Born in 1985, I am a Wunderkind with a background in public relations and marketing. I was raised in Colorado where a genuine joie de vivre accompanies life and learned from a young age that life is your grand adventure with no chance to practice or perfect it.
In May I graduated from the University of Colorado with an honors degree in History and Anthropology, specializing in Modern European History (German) and cultural communications. My background in pr and my "passion for fashion" led to me entering the industry as an in-house pr agent.
I currently work for Je Suis Belle, which is an emerging fashion house from Hungary and designed by two of the most amazing people I have ever had the opportunity to know both professionally and personally.
1. When did you arrive in Hungary and what brought you here?
I arrived just at the start of July for work. I had seen work by an emerging fashion design duo from Hungary and was instantly captivated by their unique vision and creativity. Je Suis Belle represented, to me, a new funky, groovy, and forward way of thinking about style and design in the fashion industry. I knew I wanted to work for them. Tibi and Dalma, who are just the loveliest people in this town, both were so warm, kind, and enthusiastic over discussions that I made up my mind to make the move to Budapest. It is honestly the best decision I have made in the last five years excluding my choice to watch the BBC Pride and Prejudice because seriously, I love Colin Firth.
2. Have you ever been an expatriate elsewhere?
I am sure I once logged enough hours on World of Warcraft to be considered an expatriate, but alas. I sometimes feel I am an expatriate in America of a much better time. November cannot come soon enough!
3. What surprised you most about Hungary?
The initial moment of utter misery here is what surprised me most. I had wanted to fall in love with this city from the first day, but Budapest and I did not have a love at first sight encounter. It was quite more like distrust and distaste from the moment of landing at the airport. I fully expected this mentality to continue, but then one afternoon, with the people I work with, I looked behind me while crossing the chain bridge from Buda into Pest and I realized that I love this city for all its hijinks and moments of horror, sadness, and melancholy. The hope that is underneath everything and everyone here is so compelling. I am surprised by how much of a better person living here has already made me and how very much I have come to consider this place home so quickly.
4. Friends are in Budapest for a weekend--what must they absolutely see and do?
Actually, one of my good friends is coming this weekend and we have planned out their trip! How ironic. Gellert Mountain, the Citadel, and the Castle Labyrinth are all required on the Buda side. Between all that hiking and walking, a trip to the bath must finish the afternoon, and then you really have to cross back into Pest to have dinner at Gerbeaud. Not just an amazing meal waits, but incredible service. Sandor, the manager of the pub, is absolutely brilliant. If you have not been there, go in and see him. He makes your experience at Gerbeaud feel like royalty. The next day, start it off with a tiger chai latte at Coffee Heaven where the staff is absolutely fantastic. It is a day to hit Saint Stephen's, Heroes Square, the Jewish Quarter and then the Island for dancing and drinks.
5. What is your favorite Hungarian food?
At Gerbeaud, I had baked kecskesajt and it was more than probably the best meal of my life - and I have had caviar in France!
6. What is never missing from your refrigerator?
A bottle of Hungarian wine next to my leftovers from foodline (their Venetian penne is absolutely marvelous!) ordered off of netpincer. That is all that is in my refrigerator. Don't tell my boss Dalma. She wants me to eat healthy.
7. What is your favorite Hungarian word?
Szia, as I can pronounce it! Unicum is also an exceptionally wonderful Hungarian word. Maszat is my most frequently said Hungarian word as I am often shouting it and shaking the half-Pumi dog off my leg!
8. What do you miss the most from home?
Diet Dr. Pepper. Sorry mom, dad, and friends, I miss my soda. I also miss cheap peanut butter, Mexican food that is actually delicious (I am from Colorado so I am quite biased), sushi from Jeju, my two wonderful dogs, and the mountains. I have substituted peanut butter with apricot jam, Mexican food with gyros, sushi from Jeju with pasta from Foodline, my dogs with Maszat and Spuri (the two dogs belonging to Tibi and Dalma), and the mountains with the island, but ain't nothing got a thing on Diet Dr. Pepper!
9. What career other than yours would you love to pursue?
Oh, gosh. I really am keen on doing public relations. If I was not in this, I would have continued with my academics and become a professor. Part of me definitely would like to continue in that. Teaching is such a gift and the world needs more people who are passionate about their subjects.
10. What's a job you would definitely never want?
Ticket controller on the trams or buses. They alway seem miserable, don't they?
11. Where did you spend your last vacation?
Paris! I came here from Paris. I cannot wait to go back. It is such a marvelous and lovely place.
12. Where do you hope to spend your next one?
I am off to Prague, Munich, Venice, and Rome from August 2 until the 13th, so I already have one planned, but I hope to spend my next one with my dear friend Dorka in either Paris or Copenhagen.
13. What was your favorite band, film, or hobby as a teen?
My favorite movie has been Vanilla Sky since I was sixteen. Now listen, I saw it before Tom Cruise went off his medications and I cannot abandon it. My favorite band has been Ed Harcourt since 2002 when I was.. wow, I was born in 1985, so the tail end of my teen years. I never did the boy band circuit. As for hobby, as an early teen it was making my mother's life difficult and from about fifteen on it was shopping. I am quite loyal to things I like as Ed Harcourt, Vanilla Sky, and Shopping are all still quite my favorites!
14. What can't you resist?
Je Suis Belle and USE clothes. They are both such talented design houses that everything they do, I want two or more of. Shopping at Retrorock Deluxe is kind of my guilty pleasure and I can spend hours in there, which is so bad for me and my Marc Jacobs pocketbook! I am also unable to resist the Testarossa's from Incognito in Liszt Ferenc.
15. Red wine or white?
Absolutely red overall, but a riesling above all else. Hungarians, I have found, excel at making both types.
16. Book or movie?
Book. However, a good movie is alway excellent. I just tend to enjoy reading more.
17. Morning person or night person?
Work has converted me into a morning person. I can hardly stay up past midnight nowadays. I love Budapest on Sunday mornings, too. It is calm and quiet. It is such an antithesis to what the city is like in the afternoon on a Saturday. It is really lovely.
18. Dog person or cat person?
Dog. I am actually terrified of the three cats who live in the garden at the place where I work. I am 99% positive the larger one is plotting my demise and consumption.
19. Buda side or Pest side?
Pest. I know! Shock! Awe! Yes, Buda is beautiful with the hills, the castle, and who can resist the way the sun looks setting over the citadel from the back of the red seven? But I work in Buda and live in Pest, so Pest just feels like home. Plus? All my most interesting, frustrating, and humorous adventures have occurred on the Pest side.
20. What would you say is your personal motto?
Being serious? Stay positive, better days will come. Honestly? Turn that frown upside down with another shot of Palinka!