Over the past three weeks, I have had the pleasure of staying in both Budapest and Debrecen! The first week was well spent with family, including my little cousins, as well as exploring parts of Budapest! I especially made use of the nearby volleyball court where I made several Hungarian friends and gained valuable practice conversing in Hungarian. While this relaxed beginning was used well by spending quality time with family, the next two weeks of my study abroad were just as exciting.

While at the University of Debrecen, I was able to take a course on the History of Modern Hungary which was also supplemented with lectures on Hungarian poetry, art, and music. In this class, four other college graduates and I learned about Hungary from 1800 onwards. This included Hungary as part of the Dual Monarchy and it gaining its own independence. Seeing Hungary’s turbulent history and its struggle for its own state in Central Europe was incredibly fascinating. In the cultural component, I was exposed to several amazing poets and read some translations of Petőfi Sándor, Arany János, Radnóti Miklós, and many others. I enjoyed one of the poems so much that I began to memorize it, and I am thoroughly enjoying learning it. I also am now a big fan of Brahm’s 21 Hungarian Dances as well! The cherry on top was getting to visit Debrecen’s historic library of its Calvinist College and seeing several old books and paintings, as seen below.

All of my classmates hailed from different countries and their insights into their countries’ historiographies and how they saw Hungary was eye-opening. What I learned from my professor and my own classmates about our world, its history, and how other countries see it is something I could have never learned from an American classroom.

During this time, not only did I see my confidence and ability to speak Hungarian grow but I also came to understand the culture of the Hungarian people and how it was shaped by centuries of struggle and influences from surrounding countries. These insights make me even more excited to be a part of the University of Pittsburgh’s Hungarian program. I look forward to sharing the experience and knowledge I have gained from this experience with my classmates and all others interested and eventually moving back to this beautiful country. Below are some pictures of the sights of Debrecen. Looking forward to another great year at the University of Pittsburgh and am forever grateful to have had this opportunity in Hungary!