Live like a local and get off the tourist path
If I could, I would split my time between countries, my home with my family and my ancestral home with my culture. Earlier this year, I spent five fantastic weeks living like a local. I had the tremendous opportunity to be a digital nomad and simultaneously combined work and family matters. A great plan, excellent collaboration and complete trust from my employer meant that I could log in a work from the opposite side of the globe without having to dip into my precious annual leave.
And I thrived. Admittedly, I missed my family, but the opportunity to submerge myself and live like a local had me explore streets and neighbourhoods off the beaten tourist path. I never knew that grabbing my coffee at the local Starbucks, jumping on a tram and watching the city’s inhabitants on their way to work would allow me to experience the joy of people-watching.
The public transport system in downtown Budapest is, if not the best in Europe and one of the best ways to commute. Always on time and interconnected, one travels from one side of the city to the other in under 30 minutes. When the sun didn’t set until way after 9 pm, clocking off at 4 pm allowed me to hit the pavement, photograph the amazing 200-year-old entranceways and jump into that underground tavern for a spot of the best home cooking where eating with my fingers was off the menu.
I discovered nouveau designers, secret gardens and architecture that spoke of histories past. Old people, young hipsters walking their dogs, performance artists, graffiti artists, and the whiff of old-style bakeries possessed you from a block away. I eavesdropped on conversations with a political undertone and frightened mums who had the same concerns as me. Cyclists, joggers, gym junkies, swimmers. Teenagers glued to their mobile phones proved that it’s a global condition, and the number of white sneakers and skirts illustrated that the Pinterest board has no language barrier. While I had every opportunity to revisit the beautiful monuments, I avoided most of them on this trip. For the first time in a long time, I had the freedom to come and go as I pleased. Even when the lure of the folk violinist forced me to stop with his beautiful music, the type that makes you cry, I bypassed the tourist trap and jumped into the bar with no sign, packed with people speaking one shared language. Only a local would know that. #digitalnomad #lovebudapest #lovehungary #streets #discoveringthecity