Fulbright Farewell

This seems like a strange title to write because going back to the States still seems so far away; however, we had our last Fulbright meeting May 23rd and the US is only a short 7 weeks away. This meeting was different from the others because this time we went on a river cruise down the Danube, which was amazing. Fulbright invited all the current American grantees, as well as the future Hungarian grantees going to the USA and several other people including government representatives and representatives for organizations sharing grantees. It was really great to talk to the new grantees who were going to the USA. Two of them are heading to Ann Arbor next year (to go to that other school for research) and it was nice to get a chance to talk with them about Michigan. It seems weird that a year ago I was in their position, wondering about where to live and what to do and what life was going to be like. Sometimes this year feels like the blink of an eye and other times, when I think about how much I have learned and grown, it seems so much longer.

It was strange to say good-bye to the people who have been such huge parts of my life these last 10 months. While I know I have made some life-long friendships, I also know I will never see some of my fellow Fulbrighters again. It seems strange to me that we all go through this enormous, life-changing event together, and then just go our separate ways. I guess that is the way of things however, and I wish them nothing but the best and future happiness with wherever their path takes them. 

 Abby, me, and Brittany. This year was made infinitely better by these two amazing women

 Abby and I 

 Cruising by Parliament 

Amy and I 

 Parliament

 Inside of the boat

Erzsebet Bridge or Elizabeth Bridge 

Chain Bridge and Buda Castle 

All of the American grantees had to to "exit interviews" about their time in Hungary which prompted some reflection of my time here. One of the questions I was asked was "what are some of the advantages of living in a small town?" This is something I have thought about since last March when I found out I was placed in a small town. Originally, I hoped to be in a bigger city, ideally Budapest (because let's face it, it was about the only city in Hungary I knew about 15 months ago!), but I would have been satisfied with a different, larger city. I wanted the excitement, the difference, and the ease of transportation haha.  When I found out I would be in Bekes, I had mixed emotions. I knew what the advantages of small town could be, but I also knew there could be some big disadvantages. 

Throughout the year here, people often asked me "do you like living in such a small town?" and it turns out my answer was and will always be "yes." While living in a big city would have been exciting and new, small towns are what I know. Stevensville is not a bustling metropolis, so coming here felt a little bit like coming home. Another reason I have enjoyed my time here is because it is such a small community, (only about 18,000 people) I very quickly became a part of it. At first people knew me because I was "The American," but soon I became their teacher, their child's teacher, their coworker, their customer, and their friend. I genuinely like seeing my students, their parents,and my coworkers out and about in town (even if I can't really speak to the parents, or some of my coworkers, because of the language barrier). I will never forget the first time a student saw me across the street and waved and shouted hello. It took a couple months for them to feel comfortable enough to do that, but as soon as that happened, I knew I had made a place for myself. Now, even students who are not in my class wave and say hello and I love it. 

This year, and living in a small town, would have also been very different if not for the wonderful people I met. I am sure I would have met wonderful people in a city, but I couldn't imagine my year without these specific people in Bekes. My mentor teacher, Nora, and her family have truly been amazing. They instantly made me a part of their lives and mine has been forever enriched by the experiences I have had with them. From the big moments, like my birthday and Christmas, to the everyday moments of having dinner at their house or watching movies, to them going out of their way to drive me back and forth a million times to the train station, they have been responsible for some of my best memories. I also am so thankful to have met the other teachers at the school. They have gone above and beyond to help me professionally and have included me in their personal lives. From dinner invitations, to shopping trips, to invitations to traditional Hungarian Folk Dancing recitals, they included me in everything. I met adults, who started as private students wanting to improve their English, and turned into friends, and my neighbor who shares my love of Game of Thrones and we now have a standing Monday night GoT viewing and dinner.

So, yes, I have enjoyed living in a small town. While I am sure I would have enjoyed a larger city, I can't imagine this year without the complete cultural immersion I had. I pursued Fulbright because I wanted to experience living and teaching in and learning about a different culture and, while I always think there is more to learn about anything, I feel that living in small town really allowed me to do that.