I spent my junior year abroad in Fribourg, Switzerland. Georgetown had an exchange program at the university and there were twenty-five of us there, as well as a large contingent from Providence College and from LaSalle University. It was a transformative year for me. In addition to living and studying there, I traveled a lot and got to know the other Americans really well. Many of them remain my closest and most cherished friends. In fact, it is through these friendships that I met and ultimately married Bernard.
So, when we found out that we were going to be in Hungary for 5 months, I and some of my Fribourg friends began to say, wouldn’t it be nice if we could rendez-vous in Fribourg. I have never been back there. This Wednesday after my class, Bernard and I will journey on to Budapest, where we will catch the night train to Zurich. As of this moment, there will be my Luxembourger friend Roby and his American wife (also from Georgetown and one year behind us at Fribourg), my friend Jeanne-Marie who lives and works in Rome, and several others from our group who will come from the States.
To my regret, I haven’t seen some of these friends in over 35 years…I have never been a big one for going to big reunions organized by the university. It’s hard to describe my feelings…I have been revisiting my youth and reexamining my life since I’ve been in Hungary, so I guess there’s a natural continuity here. There’s more follies in my Fribourg year, but also lots of joy. One thing I have learned…don’t drink too much pomme! It’s funny how some life lessons are indelibly inscribed in your mind.
This Fulbright experience has reminded me many times of that year abroad…particularly in terms of the new friendships Bernard and I have made. I know that, like my Fribourg friends, I will treasure these new friends. Unlike my Fribourg experience, however, I will not wait 35 years to organize a Fulbright-Hungary reunion…I’m already working on it!
Thanks for tuning in and best regards,
Marcsi
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