Budapest: Travel guide, prices and free housing · 2026

OOOleksandra Onystiukonystyuko · Jan 10, 2023Read

Every marvelous adventure begins with a spontaneous decision. Once you’d like to try something new, even have a bit of fear or uncertainty, but then your lifestyle will never be the same. Young people are courageous explorers who are open to the world. Then, something that can change and fill the life of many students calls ‘exchange programs’. I’m not an exception, so I’m ready to get new experience in Work and Travel USA program. Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” Exchange programs are about significant personal changes that have an important influence on the future. Students get an invaluable experience combining new culture, exploring a new city and country, new people and community, and learning new skills and many amazements. Definitely, these expand the worldview, but they can also help in finding yourself and your purpose in life. I’m convinced that youth trips also pump up everyone as a person, so after this experience, the difference with other peers who didn’t participate in it is palpable. So it is about growing up, and I’d say in a speedy, inconvenient at times way. Students are the drivers of change because they have the power to build a better society around them. Therefore exchange programs can be a great tool to recognize what best young people can take from other cultures and implement in their native land. During intercultural interaction in programs, students are able to share their own culture, traditions, and different features with each other, so the result is a combination of something greater. By the way, I hope in America, it is possible to learn and understand their world (I’m sure it will be 100%) and also get to know exciting things from other students from different cultures. Next, exchange programs are one of the most significant types of non-formal education. In schools or universities, we used to have typical studying with books, lectures, teachers, and other standard things, but in youth trips, students have practical lessons. New conditions force you to take care of yourself independently. This is a kind of school of life where students face many challenges – from organizing their budget to finding the necessary place in a new city. Nevertheless, the moment of really growing up also can be great thanks to youth traveling. Everything I described above related to my experience too. In July 2022, I was in Summer School “Waves and Ebbs of Democracy”: Lessons learnt from Central European 'There and Back Again” at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic, and it was a great three weeks. Except that we had an educational plan, I spent a fantastic time exploring a new country and communicating with new people from Georgia, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Serbia, Montenegro, and Armenia. Honestly, it was exciting to interact with them and share my thoughts and feelings about russian invasion of Ukraine. Sometimes I recognized that they didn’t understand the Ukrainian context, so my mission was to describe how it happens. I wanted first to introduce them to our culture and then tell them about our history and brave people. Nothing captivates people like food, so I decided to cook Ukrainian traditional cuisine borshch for the group. And they could give thanks by donating to our army. Two goals were achieved: in this way, we joined the victory of Ukraine, and international students learned more about my culture and Ukraine in general. (Video here) Furthermore, this program consisted of traveling in Central Europe, so we were in Budapest , Prague, and Vienna. The best opportunity to combine hard work and funny nights is to catch the moment as we did during our trips. Besides, I realized how similar we are: international students also can have responsible preparation for the test after a crazy night or submitting a task at the last minute. Because previously thought these related to Ukrainian students only, but fortunately, I

UUSAblogi · Oct 1, 2009Read

I remember how it all started... Airport After two weeks in NY, I finally decided to write down my first impressions of the USA. I expected that the trip to the USA would hold many surprises, but I didn't think they would catch up with me as early as the airport... So, after our group successfully landed at Budapest airport, it all began. The next flight to London was only in 10 hours, so time dragged on incredibly slowly and I wanted to eat more and more. And I didn't want to spend money. It's a good thing the girls brought food with them, and after laying everything out on the table, we started devouring sausage, tomatoes, etc. How the Europeans stared at us. And so the tedious wait was coming to an end and we were already about to board the plane when we were informed that our plane was being given to passengers flying to Istanbul, because something happened to their plane. And here is what they offered us: either we sit for a day in Budapest in a hotel, or in 40 minutes we fly to London and spend the night there. We chose the second option (we thought we would have time to walk around). But we only managed to eat and immediately fell asleep. The next day we arrive at the airport and we are told that we missed the registration and we need to buy new tickets. But thank God everything ended well. Recommendations 1 Take food with you, no one will take it away from you until you board the plane to the USA. 2 If you have liquids over 100 ml, do not put them in the bag they give you when boarding for the USA, just leave everything in your carry-on. 3 If your flight is delayed, DEMAND food first, and if more than 10 hours have passed, they must provide you with a hotel—as they did for us. 4 If something is not clear, ask. They will help. If some don't help, others will. In America, there will be no problems with this. In the next post, I will write about communication and other things.

UUSAblogi · Oct 1, 2009Read

Spider-Man. Once upon a time, I read one of Max Frei's novels. And here is what I took away for myself: Max Frei compared a person to a spider, a spider whose existence boiled down to weaving its web. All its life, the spider weaves its net, waiting for prey to get caught in the trap. But if the net tears, the spider doesn't go to a new habitat; no, it weaves its web anew. It already knows what it looks like, knows all the conditions, and doesn't want to get out of its cozy dwelling. It's the same with a person living their whole life in their city; they work, they eat, they are comfortable. It is precisely comfort that kills all our human qualities; we don't strive to learn something new, to see new lands. You might ask why I wrote this, only to say that I think people in whose veins the thirst for adventure flows can break their bonds and leave in search of new emotions. Including us, the Work and Travel participants. And then, later, come home and weave, weave their web again. And finally, a little bit of information about the trip. Tickets, DS-2019 form, and J-1 Visa are already with me; all that's left is to wait for the trip. PS: Can someone explain to me how to write this diary and add new pages to the same city (I mean when you need to change the dates in the left corner)? Getting a visa The hour of truth arrived, and upon entering, I had to hand over my phone, keys (oh, how will I get back?), and with the feeling that everything would be fine, I went inside. There were already about 20 people sitting there, waiting for their fate. Ah, it should be noted that before this, while sitting on the trolleybus, I got a lucky ticket (the mindset that everything would be fine worked). So, I gave my fingerprints and started nervously waiting for my turn. I haven't been this nervous in a very long time, nervously rustling the paper on which my job and workplace were written, trying not to forget it. During the interview, I was asked a bunch of questions: where do you study, what is your major, where do your parents work, when are you leaving the country, and when are you coming back (that's where I stumbled and thought that was IT, but remembering, I relaxed and they handed me the documents). Everything, I can breathe a sigh of relief and prepare to buy tickets. Chisinau-Budapest-London-New York are waiting for me (well, at least I am waiting). To be continued...