This year for our vacation, Rich and I decided upon visiting Budapest in Hungary and then traveling to the Dalmatian Coast in Croatia to hang out at Split.  I had been wanting to see Budapest for several years, and the city of Split is built on and around the ruins of Diocletian’s Palace, which, since I’m an unrehabilitated Classics geek, is right up my alley!  We flew out to Budapest on April 11, arriving on the morning of Thursday, April 12, and spent several days there before heading on to Croatia early the following Monday.  By far my favorite part of the trip were those first few days in Budapest.  It’s an amazing city.

Budapest was once one of Europe’s premier capital cities, and it retains much of the grandeur from its Astro-Hungarian Empire salad days.  It also has a bit of a unique flare both culturally and linguistically, since modern Hungarians are descendants of the fearsome Magyars, horse-mounted nomadic warriors from the steppes of Central Asia.  With its jaw-dropping, neo-Gothic Parliament building, its world-famous National Opera House, the grand Basilica of Saint Istvan and the mighty Danube, it offers many stunning sites and plenty of fascinating history.  Below is a list of my favorite places in Budapest: continue reading »

Looking back, it’s hard to believe I worked for my DC-based client for as long as I did.  It started off as potential 3-6 month project, which then evolved and extended multiple times to almost a year.  Just as things were coming to a close, I was then pulled into a totally different project, which also morphed and extended multiple times for another year.  Two years!  Never would have I guessed I’d be there for that long.  Thankfully, it was a very enjoyable tour of duty.  Of course, there were ups and downs, just like everything else.  But…the people I interacted with were wonderful and the experience accumulated was very much worth while.  Of course, I established many professional contacts, aquaintances, etc.  But what I take most pride in are the incredible friendships forged along the way;  friendships that will undoubtedly last a life time.  That, my friends, is what it’s all about.  At least to me anyway.  continue reading »