It’s Getting Close…
I can’t believe in just over a week we will be boarding a plane to Hungary. Receiving the Fulbright was just the beginning, as there has been so much to organize as we prepare for this trip. Passports for the children, special consulate certificates to enter the country, getting visa requirements together, updating insurance information for overseas, medical checks, and so many more things than I can think of right now. And then there’s the packing, packing, packing!
There have been many ups and downs to this process, but I just have to remember that everything will work out. As of right now, we don’t yet have a place to live. But we won’t be homeless; there are always AirBnBs and hotels that we can stay in until we find something. We are unsure of travel restrictions because of Covid—Do we need negative tests? Are we okay with our vaccinations? What about the kids? Are certain types of masks required (in Germany you need to wear a FPP2 mask) for us or the kids? Will things close back down or stay open? Will we be able to travel between different countries?
The kids are beginning to get excited. Today they played “going to Hungary” where they made passports and birth certificates for their stuffed animals they are taking with them on the trip. They are picking out the toys they get to take with them; each child gets a gallon-sized baggie for toys. They also got little cameras so they can take pictures during the trip, and a travel journal to write down the new things they get to see and do. I hope they appreciate this opportunity they have, maybe not now, but perhaps when they get older. Living in a city will be very different than our typical day-to-day life in suburbia; the kids were surprised when I told them we would not have a car but would take the train or metro or bus where we need to go. How exciting! Buying groceries will be different too; we are used to going to Sam’s Club and WalMart and buying in bulk. Now we will walk to the small markets and only buy a little at a time. We are used to our big house with a basement and a backyard, but we will be living in a small flat. To get the kids prepared we told them it was like being in the condo in Florida but without the pool, and we have to stay quiet because people live all around us!
This process has been exciting, stressful, frustrating, and exhilarating, and we haven’t even made it to Hungary yet! I look forward to see what the next few months will bring.
