Debrecen, Hungary – Home For Far Longer Than Expected

I never expected to stay more than a couple days in Debrecen. In the end, thanks to my camera drama, I stayed for about four weeks.

I am very lucky to have an amazing friend in Debrecen attending medical school there. I met Sahaja at Ohio State many years ago and our paths keep on crossing. I first came to Hungary in 2006 and we met up then in Budapest. Then in 2009 she worked in Madrid while I was attending business school. I stayed with her incredible aunt in Hyderabad, India. And now I was in Debrecen.

Unfortunately, Sahaja was in the U.S. while I was in Debrecen, but even at such a distance she knew how to make me feel at home. Her apartment was right in the center and I really liked her place.

Due to the camera drama, I always thought a resolution was just around the corner and that I’d leave shortly. It made for a strange dynamic, constantly preparing to move on while always encountering setbacks.

While in Debrecen I thought a lot about how my life would change when the Happy Nomad Tour comes to an end or goes on hiatus. I never fail to have things to work on and my month in Debrecen led to my speec at TEDxYerevan in Armenia. I think I used the time well to catch up on many things on my to do list that would never have been taken care of. I also worked on my business website and updated my personal website.

Still, it took a lot of energy to keep me focused and keep up my morale. As I travel I’m constantly inspired by all the things I experience and learn. I’m constantly meeting new people. When you become stationary, that inspiration, learning, and meeting of new people becomes harder and you have to be more intentional to achieve the same result. Still, when stationary I suppose being able to celebrate your birthday with someone else doesn’t come as an unexpectedly positive surprise.

I met some people in Debrecen through Couchsurfing, but not too many. I think it was the perfect time to rest and reflect upon returning to a normal life, refreshing my memory of how much harder it’ll be to maintain my level of happiness while proving that it’s not impossible with some effort.