Stories from the ground.
Every dispatch from here, in one place.
The Measure of a Community: Raising a Son Who Stands Out in Hungary
A small thing left in the comments under a video about my son turned into a larger question:…
Budapest’s Hidden Mini-Statues: The Secret Bronze World of Mihály Kolodko
They are barely the size of your hand, tucked onto railings and staircases across the city, and most…
Why Villány Might Be the True Home of Cabernet Franc
A Budapest wine bar owner makes the case that Hungary's hot southern region of Villány, not France, is…
A Lake Balaton Weekend in Siófok, for One Person Only
We took the train south to Lake Balaton's quiet family shore at Szabadisóstó, not for the water but…
Budapest Business Party 2026: A Night on the River Diva, and the Good Behind the Glamour
An invitation to Budapest's 11th Business Party put me aboard the River Diva as Parliament lit up gold…
Are Hungarians Really Unfriendly? An American Answer from the Streets of Budapest
The stereotype says Hungarians are cold, even unhappy. After years of greeting strangers across Budapest, an American found…
The Quiet Freedom of Routine: Visa Limbo and a Children’s Day in Hungary
A life built on the absence of routine starts to crave it, somewhere between visa paperwork and a…
Lake Balaton: Hungary’s Inland Sea, and What Waits Beyond Budapest
Hungary is landlocked, so it made a sea of its own. A closer look at Lake Balaton: the…
Why Hungary Shuts Down on May 1 (and America Doesn’t)
May 1 brings Hungary to a standstill. Munka ünnepe is really three holidays stacked on one date: a…
Get the next note in your inbox.
Short, occasional emails when there's something new worth sharing. No schedule pressure, no spam. Just the next note from here.