Lessons in Life in Transylvania (Fall Break, Part 1)

I was able to spend the last ten days of October traveling in Transylvania and Croatia. I was on Fall Break from school here, and the break was much-needed by the time I left for my trip. October was a roller coaster month here in Hungary. The newness of Budapest had worn off and I came to the realization that I would be here, away from the people closest to me for another 8 months. I was tired and ready for a break from it all, and I found just what I needed in the two trips that I took. Rather than give a complete synopsis of my trip through Transylvania, I'd rather just elaborate on just a snapshot of my trip that highlighted something I've been realizing my whole time here in Hungary. Since arriving here in Hungary, I've been awakened to the realization of how truly lucky I am in life. I've grown up with amazing people around me who constantly support me in both my triumphs and times of weakness. Don't get me wrong, I have always been aware of the fact that I have a lot of incredible people present in my life. It's something I always consciously try not to take for granted. But I think that everyone could use tangible reminders of these things every once in awhile! One of our stops in Transylvania was in a small village near the former Austro-Hungarian border. We visited a family of people (three generations, in fact!) who are all still living together in the same house. Not only are they still living in the same house, they are still living in the same ONE-ROOM house! At first I was astonished and appalled at this fact (on top of seeing how small the space was), realizing these people almost never get "alone time"...something I thrive on. After getting back on the bus and thinking about it though, I realized that the family in that house really DOES have everything they need. The people living in that house have the constant presence and support of their family members. From what I could tell, each person showed an abundance of love for the others. Since they have that (here comes the cheesy part...you'll have to pardon me), they seem to have no need for more space or possessions. All they really need is each other. I think about that and I am filled with appreciation for the special people in my life who won't falter. It's truly a rare thing in life to have people like I have to miss like the dickens (because I DO miss people SO much) and to be thinking about constantly. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm SO thankful to have SO SO SO much to be homesick for.