Quick catch-up

A lot has happened since my last blog! I'm so bad at this.

1. Collared several more elephants - best time of course
2. Chased a few rough boys with a helicopter and paintball gun - what's not to love
3. Used chilli at a few spots again, had major success at the one reserve who's even gotten the private landowners and lodges to use the chilli
4. Applied for masters degree and scholarship
5. Got accepted into the program
6. Let me just repeat that, I got accepted to study in Europe. Me? A bush girl from Africa. Holy crap.
7. Became besties with a colleague, went on several dancing missions with her
8. Organised a fundraiser
9. Left my job at Elephants Alive
9. Waited forever for my visa (I might have applied a liiiittle late)
10. Said farewell to the fam-damily
11. Flew to Budapest
12. Started classes
13. Finally found an apartment after a stressful first week

And now you're finally caught up!

Exhausted me after a +15 hour flight from Cape Town to Budapest
It's been a bit of a whirlwind, I'm not going to lie. Sometimes I still catch myself grinning like a kid with candy about it all because it really still feels surreal.
I honestly still don't know where I want to end up, part of me is interested in wildlife trafficking, especially now that's finally being given more attention, BUT then I still want to work on the ground in the field. Especially working with human-wildlife conflict. Saw an advert for the perfect job once I graduate of course, only thing was I needed to be able to speak French as the post was in Gabon.
So who knows. Luckily I'm not much of a planner, 2 years is kind of planned for me, except of course where I want to do my internship and thesis, no biggy right?? Oh and where I want to do my 3rd semester - Lund or Manchester. I don't like this adulting thing of making decisions. Any takers for the position?

My classmates are great, still struggling to connect with some of them, Africa is so far removed from everybody else that nobody can relate to my epic journey with the ellies and I definitely can't relate to, what seems to me, mundane lives. But it always takes me a while to connect with anybody so I'm not too worried about it yet. I get on really with my flatties and a few girls in my class so I'm content for now :)
Parliament and Margaret Bridge

Life in Budapest - everything is so accessible, I get to walk literally everywhere which I absolutely love! Especially because the weather is still great and I get to see all the beautiful old buildings. Major downside? THE AMOUNT OF HUMANS! Holy crap. I'm 100% a small town girl, so seeing all these people and having to navigate past slow walkers/people who walk next to each other/those who are just completely unaware of his/her surroundings/on his/her phone! The list is endless. And it's so dirty - so many bergies (homeless people) who wee against every building + cigarette butts for days. It's rather sad. The pollution as well as the number of homeless people. Nothing is really being done to help them. There is at least an organisation that preps food for them every weekend from the fresh markets leftover veggies. During winter they move to the underpasses to keep warm. I can't imagine trying to stay positive during those times, or in general. 

I've finally started enjoying using the public transport, well getting there. I've ended up on the wrong side a few times, but I guess that's all part of the journey. As long as my phone doesn't die leaving me stranded without google maps!! Thank goodness for technology, although I rant about the people walking around on their phones ;)
Although I got a fine during my first week. Frugal Jess didn't want to get her pass stamped, and I didn't think they were actually be able to check when you've used it. Had I checked the ticket properly I would have seen a very faint date stamp. Anyways, the lady wasn't sympathetic to my cause, even though I had a new ticket that I could have stamped. Luckily I had cash to pay the fine otherwise I would have had to pay it another time and then they sommer double the amount. Happy dayzzz. And this happened before I got my stipend! Lesson learnt? Well I still tried my luck on the buses and trams, just not the trains ;) I'll blame being in the conservation field where every penny counts. But I do have a month pass now so I'm all set for now.

Finding "wildlife" in City Park (behind me is a fake castle)
Till next time!

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