Nesting-Coming Home After Being Away

Hello friend,

I am finally back after 2 weeks in Vienna and Budapest.  Back to my comfy bed with pillows that work for me.  Back to my own coffee, which I don’t have to pay for.  Back to eating right, with more vegetables and less sugar.  I love coming home to my little nest in Candler Park.  This feeling of Home is personal; it feels comfortable, safe, welcoming, and like nowhere else in the world.

A sweet little statue in Budapest.

Highlights:

This trip was very special with our travel buddies: Nick and Gail and this year we also took Nick’s mom, Barbara with us.  These cities are not usually on the list that I typically hear from friends and clients, so I thought I would share some personal highlights with you.  

The Golden Hall, where we saw a classical concert.

Vienna: This beautiful city is clean, efficient, and easy to get around.  People speak German, but almost everyone is proficient in English.  They also had no issues with speaking English with us-no apologies, just friendly and open.  It is quiet (every vehicle seems electric), and the public transportation is easy and based on the honor system, where you buy a ticket, so it is quite efficient.  The architecture is gorgeous, with statues, gold leaf, pastel colors, and a sense of freshness, even though it’s been around for a while!  A long history that includes Beethoven, Mozart, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Bach, and so many more composers.  The music and opera scene is probably the best in the world.  I have not been to many of these productions, but I just cannot imagine anything better than what we experienced in Vienna. I have a new appreciation for the music culture, and I am grateful for that.

The rainbow over Budapest with Gail, Nick, Ed and I.

Budapest: This city is right on the Danube River, with Buda on one side and Pest on the other.  We stayed in Buda, and it was happening!  A younger, grittier vibe, the people felt strong and independent.  Still quite friendly, not quite as proficient in English (the Hungarian alphabet has 44 letters and is considered one of the most difficult to learn).  What stuck with me is everything that this country has been through-being on the losing side of WW1, WW2, the Iron Curtain with the Soviet oppression, and then Viktor Orban.  There are still many grandparents who remember the Soviets, so when Orban came in promising to make Hungary great again, they believed him.  It felt very familiar.  Now he is out, and the people in Budapest are reckoning what that means.  By the way, all of this information is based on a few conversations that I had with servers, shopkeepers, and our bike tour guide, so I am far from an expert, but the history resonated with me.  

Sunset on the Danube.

My most special moments however, were each night when we celebrated the sunset over the Danube. Such peace and beauty.    One night we went on  on a scenic river boat cruise in the rain, and we were blessed with double rainbow over the river!  Mind blowing beauty, and then the most beautiful sunset over the bridges and specially lit buildings including the Parliament building that line the banks of the Danube.  

Nick and his mom, Barbara in Vienna.

On growing older:

Nick’s mom, Barbara, is turning 80 next month.  She has given me inspiration on how to get older.  Each day, she easily kept up with us, and we walked over 10 miles!  Unbelievable, and she did not seem to even be bothered with her knees or feet (I confess that I felt it!). She also saw every site, every building, every statue with a “beginner’s mind”.  She was in awe, and the beauty never escaped her.  I want to be this way now and in 20 years.

A picture at my house and some of the containers I am working on.

Home: 

Now that I am home, what’s next?  I want to putter and do the little things that I cannot do on vacation-weed the garden, clean the porch, repaint a couple of things that look tired (maybe with some inspo from Vienna!), read in my comfy sofa, eat at my farm table that we have had since the kids were little, even rearrange some art!  And I want to appreciate the fact that I am able to do these things and then sleep in my comfy bed and wake up and do it again!  Sounds so simple, but truth be told, the little things that we do at home, we cannot really do anywhere else, and I need to remember that.  My family and friends are here, and I cannot see them when I am away. We do not have any more big trips planned this year, so when I begin to feel the itch again, I will also read this post.  Hopefully, it will remind me to enjoy these moments and appreciate this place called Home.  I wish that for you, as well,  as you return from your summer travels.  Let me know where you went when you return, because I WANT to hear about it!  I want your highlights. If you want to share, please do!  stephanie@balancedesignatlanta.com.

Another spot in my home that I am looking forward to relaxing in this summer.

Until next week, when I am fully recovered from jet lag,

Stephanie