Killer Views

Ready for the daily update? It's gonna be another brief post and will probably just cover the highlights but its already 11 and I have to be up again in a few hours for clinicals. Ready? Set. Go.

Today was the day trip to Esztergom, which is on the Hungarian/Slovakian border, and happens to be Zoli's hometown, so our tour was given by a true local. It's a quiet little Hungarian town with STUNNING scenery. There were rolling hills that stretched into distant mountains and had been splashed with trees. This is exactly how I pictured Hungary before I got here.
Our arrival was via bus, which provided over an hour of these beautiful hills and spacious  pastures. The town itself blended into its surroundings perfectly with quaint cafes and historic buildings. As we were ambling through the town square, Zoli let us know that Esztergom is over 1,000 years old, so we were scouring every building for the telltale stone work that identified its date of construction. The cobblestone roads just added to the town's charm and won our hearts over. The true beauty, however, was apparent when we ventured to the top of the Basilica, which is the tallest building in Hungary.
To get to that incredible view, we had to climb hundreds of stairs which were constructed as steep spiral staircases with a serious lack of any rails. To make matters worse, Megan is deathly afraid of heights, so it took a lot of teamwork and coaxing to get her up those stairs. Fear of heights or no, all of us were pretty dizzy by the time we made it to the top from the stairs alone, and looking down several hundred feet over the town made our heads spin for a minute, but once we adjusted, it was well worth the walk. I tried to find other life events to compare the view to, but Stone Mountain can't hold a candle to this breathtaking view of Ezstergom, rolling hills, the Danube River, and Slovakia. It was stunning and terrifying at the same time. To be up so high doesn't feel quite right, but the view was priceless.
I wasn't exaggerating when I said that Megan is deathly afraid of heights. I am in complete awe that she had the strength and the will to make it to the top. It was heartwarming to see our group form a cohesive support system to help her reach that goal. Bilal and I stood with her when she struggled with the decision to leave the stairs for the Cupola and walked with her around the Cupola as she gripped the wall. On the way down, Laura made sure to walk in front of her down the stairs, giving her a 'wall', and Morgan and I stayed close behind so that she would feel secure on both sides. Once she was finally back on the ground, she definitely did a happy dance and I think that whole experience definitely brought our group closer together. She's one of us and we definitely worked to support her while helping her step out of her comfort zone. What  else are friends for?
We celebrated this accomplishment by booking it across the bridge to Slovakia for some traditional Slovakian food and sunshine. It was a wonderful meal, but I didn't find Slovakia to be as nice as Ezstergom. It had a slightly more suburban feel, which contrasted deeply with Ezstergom's countryside charm. Instead, I felt boxed in by touristy shops and loud music, most if which was American in origin.
Overall, it was a very peaceful day. I spent most of my time ogling at the view and trying to burn the image into my memory. I took boatloads of pictures, but they don't even come close to replicating what I saw.
As per usual, I'm completely worn out so I have to go to sleep. I promise I'll write more eventually!
Exhausted and amazed,
Jess