Author: Sue
I am an English Ex-Pat living in Hungary with my wonderful husband and 19 year old son. You can find me frequently writing, reading and taking photographs. We live in a beautiful small rural village surrounded by forests and lakes always appreciating the beauty around us. Life is good.
Many people have asked us this question, sometimes in awe that we were actually moving abroad but sometimes because we had not chosen the usual popular Spanish destinations that most English Expats retire to.
Boasting epic castles, volcanic mountains, spectacular lakes and fragrant lavender fields, Hungary’s enthralling landscape is straight out of a fairy tale. Amid picture-perfect scenery, you’ll find plenty to do that exhilarates and rejuvenates in equal measure, from unwinding in thermal spas to sipping the wine region’s fiery reds, travelling back in time at romantic ruins, or trying water sports on the lake.
I read this description of Hungary recently and absolutely agree with all these points but there are so many other reasons to love and live in Hungary.
My husband and I were fortunate enough to be able to leave England before retirement age, have sufficient financial stability and also a sense of excitement to embark on a new adventure. We also agreed that if we did not move when we did, we never would. Many people have dreams but not many people are brave enough to carry them out.
We did extensive homework, researching different countries, exploring what would work for us. Everyone has different needs and expectations and it took us quite a while to agree on what we both wanted. Our research was around Montenegro, Bulgaria and then finally Hungary. We focused on European countries mainly because residency would be easy and travelling backwards and forwards to England to see family would not be a mammoth task.
We both agreed we wanted to live in the countryside, although I took a bit of persuading as I had always been a ‘city’ girl and never experienced the rural life. Eric visited Hungary many times on viewing trips to get an idea of which part of Hungary would be best for us, I visited too but later when we had finally decided on which area.
The deciding factors that confirmed Hungary was ideal for us are listed below:
- The incredibly low cost of living compared to England. Our pound goes much further here.
- Crime appears to be non-existence in rural areas, although pickpockets in Budapest are a problem.
- Health care and dentistry are excellent as we have both discovered from first hand experience.
- The climate is extremely favourable with definite seasons throughout the year. Amazingly hot summers and cold snowy winters.
- There is an Expat community in Hungary which was and still is invaluable. We have made many good friends and exchanged tips and advice about all things Hungarian.
We obviously came across stumbling blocks along the way but have managed to adapt to our new lifestyle easily. A few issues we encountered and resolved are as follows:
- Leaving family in England was hard but with the help of WhatsApp, Facetime and Social Media we can stay in regular contact.
- The Hungarian language is notoriously difficult to learn but with the help of Duolingo, Mondly and Google Translate we manage quite well. Practice, Practice is the key.
- Transferring money from England initially was expensive until we discovered a cheaper alternative, Wise.com is a good online option or currency exchange bureaus offer good rates too.
- Hungary likes paperwork and every procedure requires mountains of form filling (residency, driving licence, healthcare etc). It is wise to enlist the help of a translator (which we did) to help with this.
- Foods are different here, but we like that, some may not and the adjustment can be hard. If you are really missing ‘home’ foods you can buy most things online (The British Pantry) or get your visitors to bring them over for you from England.
In conclusion, we are extremely happy we chose Hungary to spend our retirement years. Friends visit us and agree we have made the right decision and love where we live. Added to that the food and wine are good, the farmer’s markets are awesome, the weather is glorious, the heritage and culture are fascinating and life here is certainly a lot slower than living in busy, always raining England!
Are you an Expat living in a different country? How did you decide where you wanted to live? I would love to read your comments.
Categories
Daily Prompt – Music
Thanks to Krista Stevens for this Challenge👍
“Music is like a dream. One that I cannot hear.”
Ludwig van Beethoven
“My creativity is my power.”
Sally Currie performing as The Dyr Sister
The two quotes above relate to the post you are now about to read. Let me explain a little.
I have four children, the eldest two are still living in England. Sally the eldest is hearing impaired and has been from birth and wears hearing aids in both ears. From an early age she received regular speech therapy as she suffers from high tone deafness, meaning she cannot hear the beginnings and ends of words. I refuse to refer to her as disabled as in my eyes she is not.
By the age of seven and in mainstream education she showed a desire to take music lessons, she auditioned to play the violin and was accepted, much to my surprise. Fast forward through her school years and she diligently studied and passed every single level of music exam available. By then she had moved onto her beloved viola. She joined our hometown Philharmonic Orchestra and travelled with the Youth Orchestra abroad.
Music is her life but she was sensible enough to realise that she needed a career to run alongside her musical interests. She trained hard for seven years and qualified as an accountant which is now her current ‘day’ job. She has always been ambitious and creative but knows that musicians have to work very hard to make a decent living.
Just recently two other talented musicians have joined her and have formed a band. Sally is always composing, writing, singing and performing live concerts usually playing a variety of instruments. She has recently won a commission to write music for a video, has played on the radio and has made several albums. She refers to herself as a contemporary folk artist and I have seen her perform many times. I am super proud of her (as any mother would be) and just like Beethoven, hearing impairment has never held her back in any area of her life.
If you are interested to find out more about her then I have added links below.
The Dyr Sister website https://www.thedyrsister.com/live-videos
This is a link to a little taster of The Dyr Sister music on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheDyrSister/videos/603708000384201/
The Dyr Sister interview http://www.soundspheremag.com/spotlight/artist-spotlight-the-dyr-sister/
Sally has come along way and her loss of hearing has for some reason been an asset to her and has never held her back. She will go far whatever she does in her musical future.
I saw my first Spring storks today!
The first year we arrived in Hungary I had no idea that storks also inhabited this country…I had never actually seen one before, so was pleasantly surprised to see them. They arrive in Hungary mid April and stay for the duration of the summer before leaving again in September. Storks, I have discovered are incredibly common in central Europe and are highly symbolic to the Hungarians. Storks represent fertility, purity, and the beginning of springtime. Hungarians believe that if a stork nests on their house it will bring good luck and fortune.
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked, black and white wading birds with long stout bills. Groups of storks are referred to as musters and the Hungarian name for stork is gólyák. It is a wonderful sight to watch them fly with outstretched wings with a slow but regular rhythm. They return to their regular nesting places, usually chimney pots, lamp-posts or telegraph poles in rural parts of Hungary. Their nests are large and prominent and you can see them preening their nests, replenishing the shell with small sticks and straw in preparation for raising their family. Storks are known for living quite amicably with local people and are a common sight in the villages.
Most people have heard of the myth about storks and delivering babies. I was unaware this was used as a clever way to obscure the realities of sex education and childbirth in Victorian England. This story became especially valuable and useful for Victorians who were too embarrassed to explain the facts of life to their children. The 19th Century made this myth even more popular by the writer Hans Christian Andersen and his fairy tale called “The Storks.” In his story, storks pluck dreaming babies from ponds and lakes and deliver them to deserving families. We have come a long way in developing our sex education today!
I have never taken much interest in birds before but since living in Hungary they have suddenly intrigued me. The huge variety of birds living here is truly captivating. I have started observing their habits and behaviours, listening intently to their birdsong and Google searching species I don’t recognise. Perhaps I am becoming a birdwatcher!
Are you interested in birds, do you have storks on your doorstep (or chimney pot)? I would love to know which countries accommodate them.
Categories
Daily prompt: NEW versions of ME!
Thanks to Ben Huberman for this challenge👍
5 changes in my life that resulted in a better, healthier, more fulfilled new me.
This is an interesting challenge for me as so much has changed in a short period of time. Ultimately all these changes have been for the better, although at the time I maybe did not think so.
Ciggies and Alcohol 
Wet England 
Vodka and Coke
ENGLAND the old
I was born and raised in England, known for its dreary unpredictable weather. Life was dull by the time my husband and I had reached middle-age, we wanted to move somewhere new.
HUNGARY the new
Hungary in Central Europe gave us all the opportunities we were looking for. Cheaper cost of living, a peaceful rural setting, wonderful seasonal weather and the opportunity to own our first dog.
ALCOHOL AND ME
This is a tough one for me to talk about as I am ashamed that I let myself become alcohol dependent, drinking all day and behaving like a functional alcoholic. I particularly liked vodka, loved the feelings it gave me and used it as a social tool to have fun. Little did I know what damage it was doing to me. I ignored the signs and just carried on. Everything massively changed when we made the move to Hungary.
CIGARETTES then
We both smoked hundreds of cigarettes in England, it was our way of relaxing and socialising with others. I was a much heavier smoker than my husband, easily 20 a day, sometimes chain smoking when I was stressed. Our home smelt of stale cigarettes all the time, there were tab ends everywhere and I didn’t realise what a disgusting waste of money habit it was until we totted up how much money we had inhaled and burnt! We also had a good discussion about the obvious health implications. Time to think about quitting.
SPEAKING English
Me, I was English speaking and nothing else, my husband on the other hand speaks 9, yes 9 languages fluently!! He is from Lebanon and already he had a head start as they learn and speak 3 different languages from birth. I was in awe of him sometimes and wished that I could be proficient in just one other language! I suppose he must have an excellent memory. I have tried to learn Spanish in the past but failed miserably and lost interest as I was not very motivated. Things changed dramatically when we made the move to Hungary.
NO TIME to write
I have always loved to write, but seemed to have no time to sit and write anything constructive. Over the years I have only managed to write journals and diaries. I had no ‘me’ time, or should I say I did not create any ‘me’ time because I was too busy drinking alcohol and socialising! One of my journals details a very happy period in my life, when I first met my husband and had always dreamt of writing it into a memoir. They stayed unrealistic dreams in England until we moved and became expats in Hungary.
ALCOHOL-FREE ME
On the 1st May 2019 I gave up drinking alcohol, but by the 23rd May I became very ill and was rushed to hospital suffering with Pancreatitis and blood poisoning. I had withdrawn very badly and nearly died! Thankfully the Hungarian health care was superb and I am here today to tell you that my NEW life without alcohol (nearly 1 year) is amazing! I shall be celebrating on 1st May 2020 my first year of sobriety.
VAPING now
A change of environment, a new country and new house rules. I choose to use an E-cigarette to help me quit, my husband said he could do it on his own but sadly was unsuccessful. Our new home in Hungary was completely renovated with brand new nicotine free furniture and appliances, my new rule was if you want to smoke, do it outside (which he does). I LOVE the new smoke free me, no smelly breath, smelly clothes or stinking hair, no nicotine stained teeth or fingers. Now my goal is to quit the e-cig… but all in good time.
SPEAKING Magyar
What do you do when you move to a new country with one of the hardest languages to learn and understand? Well, you get stuck in and LEARN it like I did. We had moved to a small rural village with no English speakers and had to learn Hungarian to get by, basic stuff at first, like supermarket shopping, paying bills, asking directions, numbers etc. It helped tremendously talking with the locals although they talked very fast sometimes. We use Google Translate and I am learning through apps on my phone, I am slowly getting better.
TIME to write
I am truly happy to say that one of my goals I set out for myself is coming true. I now have an up and running blog (you are reading it now) and I am halfway through my memoir I dreamt about penning. I have joined online courses about writing, conferences about blogging and really got my brain working again. I set aside time everyday to write whatever I feel like writing. It has become an addiction that is not health threatening and it makes me feel good about myself which I have not done for many years.
Village life in Hungary 
Journalling 
Black-Eyed Susan
Hanging Basket
So there you have it 5 changes I made that have proved to be rewarding, healthy and very fulfilling. To add to this we have saved a good deal of money, drinking alcohol was expensive, we can now spend the money saved on our new home and garden or whatever takes our fancy.
Thank you for reading, you are very welcome to make comments, I really do appreciate them. Have you made any new changes during your life and how have they helped you?
My morning routine has not changed since becoming an expat, I still do the same 5 things every morning. This routine is for me and personal to my circumstances and works like a dream. I am not the sort of person who can jump out of bed first light and do strenuous exercise, quite the opposite, I NEED half an hour to wake up, time to gently ease me into my day.
1. Check my sleep, social media, news
I permanently wear a Michael Kors Women’s Activity Tracker, a gift from my dear husband. I have had it for a few years and use it to track my sleep and my activity. It’s very simple and easy to use (perfect for a non-tech person like me) and syncs with my phone perfectly. So, my first job on awakening is to check how much sleep I have had (hopefully more than 8 hours) and to see how much is light and how much is deep sleeping. I am super lucky that most nights I get over 8 hours. We all know how important it is to get enough sleep. It keeps our heart and blood vessels healthy and plays a vital role in our body’s ability to heal and repair the blood vessels to our heart. So I am off to a good start where sleep is concerned.
Whilst gradually waking up, it’s a good time to check everything internet related including the current news, first in Hungary, and then the UK.
2. Drink water, take multivitamins
I drink water first thing in the morning, first because I am thirsty and second because I know it’s good for me. Drinking water first thing in the morning immediately helps rehydrate my body. The 8 hours of sleep I have had is a long period to go without any water. Drinking water quickly rehydrates me and sets me up for the day. It also gives me glowing skin, even at my age, as water removes the toxins from the blood! I need every help I can get! With my water, I take a daily dose of multivitamins. I have recently had surgery and they are definitely helping me to get back on the mend.
3. Get up, let the dog out
By now I feel refreshed and ready to get up and about. My first priority is to let our dog out of her kennel. Haley is an outdoor dog and a husky with a ton of energy, she puts me to shame, I wish I had that much get up and go! She loves to charge around our ample garden first thing in the morning, patrolling our perimeter fence, sniffing interesting spots along the way.
4. Breakfast and a cup of tea
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Probably the most appealing benefit is that breakfast jump starts my metabolism and gets me off to a good start. I enjoy breakfast but boringly have the same thing every day. Toast with Flora and soft cheese, occasionally I vary this with locally produced honey. This is my choice of breakfast and I am happy with it. My husband and son regularly have bacon and eggs to start their day. Everyone is different. I enjoy a nice cup of tea (the only one I have during the day) and follow the traditional Middle Eastern way of making it. I add a piece of cinnamon bark and cloves to my tea, I don’t add milk. This gives me a delicious aromatic hot drink. I certainly like the caffeine in tea, I can feel myself getting “pepped” up shortly after I have drank it!
5. Plan my day
Finally, and this is still before 9.00 am I make a mental list of the jobs I need to do (daily, domestic housekeeping jobs) and the jobs I want to do (me things). I keep a journal, I take photographs, I blog, I write (my memoirs), I do gardening, I walk. My husband and I talk over breakfast and he will tell me what his plans are for the day, sometimes we do stuff together other times we do our own thing. At the end of the day we sit down together and chat about what we have achieved (or not) on our lists we had made in the morning. I get a certain satisfaction in achieving my goals. I am an organised sort of person, love lists and get a bit frustrated when others around me don’t follow any sort of routine. But hey, that’s life isn’t it?
There you have it, my morning routine, it works for me and I think others will have similar early morning habits. Or maybe you are an energetic sort of person and exercise first thing, or take a cold shower, or even write a gratitude log? Whatever works for you, I would love to hear your thoughts and the 5 most important things you do in the morning.
Making Hungary Home 