Szabadság :

(Sah ♦ bahd ♦ shag)

“Freedom”; “Liberty”

I was on the edge of indecision, but instead of taking a nap I took the metro to Ferenciek Ter. I had a feeling the Szabadság Bridge and the views of Buda across the river would be breathtaking in the snow.I didn’t know it would be an experience even more peaceful than sleep. Even with the yellow tram rumbling over to Buda, or the laughing group of tourists, everything was quiet. The kind of quiet that’s reserved for a fresh blanket of snow.Of the four main links of Budapest, this green bridge has always been my favorite. But my tongue always tripped over the Hungarian letters of its name.

S Z A B A D S Á GIt took a native speaker with handsome eyes and a patient smile to guide me through, but when I whispered the word under my breath, I felt I’d finally done it justice.

F R E E D O M

The surreal moment snuck up on me. But standing where I was standing, freezing next to the restless Danube and looking at the rolling Buda hills, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Here I was, taking an afternoon stroll in the foreign country I now lived in. No time constraints, lesson plans done, the freshest of fresh air for the breathing…if freedom had a feeling, this was it.

Back on the tram, I tried to warm my hands. I had gripped onto the green rails of the bridge until my fingers were stiff and red, until my face had frozen from the icy wind. But I still managed to smile.