire country celebrated St. Istvan Day. St. Istvan is the patron saint of Hungary and brought Christianity to this nation 1000 years ago. It is a very important, proud holiday for the Hungarians. We saw Hungarian flags everywhere today, from the light posts of our small village here to the city trams to the famous Chain Bridge. We ventured to the Castle District with friends to find a massive celebration underway. The foods and craftsmanship on display were incredible! Equally impressive were the views from Castle Hill.... take a look at the video: