ms pattigrew leaves for a day

i have been meaning to write this post for at least a week, but life has been quite busy, filled with events, and i never got around doing it earlier. so a couple of weeks ago i hopped on the train, and i was off, on my way to visit the bright lights and the big city.
it was my first time back in budapest since moving home in early september. i had been excited to see my friends and roam the streets, breath some city air and maybe take some photos of the bright lights. and i did. and it was fun, especially going back to my old dorm, hanging out with my mates, having a fun night in, just like in the good old days.

but you know what i also realized? that i did not miss it - the whole bright lights/big city thing - at all. sure, it is fun, going back and visiting every once in a while, seeing friends and enjoying each other's company. but all that smoke, the noise, the dirt, the crowds, the rushing, the never ending daily commute by public transport, the not having time to do the things i love because i am in this stupid race of trying to get ahead - these, i don't miss at all. i also realized that i am, indeed, happy were i am right now - close to my family, living at home, living in a smaller city (town?) where it's so much faster (and shorter) to get around.

only now am i really realizing how much time, what an enormous part of my day the daily commuting ate up. how much time i have now for all the things i enjoy doing so much but had to abandon due to lack of time, especially reading, blogging, scribbling away, taking photos, baking, doing diy projects, crafting, knitting, and i could go on with the endless list. i am happy to be living a slower, more laid-back life, with plenty of time to relax and enjoy my hobbies, visiting my various family members regularly, and having (an almost full-time) regular job. even if i had the choice, i would not abandon all that i have right now and go back and do the whole big city rush thing. i am not saying i never want to go back (in fact, in the long run i see myself living in budapest, but i highly doubt it will happen in the next ten years. i only hope that my friends still be my friends then, and i'll still have people to hang out with in the city.), but i wouldn't go back now. i am loving it here too much to give it up just yet.

anyhow, here are some of the photos i took and the things i did over the weekend in the city.

* going to starbucks and having a festive cup of gingerbread latte * visiting red bus, my favorite second hand book store * a trip to ikea on a saturday afternoon and surviving the endless crowd of families with toddlers * becoming obsessed with foamed milk and thus buying a milk foamer*  visiting friends at my old dorm and hanging out * drinking the first mulled wine of the season * ordering the best pizza in the city and stuffing our faces with it * painting our nails golden * taking a couple of (real) polaroid photos and realizing that the experience is still priceless * finally paying a visit to kerepesi cemetery and seeing it in all its autumn beauty (why is it that most of the people freak out and find it utterly weird when you tell them that you went to the cemtery just for a casual walk?) * returning home and realizing that it is, indeed, the sweetest of all places.