Blue Note

In some ways we change without realizing it. I arrived in Budapest today by bus, not really knowing where it would take me. When it finally dropped me off, I took a look around and thought, "You're kidding, right?" It didn't take us to a bus station; rather it dropped us off on the corner of some random street. It looked like a pretty run-down area where the bus company just happened to have bought a room for an office. I sent Marcus a text, hoping he was not too far. And then I tried to figure things out. I wasn't super worried. I was a bit anxious, but I knew it would work out. There was a time when the thought of being dropped off on a random street in Hungary would have freaked me out. But things have changed. I have changed. I've grown up.

A little.

When I quit my job at the Caledonian School and decided to travel, Budapest was the first place I went. And I went with Marcus. Three years later I'm here again with Marcus. We're walking the same streets. I have to say, it feels good.

When I started traveling then, I decided that I would keep a diary and a blog. I wanted to keep everyone up-to-date with my travels, but there were some things I wanted to keep to myself. I do recall, however, writing in that diary about how much more I liked Budapest than Prague. Being here one day has shown me that I think I still feel that way. Don't get me wrong. I loved Prague, but it had to grow on me. Budapest just feels different. Prague has a much heavier feel to it, if that makes any sense at all. This place is so much more open. It's in the architecture, the city streets, the atmosphere, everything.

Tonight Marcus and I sat for a while in a bar listening to a jazz duo. It was a bassist and a pianist. I could float away to that stuff. A common theme in my postings through the year has been the notion of a soundtrack to my life. It's quite ironic because I rarely listen to much music. I play sometimes, but it doesn't seem on the surface to be very important to my life. For some reason, though, I've always been fascinated by how much a relate my moods to music. It really was perfect. I just wish we had more venues like that in Murfreesboro. Sometimes I feel the States is so culturally bankrupt. The difference in pace and lifestyle is baffling. If I could import one thing to share with you all. It would be that.

There aren't any more pictures tonight. Here's one that I took on Marcus' iPhone wille drinking some vanilla cream "oops I thought it was coffee based" frozen drink. Stay tuned. Turkish baths and massage tomorrow.