43 Days Home

We have been home over a month now and - as life's pace of choice tends to be - things have been busy.

October 5, 2018

The boys were FANTASTIC on our flights home. I, however, had a slight meltdown on the final leg. 

Our flights were planned as follows - Budapest to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Chicago, Chicago to Fargo

We ended up flying - Budapest to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Chicago, Chicago to Minneapolis, Minneapolis to Fargo 

Chicago O'Hare has to be one of the worst for arriving internationally. Everyone who arrives to the international terminal and then transfers to fly domestically has to leave the terminal, catch a bus, and then reenter the airport - complete with all the lines, screenings, and security checks. Clearly I was exhausted and not having the best attitude for this part of our trek. 

On our final flight from Chicago to Fargo, we had to make an unexpected stop in Minneapolis. Our plane's autopilot had stopped working. Our actual pilot was phenomenal however, and kept us calm, very informed, and had us back in the air in less than an hour after everything was fixed.

My sister and 2 of her kiddos gave us an extra warm welcome! Thank you, Becky, for doing our laundry, cooking meals for us, and letting us sleep in that first day back.

October 10, 2018

We had our first snow the same day Hurricane Michael wrecked my hometown - Port St. Joe and Mexico Beach, Florida.

I took the boys to story time at the library, Tomas for the first time. Meanwhile, my parents, Granny, Aunt Ann, and many friends and acquaintances experienced a life changing disaster. 

Pictures from my parents' neighborhood, taken a few days after the hurricane. My parents evacuated and many roads were destroyed by the storm, so it took a few days for them to be able to return home.

The scene from my parents' deck

Their nearest gas station

The back of their neighborhood

The front of their neighborhood

It has been heartbreaking, and we are so thankful for the many who have volunteered time and resources to help my hometown.

So many organizations from all over the US sent search and rescue teams, policemen, fire trucks, electric companies, and volunteers to hand out free meals and needed items. This is encouraging to see. Please know those in my hometown are so grateful. 

Writing this, even a month after the fact, there is still a lot of work to be done. Please continue to keep them in your prayers.

Our Final Week in Hungary

Thursday, October 4

I'm calling this our flex day. We booked our flights for Friday just in case we needed this extra day, just in case things did not go as smoothly as they did. Thankfully, everything went according to plan and this was our extra day in Budapest.

I am also calling this my selfie day. Angel had to work, the boys needed to rest - both from our outings yesterday and in preparation for our long day of travel tomorrow - so I went sightseeing and souvenir shopping on my own.

In the morning, I went to the Dohany Street Synagogue.

After having lunch in the apartment with the boys and getting the little ones down for a nap, I went back to Vaci Street for some final souvenirs, walked across the Chain Bridge, and headed to the Buda side of the city to say my final farewell to Hungary.

Tomorrow we head home!

Wednesday, October 3

We walked to the nearest entrance for the Budapest Metro and bought a daily travel ticket for Angel and me (the boys ride for free). For around $6 a ticket, we have full access to the metro, bus, and tram systems for 24 hours. 

We book the boys to the Hungarian National Museum before heading over to the embassy to pick up the final paperwork needed to come home.

After our appointment (everything was in order), we walked to the Hungarian State Opera House. It is currently being renovated and the only way to see inside is either attend a performance or book a tour. We decided it would probably be a bit much for the boys, but still managed to see the entry way and listen to a few pieces being performed for the current tour - stunning!

We then took to the metro to the Heroes' Square where we walked around a bit before heading back to the apartment.

Budapest is an incredible city. Of all the cities I have visited it's definitely one of my favorites - affordable, easy to navigate (most people speak English), friendly, and absolutely beautiful.

Tuesday, October 2

While Angel worked, our trusty guide, Adam, took me to pick up Tomas's Hungarian passport. Adam then returned later in the afternoon to take us all to the U.S. embassy for our appointment. Everything in order, we headed back to our apartment for Angel to teach while I took the boys to the mall.

Tomorrow we will return to the embassy for Tomas's US passport, visa, and entry packet.

Our boys gave Adam a final farewell, as did we. We are very grateful for all the help and guidance he offered.

Monday, October 1

The day we had waited for, the day we were counting down to, the day! And, boy, was it was a whirlwind.

We left our townhouse at 7:45 AM and headed back to good 'ol Kaposvar to finalize everything. First, the decision at the court house followed by receiving his new Hungarian birth certificate and on to applying for his Hungarian passport. Everything went well and by the afternoon we were heading to Budapest.

I only managed to snap 2 pictures today (Again: It was a whirlwind!)

One in the McDonald's where the boys ate and played while we waited for the Hungarian birth certificate to be ready. I wanted to show my sister what written Hungarian looked like. 

And the other from dinner that night. Angel taught while I took the boys out for the evening in Budapest.

Tomorrow we will pick up his new Hungarian passport here in Budapest and go to the U.S. embassy with paperwork in hand for his visa.


Saturday, September 29 
Sunday, September 30

Our final weekend in Balatonfenyves (and in Hungary for that matter) was spent doing laundry, packing, and preparing to leave. We stayed around the house. The boys played outside, and Angel worked in his little office out front. 

On Saturday night, we made the bonfire with the boys and ate hotdogs. Our final night (Sunday) we celebrated at a local restaurant with bowls of delicious goulash.

Update on the Past Week

Friday, September 28

Today we went to Budapest. We loaded the van bright and early for the 2 hour ride. Tom had a doctor's appointment for his visa requirements. It went very smoothly, all is in order, and the packet is ready for our embassy appointment on Tuesday.

After business was taken care of, we had a free afternoon to enjoy the sights.

We walked down Vaci Street, ate lunch, and made our way to St. Stephen's Basilica. 

Similar to our hometown of Fargo-Moorhead, which has 2 cities (and states) divided by the Red River, Budapest also is 2 cities divided by the Danube River, Buda on one side, Pest on the other. While Tom's doctor's appointment this morning was in Buda, we spent the afternoon walking around in Pest. 

We made our way to the Hungarian Parliament Building (which helps me remember Parliament Building is in Pest). It was closed. We will have to return next week when we finalize everything because there just is not enough time to do it all anyways.

(The sun was bright in their eyes)

We walked back to our meeting point along the Danube River, walking under - what I now call - The Bridge Will Smith Danced On. (I wanted to bust out a "Keke, do you love me?" but I managed to hold it together.)

We also walked by the Shoes on the Danube Bank. I had read about this site in a tourist book, but never imagined it would touch me so much. The shoes are incredibly life-like. It is very moving to see and imagine what tragedy happened on these very banks.

We then met our faithful driver at the meeting spot and headed back to Balatonfeyves.

Thursday, September 27 
Wednesday, September 26

The boys and I played all morning and afternoon so that Angel could work. We made forts, blew bubbles, played with balloons, ran around outside, and did sidewalk chalk. Since we took 2 morning trips on Monday and Tuesday and will travel to Budapest on Friday, the boys and I enjoyed a slower pace these 2 days.

Tuesday, September 25

Today we rode the train (about 1 hour) to Siofok, the largest town on Lake Balaton. We walked around for an hour or 2 and went up the city tower to enjoy the beautiful views.

Monday, September 24

The train ride to Fonyod was about 8 minutes. We walked around and the boys played on the playground. The wind was intense. We saw several people wind surfing. It was a quick morning trip over and back to get us out of the house for a bit.

There and Back Again...(A Carrete's Tale)

Sunday, September 23

The change in seasons is noticeable. Not only has the temperature dropped quite a bit, but the town has also grown quiet. When we first arrived on September 3, the houses to our left and right were bustling with visitors. To our right, a German family, then a group of Hungarian ladies enjoyed a week's vacation. On our left, a mother and daughter enjoyed a weekend trip followed by a couple who did a lot of biking. The buildings around us are now empty, even on the weekends.

The kind lady from the visitor center had suggested taking the Balatonfeyves GV train not really to go anywhere but to just enjoy the ride. This was our Sunday morning adventure.

The train snaked quietly and slowly through the countryside. We saw deer, horses, and different types of birds. It connects our town to several smaller villages, about 10 riders hopped on and off during the trip. We rode the train there (to the end of the line) and back again. It was very peaceful.

Walking back we found a new playground for the boys to enjoy.

A quick update on Addy - She is doing well. We talk to her daily and miss her dearly. Next weekend my sister, along with 2 of her children, will take over the care duties since my mom and grandmother have to return to Florida on October 1. Addy is adjusting to school and has even made a good friend whom she mentions often. Our family feels so incomplete without her. We miss her dearly and look forward to being reunited in less than 2 weeks!

The Train to Keszthely

Friday, September 21

With our map of Lake Balaton, too few Hungarian phrases, and plenty of snacks, we headed to the train station. Our small town of Balatonfenyves has a population of less than 2,000 so, naturally, the station had very little activity when we arrived. We thought it was closed.

After checking several buildings, walking around the tracks, and checking train times, we decided to walk across the street to the tourist information center for some help.

A very kind lady, who spoke English 😊, seemed very surprised when we told her the ticket booth was closed. She offered to help us. She brought out her keys, locked the tourist center, walked with us across the street to the train station, showed us to the ticket booth (which was in fact, open), showed us the sign (they are open every day from 3AM to 11PM), then helped us buy our tickets. Talk about going above and beyond! This was especially helpful because at one of the stops on the way to Keszthely, the train separates - the front several cars go to one city, and the back 2 (where we needed to be) would head on to Keszthely. Without this kind lady, there is no way we would have understood what we needed to do. It worked out wonderfully.

We do not know if Tomas has ever been on a train, but by the level of his excitement I would guess he probably has not.

Both Tomas and Caleb are great travelers. This being our first real outing with the boys by ourselves, I was a bit nervous. By the end of the day I was convinced they needed this adventure as much as we did. Everything went so well.

While the slow pace of our little village is nice. We really enjoyed the life in this bigger town. While walking to the city center, we stopped by a bakery.

Two of the eight persons in line offered to help us order. One lady translated all of the items for us and invited us to an English group they have in the city. She told us there are quite a few British retirees who now live in Keszthely and was very interested in why we were in the area. Another kind individual who crossed our path.

We walked through the beautiful main street passing many shops and restaurants. There was a concert and many bikers, so much activity.

We arrived at the breath-taking Festetics Palace. We walked through the beautiful gardens, visited the bird habitat, toured the inside of the palace, and visited the carriage museum.

After a good meal, we headed back. Caleb even told Angel, "That was fun. We should do it again." 

A successful - and much needed - Friday Adventure!

Saturday, September 22

Today we are recovering. The weather has changed. This morning was very windy (reminded me of tropical storm type gusts) and the temperature has dropped quite a bit.

The boys took a long nap this afternoon and are playing "stick fight" in the yard with Angel. We are about to walk for some langos and to the store to buy milk.

We have plans to make a bonfire in the evening.

Since most shops and activities are closed on Sunday we are planning to take a nature train ride tomorrow morning. Hopefully it will be just as successful as our Keszthely Adventure. 😊

Update: While walking to our evening activities, we saw this tree. The winds did do some damage.

The langos were delicious! Again, Angel's German has come in very handy.

The bonfire - more like bonitofire - was enjoyed only by the parental unit. We started it a bit too late for the boys, maybe another night.