Arts Lab 7.0: Salma Hussein | Month VI - They say nothing makes people closer than traveling together, so we went to BUDAPEST!

Imagine dreaming your whole life about traveling the world and thinking it’s an impossible mission. Then suddenly, instead of visiting just one country, God sends you a special gift: the chance to travel to a new country with your best friends. Sounds like the perfect dream, right?

Before taking you on my trip to Budapest, let’s land first in Bucharest. It’s a completely different ride, and you’re going to love it!

During the mid-term meetings in Bucharest, I had the unique chance to meet volunteers from different countries, backgrounds, and cultures. For me, it felt like a dream. The way we blended together so quickly and built such a special bond in no time was crazy to me.

Besides the friendships I built, I learned new techniques, energizers, and methodologies. I was lucky to be guided by two of the best facilitators I have ever seen. They made everything interesting and engaging, no boring lectures or heavy theory. Just real people trying to guide us in our projects, help us improve ourselves, and think about what we want to do after finishing our projects.

And I can’t even describe the fun I had during those four days. Without comparison, it was one of my favorite moments of the whole project. Being together felt special, I felt like I was surrounded by family, accepted, seen, and that I truly belonged.

I also discovered something about myself: I’m not really a museum person. My taste is very different from most artists, I guess. Unless the museum is about Disney, I might get bored very quickly! I still tried to give it another chance and went with my friends to the Arts Museum in Bucharest, but it still wasn’t my cup of tea. And that’s completely fine. I realized I don’t need to pretend to like something just to impress people or look like a “real artist.” For me, there’s no such thing as a real artist. Art is simply whatever touches you.

Instead, I found my joy in thrift shops and markets. I felt like I really belonged there. I had so much fun being the fashion guide for my friends. Maybe this is actually my thing, just like they always say. I’m happy to be their style manager after all.

After four amazing days in Bucharest, we traveled to Budapest. I think the first thing most of us said was that it was the first time we truly felt like we belonged somewhere like that. Without a doubt, it was the prettiest place I’ve ever seen. I feel so lucky that the second stamp in my passport was Hungary.

This trip made me reflect on how blessed I am. I spent my whole life praying for the chance to travel abroad, and suddenly God made me visit two countries in one year. It reminded me that dreams can come true at any moment. That’s why I always say I’m a human who lives by hope, it is my motivation and my fuel.

Every day in Budapest felt magical. I felt like I was living inside a movie with my best friends. Going from Buda to Pest, seeing the green landscapes, the beautiful architecture, the snow, and even the nightlife. Even walking alone while listening to music, visiting churches, or exploring thrift shops made me feel like the main character in my favorite romantic comedy film.

But as a main character first, and Salma second, I always manage to get into funny trouble. Somehow I can face the worst situation with my friends and laugh about it 30 minutes later. We created so many memories like that, but in the end we always left with laughter and good stories.

When I came back to Târgu Frumos, it was actually hard to feel at home again. After ten days away, everything felt strange, even the streets I used to walk every day. But with time, and because we were all sharing the same feeling of readjusting, it slowly passed. Then Ramadan arrived, and a new journey of adaptation began.

It was my first Ramadan away from my family and friends. I won’t say it was easy to spend it in a different place with different people, but my friends here made it much easier. The Sohour moments when we all sat at the same table, Muslims and non-Muslims, were incredibly heartwarming. At that moment, there were only pure souls supporting each other, fasting together, and later sharing Iftar like a family who chose to be a family.

The month ended with the Cucuteni exhibition, and I felt very nostalgic because it was our last exhibition. I looked around and it felt like yesterday when we had our Folklore Museum exhibition. I can’t believe how quickly six months passed. I don’t know how time flew so fast, but every day left now feels precious. I know that after this project ends, I won’t be the same person.

Every time I try to act tough and pretend I won’t be sad when it ends, I remember our laughs, tears, fights, and inside jokes. And how much I’m just… HELLO KITTY! Only Arts Lab 7 will understand what that means.

I’m excited for the next generation of volunteers. They will be so lucky to experience something this warm at least once in their lifetime.

There are still two months left before our goodbyes. But for me, there’s no goodbye between family, just “see you later, alligator.” I’m grateful for every second I spend with my family here: every meal, every laugh, and even every little fight, because I know I’ll definitely miss all of it.

Now we’re starting the Emotions project, and it feels very motivating. Nothing brings people closer than talking honestly about their feelings and experiences. It reminds us that we are humans, not robots, and that in so many ways we are more similar to each other than we think.

This monthly report was written by Salma Hussein, our Egyptian volunteer taking part in a seven-month Arts Lab 7.0 mobility, co-funded by the European Union under the European Solidarity Corps.