Episode Details

If you never go you'll never know. 

The original plan was interrupted and changed as a result of Palli’s sudden visit. I dropped my plans to visit Berlin and some cities in Poland however it was well worth it. Even though he was no longer by my side, his kindness and sweetness would always stay in my heart. I was grateful to have met him on my journey.

It was definitely nice to get together with Palli however saying goodbye to him left me feeling sad and emotionally drained. I asked Rikke, my friend in Copenhagen, if I could stay with her one more night to recover my energy. I asked to cook for her to thank her for her kindness the other day too. Rikke was so sweet and prepared chicken and vegetables for both of us and I cooked beef dumplings that evening. We also watched a documentary about Peru, where I had visited that May, and shared some wine together. My soul really needed this space and time to recharge and recover. As I grew as a traveler, I learned to be independent but also knew when to depend on others too. 

I decided to take a cheap flight to Budapest the next day, so I could skip a day on the train. My host in Budapest was very nice and offered to pick me up at the airport. Though he charged a small fee (25 euros), I thought it was pretty fair. The host, Peter, lived a semi-retired life by trading in the morning and doing airbnb business on the side. In his free time, he was interested in energy healing work, so he also offered Reiki and massage to his friends. He also ran a tour business, so I was happy to support and I bought a tour bus ticket and also a ticket to the famous hot spring from him. After all, he gave me a private bedroom to stay in his beautiful apartment in downtown Budapest. That was very generous and sweet, and he also cooked breakfast for me the next morning. 

Budapest was big and extremely beautiful. It was right to get the bus ticket because I could navigate around the city quickly. When I’m traveling, I usually don’t really care too much about checking out the sights. I like to wander and absorb the energy of the city and love seeing where fate takes me. The food was also very inexpensive in Budapest and I especially enjoyed the pastries a lot.  I had a huge sweet bread roll called trdelnik for 3 euros and a croissant with pistachio paste for 2.5 euros. Trdelnik is very popular in different countries in Central Europe and the warmth, sugar and flavour are perfect on a cold winter day. 

I didn’t know if it was because I was alone or what, but time seemed really slow. I guess maybe I was still recovering after separating from Palli. In two days, I visited the most scenic spots in Budapest, went to the hill, went on a boat ride, and also visited the famous hot spring palace. Sometimes people say it must be lonely to travel by yourself, but for me, I quite enjoy my own company. I could still see my host and s