Hungary: – My land of Independence
I was born and brought up in a humble family in India. I lived a simple life within the boundaries of the few Indian states I lived in. My parents worked hard to put me through school and I worked hard and put myself through college and eventually a Master’s program. My parents didn’t ever let me think that anything was impossible but they did make me realize that I would have to work hard for what I wanted because we were not financially sound. I grew up knowing the value of money and what things cost but that never stopped me from dreaming.
I grew up dreaming of an escape from India into an unknown land where I would find myself alone. I was fiercely wild and independent as a child; my parents’ divorce created that deep sense or need for me to be brave and independent but I often wondered if I would be the same if I was left all alone in this big bad world. Did I have the courage to battle life without any help? Could I really enjoy life if I was alone and had to fend for myself? I grew up wanting to embrace this challenge someday and the few who heard my dream laughed as hard as they could. They could not believe my audacity to have such a dream. Some kind people took the time to tell me it would never happen, not only because I didn’t have the finance but because I was a girl. They only assumed that a girl didn’t have the strength to face a challenge like this. The more people told me I couldn’t or wouldn’t do it, the more determined I became to prove them wrong. I kept sending out prayers for my dream to become a reality and in God’s good time He answered, he made my dream a reality.
Towards the end of 2009, I embarked on a journey of a lifetime. I boarded my first ever international flight to the continent I dreamed of visiting all my life, Europe. I set flight to Hungary. God was so good in answering my prayer that He granted every minute detail I had ever requested for. Hungary was a country I couldn’t have pointed on the world map. All I knew about the country was that it was in Europe, I hadn’t heard about its history, its people or the language. This was everything I had dreamed of and so with no hesitation I boarded that flight to Hungary, a flight that took me to the promise of the unknown and away from everyone I ever loved and cared for. The excitement of living my dream overtook the sorrow of leaving home, the joy of freedom ran wildly through every vein and the mere promise of unadulterated independence pumped more adrenaline than I had ever felt before. This was it! This was my chance!
Freedom comes with a price; India’s history had proved it and so did mine. Life wasn’t as sweet as I had dreamed or wished it to be. Life in the new land was tough but one that was packed with more lessons than I ever thought possible. I spent a year in Eger, Hungary and every day was new, filled with surprises. I learnt a world about people and even more about me. It took Hungary to help me realize I loved my God, my family and my country with an incomparable love and I loved my independence. I was perfectly content living alone. I loved getting to know people, their culture, their food, their lifestyle. I loved introducing them to my culture, my food, my entertainment and my lifestyle. I hosted parties and played the perfect Indian host. I went to their parties, socialized, embraced their culture but continued to be uniquely Indian. I did things I had never done here in India. I travelled alone, ate in restaurants alone, spent days writing poetry in parks, went for runs at midnight, barbecued at valleys, became adventurous and tried different food, Hiked in Slovakia, invited strangers to live with me, visited and stayed with strangers and danced to Hindi songs on the streets of Eger.
I was, then, somebody I had never been before. I was a crazily bold 23year old Indian, oozing with undeniable confidence. I introduced myself to complete strangers and made friends that I now know will last a life time. Hungary will forever remain supremely precious to me; it was an experience of a lifetime. It was in Hungary I embraced Independence and freedom like never before and I enjoyed every single minute of it. Independence is a true gift, best learnt through world travel.
Thank you for reading and commenting. Please enter the Independence Travel Writing competition and tell your story.
