There is always so much to be grateful for! I am taking a few moment to reflect upon things as I hit the big milestone of 45 years of age today! It’s my birthday and I will cry if I want to! Reflecting on these moments is vital; taking inventory of just how far we have…
Everyone seems to be moving away from Hungary looking for work, school or a new life. It’s true, we get asked everyday why would anyone choose to move here if given the options between Canada and France? Well the answer is surprising. Many people with Hungarian backgrounds are moving back to their heritage even generations after…
Mom stayed for 5 weeks, although we were hoping for longer, somewhere between 3 months and the rest of her life. I know that it’s selfish, wanting my mom to move from Vancouver back to her roots in Budapest to start her retirement with us, but I cannot help it. The last time i saw…
It happens like so many spontaneous things happen; you think you are on the path doing one thing, and then something changes and you find yourselves on a romantic weekend getaway without children! Yeehaw! We were interviewing a couple for a job position at LivEnglish, talking about the wonderful area in which they live, when…
It seems to me that whenever I have a bit of time to write, I always start with an apology about my lack of time to write. Expat life starts off slow and easy, life gains some speed in any country once you start establishing friends, work, support systems, and eventually you are there again,…
Our student Dora did a two-week English homestay with our family over the winter break, and she shared with us a version of Salisbury steak, with a French-twist that was just out of this world. It is rare these days that I write up a new recipe, as of course I could find this…
It is never too late to be what you might have been. George Eliot 2017 was a year full of change and growth. I found a routine over the last 15 months that includes class preparations, hours of marking, private lessons (which I find very satisfying) and of course LivEnglish homestay. I made new friends,…
Things have been very interesting in Budapest Hungary for our expat family when it comes to starting our homestay business. When we arrived in September last year, we explored the market immediately as to what kind of English teaching programs were available for teenage students. Quickly we realized that the idea of Homestay had not…
Sorry but they disconnected the video on YouTube! This time we left southern France to more familiar grounds in Budapest Hungary. Some people may think we are crazy to move yet again, but we find Budapest full of possibilities. The reason we moved is easy, we wanted to bring our English homestay program from southern…
It is true, I am slowing down. My mind doesn’t race from one thing to the next and I can spend long periods of time researching a topic or even reading an entire book without distractions. That’s new for me and this skill came with age. It was endless determination and energy that got me…