Good public parks and transit sounds like Taipei. I lived there for 13-plus years, and, at least in the neighborhoods I frequented, it never felt too unsafe after dark.
Though the trade-off for living in such a dense urban environment was that we had little living space, and it felt like our neighbors were pushed right up against us.
I don't miss hearing my back neighbor loudly clear his throat each morning in the bathroom.
Urban living has its charms, but I appreciate the wide open spaces of Texas too.
Wow! That's impressive! The east coast mountains must have been tough sledding!
My understanding is that Hungary is encouraging people to have children.
If the policies work, perhaps Taiwan will have to take some of them because the birth rate on the island is less than one! I hope it's not too late for Taiwan to turn it around.
It’s harder as you age, but not impossible. You just might need a few more repetitions before any given word or grammatical structure sticks in your memory.
You have never studied Hungarian. My family is Hungarian but we did not learn the language as kids. I lived in Hungary before the Wall came down and learned to speak Hungarian at an intermediate level, but it was very difficult. It is a Finno-Ugrian language, related only to the Finnish language. The entire grammatical structure is different and the letters don't sound the same. I grew up hearing Hungarian -- and I spoke German fluently at one point, spoke some French, and studied Russian -- but I neve came close to mastering it.
wow, sounds wonderful and I agree if you don't feel safe in public spaces it's a mental load and you do start to feel like a prisoner in your own home. Your day to day life there sounds very much like my growing up years in the American midwest of the 70s/80s :D
I love this so much 😭👏🏼 Budapest sounds idyllic. I've been bemoaning public spaces and playgrounds, and the general lack of a...welcoming vibe to young children, let's say, in shops, museums, restaurants, you name it. So happy for your family!
Your account reminds me of living in and sending our children to school in Italy’s Trentino in the 1990’s. Living in New Orleans has its upside but I am glad we didn’t have to raise our children here.
I love this! We are an aussie/american family who’ve lived in Aus, America, Italy, England, and are looking for our next adventure. Thanks for sharing!
Welcome to Budapest! This is absolutely a great place to raise kids, and for their part, the city provides quality playgrounds, facilities, and support for parents.
Word to the wise, though: don't be *too* vocal about support for Fidesz; many Hungarians in the capital are quite disillusioned with the ruling government, and many have good reasons to be. Of course, it'll depend on the circles you move in -- which district you live in, what schools you use, and what the family does for work -- but Hungarians can be a bit tetchy about politics. Mostly, they are tolerant if you mind your business and don't become confrontational on those kinds of matters.
They can be a bit downtrodden in some instances, but they are a good people. Strong, resilient, kind, and resourceful. This is no paradise, but it's heartening to hear a good review of the city, even so early on. It reminds me that coming here long ago was the right choice.
Oh, and keep up the Hungarian lessons, it can take a long while to get the language's pronunciation down, but the perks are worth it. Regular Hungarians really appreciate and show you respect for attempting to speak their language; they have no ego about it nor expect it from you at all times. They'll often compliment you and switch to English out of kindness, which can be quite heartwarming.
Plus, it's a beautiful language. You can really get creative with it. (:
Good public parks and transit sounds like Taipei. I lived there for 13-plus years, and, at least in the neighborhoods I frequented, it never felt too unsafe after dark.
Though the trade-off for living in such a dense urban environment was that we had little living space, and it felt like our neighbors were pushed right up against us.
I don't miss hearing my back neighbor loudly clear his throat each morning in the bathroom.
Urban living has its charms, but I appreciate the wide open spaces of Texas too.
I biked the perimeter of Taiwan once. Such a lovely place!
Wow! That's impressive! The east coast mountains must have been tough sledding!
My understanding is that Hungary is encouraging people to have children.
If the policies work, perhaps Taiwan will have to take some of them because the birth rate on the island is less than one! I hope it's not too late for Taiwan to turn it around.
I love these "American abroad" essays. Glad for you and your family, and looking forward to future updates. God bless!
Thanks, Juanes!
I’d love to move to Budapest but at 60 I wouldn’t have a prayer of learning Hungarian
It’s harder as you age, but not impossible. You just might need a few more repetitions before any given word or grammatical structure sticks in your memory.
You have never studied Hungarian. My family is Hungarian but we did not learn the language as kids. I lived in Hungary before the Wall came down and learned to speak Hungarian at an intermediate level, but it was very difficult. It is a Finno-Ugrian language, related only to the Finnish language. The entire grammatical structure is different and the letters don't sound the same. I grew up hearing Hungarian -- and I spoke German fluently at one point, spoke some French, and studied Russian -- but I neve came close to mastering it.
I forgot, Estonian is also related to Hungarian, I believe.
wow, sounds wonderful and I agree if you don't feel safe in public spaces it's a mental load and you do start to feel like a prisoner in your own home. Your day to day life there sounds very much like my growing up years in the American midwest of the 70s/80s :D
So she should expect Budapest to deteriorate in a few decades haha
I love this so much 😭👏🏼 Budapest sounds idyllic. I've been bemoaning public spaces and playgrounds, and the general lack of a...welcoming vibe to young children, let's say, in shops, museums, restaurants, you name it. So happy for your family!
💕 thank you!
Your account reminds me of living in and sending our children to school in Italy’s Trentino in the 1990’s. Living in New Orleans has its upside but I am glad we didn’t have to raise our children here.
Sounds lovely!
Seems amazing, and glad it's gone well so far. How are you doing with the Hungarian language?
Having a background in Chinese, I am simply imitating intonation as best I can. I start official classes this week. Watch this space 😂
Thanks for sharing this. We're coming to Budapest in November and I am really excited to explore the city with my husband and nine year old daughter!
I love this! We are an aussie/american family who’ve lived in Aus, America, Italy, England, and are looking for our next adventure. Thanks for sharing!
What a beautiful family, the photo on the bus holding the straps is priceless. If I had to do it all over again i would also move there.🥰
Really enjoyed this. Welcome to Europe…
Budapest sounds lovely…especially the public school Montessori. What a dream!
I was just in Budapest, where I was born and left over fifty years ago. Safe and clean, a bit gritty but charming. Great public transportation.
How the heck did you get out in the ‘70s?
Such fascinating insights, thanks for sharing Helen!
Welcome to Budapest! This is absolutely a great place to raise kids, and for their part, the city provides quality playgrounds, facilities, and support for parents.
Word to the wise, though: don't be *too* vocal about support for Fidesz; many Hungarians in the capital are quite disillusioned with the ruling government, and many have good reasons to be. Of course, it'll depend on the circles you move in -- which district you live in, what schools you use, and what the family does for work -- but Hungarians can be a bit tetchy about politics. Mostly, they are tolerant if you mind your business and don't become confrontational on those kinds of matters.
They can be a bit downtrodden in some instances, but they are a good people. Strong, resilient, kind, and resourceful. This is no paradise, but it's heartening to hear a good review of the city, even so early on. It reminds me that coming here long ago was the right choice.
Oh, and keep up the Hungarian lessons, it can take a long while to get the language's pronunciation down, but the perks are worth it. Regular Hungarians really appreciate and show you respect for attempting to speak their language; they have no ego about it nor expect it from you at all times. They'll often compliment you and switch to English out of kindness, which can be quite heartwarming.
Plus, it's a beautiful language. You can really get creative with it. (:
Üdvözöljük Budapesten!
Thank you for this. Growing up in American culture, sometimes I fall into the trap of thinking this is just the way things are and have to be.
And impossibly beautiful family. God bless to all of you!